November 5, 2003 (Baltimore, MD) - Lutheran Services in America in the Chronicle of Philanthropy and the Nonprofit Times

The October 30 issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy features its annual list of the top 400 nonprofit organizations in the country ranked according to the support each receives from the public in gifts and in-kind contributions. Lutheran Services in America (LSA) ranks 6th in philanthropic support for the last fiscal year. The members of the LSA system - all independent 501(C)(3) organizations - continue to receive strong support, with gifts totaling more than $723 million, even in a year in which charitable giving declined for the first time in over a decade. According to the Chronicle, "For the first time in a dozen years, contributions to the nation's largest charities declined in 2002, the result of continuing economic uncertainty and heightened competition for money among charities."

In the November 1 issue, The Nonprofit Times released its list of the Top 100 nonprofits in the country ranked by annual revenues. After topping the list for the last three years LSA is not included on this year's list. The reason is not that the LSA system of social ministry organizations has declined in size; in fact, available data indicates that it has grown, with reported revenues of $8.2 billion - up from $7.6 billion last year. However, in setting parameters for nonprofits that are included in its Top 100 list The Nonprofit Times considers only those organizations which receive 10% or more of their revenues from gifts and in-kind support. LSA requests information from its member organizations through an annual survey and the response rate varies from year to year. With over 280 member organizations - tremendously diverse in size, types of services provided, and sources of revenue - the aggregate information is a reflection of how many and which types of organizations respond. The composition of the group of LSA affiliates reporting this year does not reflect that 10% minimum. It is important to note that The Nonprofit Times does not intend this 10% figure to be a measure of an organization's efficiency of operation or quality of service. Lutheran Services in America's diverse system of health and human service organizations continues to grow, even in challenging economic times, and continues to be a leader in providing quality care to nearly 6 million people each year.