Lutheran World Relief Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Baltimore, Maryland, registered in 1946, with $61,383,371 in FY2022 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 78% of spending to programs.
Revenue (FY2022)
$61.4M
▼ 11.8% vs prior year
International median: $227K
Expenses (FY2022)
$50.0M
Net assets
$69.1M
Employees
111
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 World Relief Inc: 78% to programs · $14 to raise $100 earns a B+ 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 World Relief Inc: 17 mo reserves · +19% margin earns a A 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 World Relief 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 World Relief Inc: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Lutheran world relief, inc. (lwr) works with lutherans & partners around the world to end poverty, injustice, & human suffering.
Food security/climate change/agriculture: lutheran world relief works with poor, rural communities around the world to help farmers improve their crops, learn new techniques and tools to increase their yield and attract buyers who will pay more for their products, help rural communities develop productive, resilient and stable economies through an enterprise-based approach that engages the private sector at multiple levels to create profitable partnerships that benefit families and promote rural livelihoods. lutheran world relief also helps communities protect their agricultural assets in the face of challenging climate conditions and improve their resilience to natural hazards like floods and droughts. we introduced environmentally sustainable farming practices so that communities get the most out of their land while conserving and restoring their natural resources. we also worked with local and national governments to facilitate the equitable access and protection of natural resources, helping communities assess their vulnerabilities to natural hazards and develop the plans and skills they need to prepare for them.
Ground up investing, including mountain harvest and farmers market brands: lwr makes impact investments through ground up investing (gui). gui funds high-impact enterprises that deliver social, economic and environmental benefits for local communities through both debt and equity funding. gui invests in companies operating across rural markets from agricultural sourcing to production and trading to direct-to-consumer product companies and tech-enabled services providers.
Revenue grew from $46.1M (FY2013) to $61.4M (FY2022) across 10 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
18.6%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$91.2M
Total liabilities
$22.1M
Net assets
$69.1M
Salaries & benefits
$9.5M
19% of expenses
Board members
18
15 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $61,383,371▼11.8% | $49,951,215▲15.0% | $69,103,165▲20.8% | $91,180,951▲26.1% | 990 |
| 2021 | $69,634,457▲23.9% | $43,430,701▲16.8% | $57,223,112▲77.4% | $72,287,667▲67.1% | 990 |
| 2020 | $56,180,897▲8.0% | $37,173,709▼8.5% | $32,264,274▼19.5% | $43,253,500▼20.0% | 990 |
| 2019 | $52,023,478▲7.0% | $40,631,724▼23.2% | $40,071,524▲31.7% | $54,035,063▲34.3% | 990 |
| 2018 | $48,618,066▼3.8% | $52,908,607▼2.4% | $30,437,598▼11.7% | $40,236,973▼19.4% | 990 |
| 2017 | $50,513,284▼6.4% | $54,222,023▲5.3% | $34,478,533▼10.7% | $49,943,014▼3.6% | 990 |
| 2016 | $53,992,516▲11.2% | $51,472,112▲6.9% | $38,630,540▲12.5% | $51,831,295▲23.3% | 990 |
| 2015 | $48,541,135▲2.5% | $48,150,540▼4.4% | $34,332,406▲3.9% | $42,034,327▲2.2% | 990 |
| 2014 | $47,348,236▲2.7% | $50,375,816▲13.3% | $33,042,688▼11.9% | $41,109,818▼10.3% | 990 |
| 2013 | $46,083,661 | $44,445,890▼1.7% | $37,486,667▲8.2% | $45,812,440▲13.0% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $45,226,311▼1.5% | $34,636,066▼13.3% | $40,525,719▼13.9% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $45,934,234 | $39,968,750 | $47,087,928 | 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.
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abagail Nelson | Officer-at-large, Board of Dir | 1.41 | — |
| Andrea M Wilson | General Counsel/vp, Compliance | 0 | — |
| Cheri Kase | Chief Information Officer | 0 | — |
| Daniel Speckhard | President & Ceo | 0 | — |
| Dennis Cherian | Avp Global Health & Nutrition | 0 | — |
| Derek Reynolds | Former Vp Business Develop | 0 | — |
| Dr Cathy Petti | Director, Board of Directors | 0.67 | — |
| Dr Kurt Newman | Director, Board of Directors | 0.67 | — |
| Dr William Craft | Director, Board of Directors | 0.67 | — |
| Edward Byrd | Vp External Relations | 0 | — |
| Eric Ramirez | Senior Technical Director | 0 | — |
| Frederick Kellett | Managing Dir, Impact Investing | 0 | — |
| Hilda Bambi Areliano | Director, Board of Directors | 0.67 | — |
| Jean Hanson | Chair, Board of Directors | 1.67 | — |
| Joann Theys | Svp Finance & Admin, Cfo | 0 | — |
| Katherine Tunheim | Secretary, Board of Directors | 1.41 | — |
| Kenneth Jones II | Director, Board of Directors | 0.67 | — |
| Kristin Cooney | Associate Vp Int'l Programs | 0 | — |
| Lali Chania | Country Dir. Tanzania | 0 | — |
| Lawrence Sthreshley | Sr. Advisor, Innovation | 0 | — |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Creative Direct Response Inc | Fundraising | $3,384,283 |
| Creative Direct Response Inc | Fundraising | $3,384,283 |
| Southwest Publishing Mailing Corp | Fundraising | $806,791 |
| Southwest Publishing Mailing Corp | Fundraising | $806,791 |
| Midwest Warehouse Inc | Warehouse & Storage | $494,529 |
| Midwest Warehouse Inc | Warehouse & Storage | $494,529 |
| Brethren Service Center | Warehouse & Storage | $351,608 |
| Brethren Service Center | Warehouse & Storage | $351,608 |
| Audience First Media | Acquisition Services | $314,093 |
| Audience First Media | Acquisition Services | $314,093 |
242 grants to Lutheran World Relief Inc totaling $22.8M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stark Community Foundation Inc | International, foreign affairs | 2024 | $410,500 |
| Thrivent Financial For Lutherans | General support | 2024 | $383,575 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $203,003 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Religion | 2024 | $55,722 |
| The Us Charitable Gift Trust | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2024 | $44,345 |
| T Rowe Price Program For Charitable Giving Inc | Multiple | 2024 | $43,900 |
| National Christian Charitable Foundation | Humanitarian aid and development | 2024 | $36,013 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $29,395 |
| Thrivent Financial For Lutherans | General support | 2024 | $27,743 |
| Daffy Charitable Fund | General support of mission | 2024 | $23,320 |
| The Bessemer Giving Fund | General support | 2024 | $17,000 |
| Ayco Charitable Foundation | Community & human services | 2024 | $10,000 |
| The Blackbaud Giving Fund | General support | 2024 | $7,739 |
| Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund | General support | 2024 | $6,200 |
| Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $5,970 |
6 grants totaling $792K in FY2022. All grants made by Lutheran World Relief Inc →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Up Investing LLC | Impact investments | $328,418 |
| Ground Up Investing LLC | Impact investments | $328,418 |
| Fine Chocolate Industry Association | Capacity buidling - coffee and cacao industry | $52,710 |
| Fine Chocolate Industry Association | Capacity buidling - coffee and cacao industry | $52,710 |
| Econometric Society Inc | Capacity buidling - coffee and cacao industry | $15,000 |
| Econometric Society Inc | Capacity buidling - coffee and cacao industry | $15,000 |
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Data for Lutheran World Relief Inc (EIN 13-2574963) 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.