Lutheran Social Service of the South Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Austin, Texas, registered in 1961, with $125,518,410 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 91% of spending to programs.
Revenue (FY2024)
$125.5M
▲ 6.5% vs prior year
Human Services median: $293K
Expenses (FY2024)
$128.0M
Net assets
$53.3M
Employees
1,486
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Lutheran Social Service of the South Inc: 91% to programs · $2 to raise $100 earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Lutheran Social Service of the South Inc: 5 mo reserves · -2% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Lutheran Social Service of the South Inc: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Lutheran Social Service of the South Inc: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Our mission is to break the cycle of child abuse by empowering children, families and communities.
Residential treatment programs include life-changing work being done at our new life and krause children's centers that provide a safe place for girls from across texas to heal from childhood traumas. upbring's children's shelters and transitional foster care programs provide care and support from our compassionate staff and nurturing foster parents until their families can be located.
Education services include headstart and early headstart preschool programs that help children from low-income families prepare to start kindergarten ready to learn. education services also include programs at upbring school of arts and sciences in austin. the school provides education services to children ages six-weeks to elementary age, reserving spaces for children in the foster care system.
The office of refugee resettlement (orr) in texas and throughout the united states helps new populations integrate into american life by connecting them to critical resources. upbring operates four orr programs in texas for children who have migrated to the u.s. alone or with other minors. rather than being deported, children who cross the border alone from central america are turned over to orr, held in designated facilities and provided with services until their family members can be located. this experience alone can be scary, but the staff at upbring shelters provide the children with around-the-clock attention, caring for their physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
Revenue grew from $54.1M (FY2013) to $125.5M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
-2.0%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$75.8M
Total liabilities
$22.4M
Net assets
$53.3M
Salaries & benefits
$84.6M
66% of expenses
Board members
8
8 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $125,518,410▲6.5% | $128,036,220▲7.5% | $53,341,150▼1.9% | $75,785,341▲2.4% | 990 |
| 2023 | $117,827,841▲11.5% | $119,110,981▲9.9% | $54,396,597▲12.3% | $74,014,070▲15.3% | 990 |
| 2022 | $105,628,164▲9.1% | $108,365,125▲13.1% | $48,454,428▼12.6% | $64,191,184▲5.2% | 990 |
| 2021 | $96,832,412▲9.3% | $95,836,024▲2.9% | $55,435,213▲3.6% | $61,046,286▲1.4% | 990 |
| 2020 | $88,560,129▲12.1% | $93,144,478▲16.0% | $53,514,444▲10.5% | $60,174,032▲14.0% | 990 |
| 2019 | $78,976,011▲15.8% | $80,316,514▲31.9% | $48,440,942▼6.6% | $52,782,376▼1.3% | 990 |
| 2018 | $68,192,366▲19.9% | $60,879,527▲7.8% | $51,846,274▲16.5% | $53,483,735▲1.4% | 990 |
| 2017 | $56,885,138▼24.1% | $56,471,876▼10.7% | $44,495,242▼2.0% | $52,768,206▲4.5% | 990 |
| 2016 | $74,958,555▲17.2% | $63,212,843▼3.4% | $45,413,491▲43.3% | $50,485,463▲8.6% | 990 |
| 2015 | $63,978,540▼4.8% | $65,432,301▲8.3% | $31,702,257▼8.2% | $46,500,514▼5.4% | 990 |
| 2014 | $67,179,627▲24.1% | $60,401,178▲8.9% | $34,534,500▲23.1% | $49,155,727▲14.7% | 990 |
| 2013 | $54,111,663 | $55,466,137▲13.8% | $28,048,954▼2.9% | $42,872,363▼3.0% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $48,746,159▼4.7% | $28,874,493▲5.2% | $44,194,673▲4.7% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $51,157,571▼4.2% | $27,456,195▼3.3% | $42,193,749▼4.2% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $53,390,597▲1.2% | $28,391,927▼1.3% | $44,036,731▲0.7% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $52,732,934 | $28,766,469 | $43,713,072 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Highest-paid: Michael Loo — $501,016 (0.39% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Loo | Ceo | 40 | $501,016 |
| Krystale Bezio | Chief Operating Officer | 40 | $341,959 |
| Carolyn Paganoni | Chief P&C Officer | 40 | $262,574 |
| Chad Seveland | Chief Financial Officer | 40 | $242,253 |
| Holly Raymond Smith | Chief Community Engagement Officer | 40 | $235,239 |
| Murray Chanow | Svp, Public Affairs | 40 | $223,036 |
| Ryan Park | Vp of Marketing | 40 | $210,780 |
| Pablo Hernandez | Sr Executive Director, Orr Programs | 40 | $192,080 |
| Andrew Benscoter | Chief Knowledge Officer | 40 | $191,258 |
| Scott Crews | Vp Development Operations | 40 | $168,024 |
| Howard Cox | Executive Director, Head Start | 40 | $160,096 |
| Jeronimo Saenz | Orr Associate Executive Director | 40 | $154,035 |
| Francisco Lopez | Senior Staff | 40 | $142,088 |
| Rogelio De La Cerda | Orr Associate Executive Direct | 40 | $140,235 |
| Roxanna Garza | Superintendent, Head Start | 40 | $136,040 |
| David Dean | Director of People & Culture | 40 | $132,631 |
| Mayra Lopez | Program Director | 40 | $124,387 |
| Beth Bruce | Treasurer | 1 | — |
| Billy Dyer | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Brett Carleton | Chair | 1 | — |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Pawnee Independent School District | Education Services | $3,194,718 |
| Casa Gracia Nc LLC | Education Services | $2,603,002 |
| Casa 511 LP | Education Services | $992,840 |
| Champions Fore Charity | Event Consulting | $572,000 |
| Angel's Cafe & Catering | Food Services | $413,600 |
81 grants to Lutheran Social Service of the South Inc totaling $5.0M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service | Children and family services; resettlement and integration services | 2024 | $365,963 |
| Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption | Wendy's wonderful kids grants | 2024 | $225,000 |
| Ach Child and Family Services | T3c readiness activities - operations | 2024 | $130,255 |
| Texas Mutual Insurance Company | Generational learning | 2024 | $90,000 |
| Greater Horizons | Human services | 2024 | $50,000 |
| Austin Community Foundation | General support | 2024 | $17,500 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $15,551 |
| Thrivent Financial For Lutherans | General support | 2024 | $10,839 |
| Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund | General support | 2024 | $6,000 |
| Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption | Wendy's wonderful kids grants | 2023 | $225,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $75,819 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $41,500 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2023 | $14,258 |
| Thrivent Financial For Lutherans | General support | 2023 | $11,723 |
| Thrivent Charitable Impact & Investing | General support | 2023 | $8,473 |
1 grant totaling $94K in FY2024. All grants made by Lutheran Social Service of the South Inc →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lutheran Properties Inc | Operational support to related entity | $94,463 |
Explore more
Data for Lutheran Social Service of the South Inc (EIN 74-1109745) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.