Elora: Revolutionising online donations

In today's digital-first world, effective fundraising requires innovative solutions. Elora, a powerful platform introduced by Elovate, offers charities a comprehensive toolkit to maximise their online giving efforts. In this interview, Scott Gray, Marketing & Services Director at Elovate, explains how Elora is helping charities achieve their online giving goals.

Q: Why is it so important for charities to focus on online giving?

A: Online giving can be a game-changer for charities, offering several compelling benefits. It provides accessibility and global reach, allowing charities to connect with supporters from around the world. Digital platforms - used within a wider strategy across all fundraising methods – also provide a cost-effective vehicle to maximise donations and give fast and tailored supporter responses. Additionally, online giving can provide valuable data on supporter behaviour, enabling charities to tailor their efforts and improve results. Finally, digital tools can help build stronger connections with supporters and foster a sense of community.

Q: What is Elora?

A: Elora is a comprehensive online giving platform designed by Elovate to help charities streamline and enhance their online fundraising efforts. It delivers an enriched supporter experience, while maximising all available payment methods. Elora is not a template system but offers several styles to suit a charity and its requirements; always making sure it’s only the charity’s brand that is visible to the supporter.

Elora is built from over 15 years of experience in building online donation solutions for charities and is rich in features to suit charities of all sizes, ensuring that they continue to keep up and comply with the latest trends, insights, security and regulatory changes.

Q: How does Elora benefit charities?

A: Elora empowers a charity to enjoy all the benefits of a custom donation page without the associated cost, time, and resource commitment. Different plans allow charities to grow steadily and add more features when they see revenue growth. Elora provides a platform for campaign success whilst ensuring a supporter experience pre- and post-donation to provide a personalised thank you.

Q: What happens if a charity doesn’t already have an online giving presence, or currently uses some of the well-known consumer-giving platforms?

If a charity doesn’t already have an online giving page, or needs another page, Elora can help create one. Our expertise allows us to quickly and easily set up donation pages that are branded to a charity and use its own payment mechanisms, meaning that funds are directly received.

We understand that each charity has unique fundraising needs, and our flexible platform allows us to adapt our approach accordingly. Whether a charity needs a generic donation page for its website, one for a specific campaign, or support for an emergency appeal, we can create a customised solution that aligns with its campaign goals.

Q: What are some of the main features of Elora?

A: We may be biased, but we feel Elora provides the best donation page experience in the market. Whilst design and donation flow are key, having several features that charities can turn on, or test, offers them a donation platform that grows and flexes when needed. Some of the new features to help drive conversion and experience include an online chat function, smart gift amounts that leverage machine learning, a supporter questions option post donation, and the provision of an email or postal donation “thank you.”

Q: How does Elora benefit donors?

A: Supporters are coming to a charity to do good. They want to feel connected to the cause and from start to finish, and feel they are giving easily through channels that are aligned with a charity’s brand and communication style. Elora ensures a seamless quick and easy donation experience for supporters whether they’re making a one-time or a recurring donation, with the added benefits of an immediate and personalised thank-you message.

Q: Can Elora assist with post-donation engagement?

A: Yes, Elora can help charities strengthen their supporter journey beyond the initial donation and foster long-term relationships with supporters. Through personalised communication and targeted outreach, Elora helps charities build stronger connections with their donors and encourage repeat giving with a suite of powerful and flexible digital fulfilment options.

By leveraging data-driven insights, charities can send targeted messages based on donor preferences and interests, increasing engagement and relevance. Elora also integrates with charities' social media channels, allowing them to share updates, stories, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of their work.

Q: How can I learn more about Elora?

A: For more information on Elora and how it can benefit your charity, please click here or contact the Elovate customer support team at [email protected]