ELCA Portal Framework - Building a Secure, Scalable Foundation for Multi‑Portal Growth
Konabos built a secure, scalable multi-portal framework on Umbraco Cloud for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, enabling centralized authentication, scheduled user synchronization, and consistent governance. Its first deployment, the Financial Synod Portal, modernized remittance and mission support workflows, cutting processing time by 87.5 percent while significantly improving accuracy, security, and efficiency.
Project Brief
Konabos partnered with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to architect and implement a centralized portal framework that enables rapid creation of multiple secure web portals to meet different organizational needs.
Built on Umbraco Cloud CMS and .NET, and tightly integrated with Auth0 and Blackbaud CRM/ECIS, the platform provides a reusable foundation for future applications, including financial remittances, mission support, and beyond.
The first deployment under this framework, the Synod Financial Remittance Portal, reduced processing times by 87.5 percent, improved data accuracy to 99.9 percent, and established a robust model for scalable expansion across the ELCA’s 65 synods.
Challenges
ELCA’s vision extended beyond a single portal, it needed a scalable architecture capable of supporting multiple, mission‑specific portals with shared authentication, integration, and governance.
Key Challenges
- Fragmented legacy systems for each business process
- Manual and inconsistent user management across apps, including offline workflows such as paper forms and fax submissions
- Lack of SSO and centralized access control
- Repetitive development effort for each new portal
- Security and compliance demands for financial and user data
ELCA sought a long‑term, reusable digital framework that could power multiple future portals while maintaining centralized identity management and integration consistency.
Our Approach
Konabos designed and implemented a modular, multi‑tenant portal framework powered by Umbraco Cloud and .NET Core, with integrations into Auth0 for identity and Blackbaud CRM / ECIS for data exchange.
This foundational platform enables ELCA to rapidly launch new portals by reusing core modules for authentication, authorization, data exchange, and UI structure.
Centralized Authentication via Auth0
Single Sign‑On with role‑based access and scheduled metadata synchronization from ECIS/Blackbaud CRM through Umbraco Cloud to Auth0. User profiles include synod, congregation, and access scopes.
Multi‑Portal Architecture
Shared base components and services, each portal (Financial, Mission Support, future Education portals, etc.) inherits from the same foundational framework.
Secure Banking & Financial Data Handling
ACH stands for Automated Clearing House, the U.S. banking network used to move money electronically between bank accounts. The framework provides ACH setup forms, approval logs, audit trails, and encrypted communication across financial modules.
ECIS / Blackbaud CRM Integration
Scheduled user‑data synchronization (ECIS → Umbraco Cloud → Auth0). Remittance data is exported to ECIS/Blackbaud when users submit it, with batch creation managed downstream. (Not real‑time user sync.)
Portal Extensibility
The framework allows new modules (events, training, communications) to be added with minimal development overhead.
Accessibility & Scalability
WCAG 2.1 AA compliant, Azure‑hosted, cloud‑optimized for future scale.
Results
Strategic Outcomes:
- Established a reusable platform for future ELCA portals
- Centralized identity and access management
- Reduced operational redundancy and integration complexity
- Improved data consistency across systems
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John Lurquin
Chief Marketing and Development Officer
Customer Testimonials
Konabos is like an extension of ABG's team. They are honest and trustworthy in highlighting ways we can better utilize our resources to save money.
Marc Lamothe
Director Of Web Technology