About Lutheran Services in America
Lutheran Services in America is the national office for a network of health and human service organizations, dedicated to advancing innovative solutions and partnerships to achieve a healthier, more equitable future for millions of people in America.
Focus Areas
child welfare and youth servicesolder adult servicesaffordable housing and supportive servicesdisability servicespolicy and advocacyleadership and capacity building
Who They Fund
underserved families in crisisseniors in rural communitiesseniors living in affordable housingseniors in Brooklyn, NYfamilies needing stabilization supports
About Lutheran Services in America
Lutheran Services in America Incorporated directs large grants to a network of Lutheran health and human service organizations serving older adults and families in crisis. The biggest recent award in the data was $533,891 to Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota for improving the lives of underserved families in crisis, followed by $485,640 to Ak Child & Family in Anchorage and $393,644 to St John's Lutheran Ministries in Billings for the same family-crisis focus. That pattern shows a funder working through affiliated service providers rather than through individuals, with grants that are sizable enough to support direct service delivery and local capacity. Its portfolio also includes repeated support for rural senior services, with multiple awards at the $245,042 level to organizations in Minnesota, Montana, and South Dakota. Other grants extend to Brooklyn, New York, affordable housing-linked senior services, and family stabilization efforts. The foundation’s recent awards are all to U.S. recipients, and the organization’s active program structure includes scholarship funds administered separately through the ELCA and LCMS for chaplaincy, pastoral counseling, and clinical credentialing.
What Lutheran Services in America Funds
A major theme is family stabilization and crisis intervention. In 2024, Lutheran Services in America Incorporated gave $193,200 to Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota for family stabilization, and $154,824 to Alaska Children's Services dba Ak Child & Family for the same purpose. Those grants sit alongside a $25,000 award to Gemma Services in Plymouth Meeting for strengthening families. Another recurring area is older adult services, especially in rural settings. The foundation awarded $385,066 to Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center in Bismarck for improving the lives of seniors in rural communities, and $245,042 to Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota in Saint Paul for the same objective. Place-based senior work also appears in Brooklyn and in affordable housing. Family Health Centers at NYU Langone received $91,250 in Brooklyn for seniors in Brooklyn, NY, while Graceworks Lutheran Services in Dayton received $17,000 for improving the lives of seniors in affordable housing.
How Lutheran Services in America Gives
Typical grants are relatively large for a network funder: the 25th percentile is $94,692, the median is $245,042, and the 75th percentile is $265,392. Several recipients appear more than once across 2023 and 2024, including Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota, St Johns Lutheran Ministries, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, and Family Health Centers at NYU Langone. That repetition points to ongoing support rather than isolated awards. The organization is a nonprofit operating as the national office for a Lutheran service network, and it does not make program-related investments. The active scholarship program is administered separately by ELCA and LCMS and does not accept unsolicited applications.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2M
Total Assets
$14.1M
Total Revenue
$8.1M
Total Expenses
$6.6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $95K and $265K, with a median of $245K.
25th Percentile
$95K
Median
$245K
75th Percentile
$265K
Geographic Reach
National9 states funded
About 0% of grants go to recipients in MT.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
ALESIA FRERICHS
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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