WASHINGTON — Forbes has recognized Lutheran Services in America as one of “America’s Top Charities” in 2019. Ranked 16th on the list of America’s top 100 charities, the Washington, DC-based organization earned a slot among the nation’s largest 20 charities for the sixth consecutive year.
The publication’s prestigious list records the top charities’ intake of private donations; organizations recognized on the list must have received “at least $146 million in private donations from last year,” according to Forbes. In ranking 16th on the annual list, Lutheran Services in America attracted $810 million in private donations, up from $732 million the year prior, marking an 11 percent increase.
The Lutheran Services in America national network is comprised of 300 nonprofit health and human service organizations that improve the health and quality of life for one in 50 Americans each year, working with groups ranging from children and families, to seniors, veterans and people with disabilities. Lutheran Services in America organizations are active in over 1,400 communities in 46 states nationwide.
“The generous support we receive from people around the country is fueling our work to transform lives. That support helps expand our network’s efforts for so many Americans of all ages,” said Charlotte Haberaecker, president and CEO of Lutheran Services in America. “Whether helping change the life trajectory for children and youth, or creating and deploying national solutions that improve the health and quality of life for so many seniors, we’re able to accelerate innovation given the immense reach and longtime trusted presence of our network. The contributions we receive play a major role in the real results we’re seeing.”
2019 saw groundbreaking progress for the Lutheran Services in America network. By the end of 2019 its Results Innovation Lab had helped improve the lives of over 7,000 children and youth, and in January 2019, the organization launched the second phase of its Great Plains Senior Services Collaborative to enable low-income seniors in rural communities to live independently at home with purpose and meaning. In 2019 Lutheran Services in America launched the second phase of its Connect-Home Collaborative, which is empowering seniors and their caregivers to manage seniors’ illness at home. Also in 2019, Lutheran Services in America launched LSA Senior Connect, a new and innovative service coordination model whose goal is to improve the health and quality of life of seniors. The initiative is focused on empowering seniors to live independently at home while reducing unnecessary emergency room visits and hospitalization, increasing seniors’ satisfaction and lowering total costs of care.
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About Lutheran Services in America
Lutheran Services in America is the national network of Lutheran social ministry organizations — connecting over 300 health and human services providers located throughout the country. Recognized by The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Forbes as one of the nation’s largest nonprofits, the Lutheran Services in America network operates with more than $22 billion in annual revenue and over 250,000 member employees. Together, the network lifts up the nation’s most vulnerable people from children to seniors — making a difference in the lives of one in 50 Americans every year. To learn more, please visit www.lutheranservices.org.
