Lutheran Services in America Tops List of Nonprofits Again

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- With more than $7.6 billion of income in 2001, Lutheran Services in America (LSA) topped The NonProfit Times' list of the United States' 100 largest nonprofit organizations for the third year in a row. The publication released the "NPT 100" Nov.1, with the National Council of YMCAs listed second and the American Red Cross third.
Based in Baltimore, LSA is an alliance of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) and their 280 social ministry organizations. The independent health and human service organizations serve more than three million people in 3,000 communities across the United States and the Caribbean each year.
Jill Schumann, LSA's president and CEO, told the publication the organization's jump to the top of the NPT 100 in 1999 could probably be credited to a larger number of Lutheran hospitals reporting in 1999 than in 1998.
In a recent speech to Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio, Columbus, Ohio, Schumann said the size of LSA is due in part to a multiplication of care that spans more than a century. "Each Lutheran social ministry organization can tell a series of stories of faithful people, who, refreshed by the wellspring of Christ's love, directed that care to others," she said.
"Whether the need was for a place to care for aging people in a rural community or for services for those marginalized by city life, Lutherans simply responded with little fanfare," said Schumann.
Schumann cited statistics for Lutheran health and human services organizations: about 105,000 people were in residential care; 2,768 children were placed in adoptions; 127,672 children were cared for in foster care; 780,708 people received social services; and the incomes of 64 percent of clients receiving social services were below the federal poverty level.
"It has been said that LSA is one of the best kept secrets in our land," said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA. "It is also true that one in 50 people in this country have been served by a ministry of LSA," he said.
The "incredible work" of Lutheran social ministry organizations "is reflected in the number of ELCA congregations involved in their service programs. This church is grateful to God for their ministry of witness and service," said the bishop.
Hanson noted that the Lutheran "Affirmation of Baptism" includes a vow to continue in the covenant with God to "serve all people, following the example of our Lord Jesus, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth." He added, "How wonderful it is to see this example of service and striving for justice through the work of Lutheran Services in America."
The NonProfit Times recorded LSA's total income for 2001 at $7,654,955,732. The YMCAs had $4,123,080,000, and the American Red Cross had $2,711,606,718.
The top 10 of the NPT 100 included Catholic Charities USA, United Jewish Communities, Goodwill Industries International, Salvation Army, Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and American Cancer Society.
The NonProfit Times reported the sources of LSA's income in 2001 as $2.8 billion from program services, almost $2.8 billion from government, about $1.75 billion from public support, more than $218 million from "other" and $90 million from investments. It listed $25 million as "in kind" contributions.
LSA expenses in 2001 totaled almost $7.57 billion, according to The NonProfit Times. It said LSA spent more than $7.03 billion on programs, about $510 million on administration and about $22.5 million on fund-raising. -- -- --
The NonProfit Times home page is at http://www.nptimes.com/ on the Web. Lutheran Services in America is at http://www.lutheranservices.org/ on the Web.

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