Founded | 1945 |
---|---|
Type | International NGO |
Focus | Humanitarian aid |
Location |
|
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Daniel V. Speckhard, President and C.E.O. Jean Hanson, Chair of the Board |
Revenue | US$47 million (2016) [1] |
Employees | 71 (U.S.) |
Website | lwr |
Lutheran World Relief (LWR) is an international non-governmental organization that focuses on sustainable development projects and disaster relief and recovery. The organization was founded in 1945 to collect and send aid to people living in post-World War II Europe. [2] Today, LWR helps communities living in extreme poverty adapt to the challenges that threaten their livelihoods and well-being, and responds to emergencies with a long-term view. It is a member of the Corus International family of faith-based international development organizations, which include IMA World Health, CGA Technologies, Ground Up Investing, and LWR Farmers Market Coffee.
One of LWR's flagship programs – started in 1945 and continuing today – is its Quilt and Kit Ministry. Each year Lutherans across the United States assemble and donate LWR Mission Quilts, as well as several kinds of care kits to assist people living in poverty in times of emergency or great need. [3]
As of 2023 [update] , LWR did not meet the standards set by the Better Business Bureau's BBB Wise Giving Alliance. [4] In 2023, CharityWatch provided a combined score for Lutheran World Relief & IMA World Health, giving them an A, signifying top-rated. [5] As of October 2023 [update] , LWR held a 4-star rating with Charity Navigator, having rebounded from a 3-star rating on that organisation's previous two reports. [6] As of 2023 [update] , the crowd-sourced charity reviewer GreatNonprofits shows that LWR last received its 5-star top rating in 2016. [7]
LWR is a member of the ACT Alliance, a global alliance of churches and related agencies working on development that are committed to working together.
Lutheran World Relief was officially founded in 1945, as Lutherans in the United States began responding to the refugee crisis in post-World War II Europe by sending food, clothing and quilts. By the end of the decade, LWR was also sending relief aid to those affected by conflicts in Palestine, Hong Kong, Korea, and Bangladesh. In the 1960s and 1970s, LWR began forming methodologies of working in agriculture and with farming cooperatives to increase rural incomes and food security in the developing world, eventually changing its articles of incorporation to reflect its work in international development. In 1979, LWR opened it first regional office in Peru.
In the 1980s, famine in Africa made international headlines, especially the plight of people in Ethiopia. In response, LWR shipped 5,000 tons of wheat to northern Ethiopia and also opened a regional office in West Africa. For its work in responding to the Ethiopian Civil War and famine, LWR became the first faith-based development agency to receive the Presidential End Hunger award. [8] In 1999, LWR moved its headquarters from New York City to the newly built Lutheran Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
Since 2000, LWR has increased its emphasis on sustainable agriculture and climate adaptation while continuing to respond to major natural disasters and humanitarian crises around the world. As of 2023 [update] , in addition to responding to emerging crises as needed, LWR maintains ongoing operations in 29 countries in Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Oceania.
In its founding structure, Lutheran World Relief was originally led by a secretary. In 1953, the organization changed its top leadership position to an executive director. In 1996, LWR transitioned to being led by a President and CEO, the structure that remains in place today. LWR's President and CEO reports to a 15-member board of directors, including representatives from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS), the two largest Lutheran church bodies in the United States.[ citation needed ]
LWR is divided into four departments:
LWR's projects are structured to address three core program areas:
LWR's programs in agriculture focus on improving the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers and their families by through sustainable agricultural practices that build food security and increase rural incomes. Some approaches LWR uses to carry out this work are: [9]
LWR's programs in climate change focus on helping rural communities adapt to changing climates by: [10]
LWR's emergency operations focus on helping rural communities prepare for disasters before they happen and cope with and recover from emergencies in ways that promote lasting improvements in living conditions by: [11]
LWR has implemented significant response programs to natural disasters, including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Super-Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, and the 2015 Nepal earthquakes, as well as crises caused by conflict in South Sudan, Iraq, and Syria.
Every year Lutherans across the U.S. sew quilts and assemble kits of supplies that LWR sends to partners around the world that request them to meet the needs of people affected by poverty and disaster.
Mission Quilts were one of the earliest forms of aid that Lutherans sent through LWR to reach out to people in other parts of the world. In 2016, LWR sent $14 million worth of quilts and kits to more than 576,000 people in 21 different countries. [12]
There are four kinds of LWR Kits. [13] LWR Personal Care Kits contain items like toothbrushes, wash cloths, and soap, intended to help a person or family maintain hygiene practices. LWR School Kits contain notebooks, pencils, erasers, a backpack, and other items to use for students to attend school. LWR Baby Care Kits contain T-shirts, cloth diapers, and other items to care for a baby. LWR Fabric Kits contain fabric, thread, and needles so that people can learn to sew, potentially to earn an income.
In 2013, LWR joined the United Nations Humanitarian Resource Depot, which allowed it to pre-position quilts and kits in depots across the world for rapid deployment after an emergency.
The LWR Farmers Market Coffee program began in 2017 in partnership with THRIVE Farmers. Using a direct trade model, coffee is sourced from farmers participating in LWR projects; the farmers receive an initial, up-front price for their coffee beans as well as a portion of the sales profit. THRIVE Farmers also directs 80 cents per pound of coffee sold back to LWR's international programs. LWR Farmers Market Coffee currently offers medium, dark and decaf roasts. [14]
LWR has also partnered with Fair trade organizations Equal Exchange (1998–2016), Divine Chocolate (2007–2014), and SERRV (1999–2014).
In 2005, LWR began to partner with the University of Minnesota Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural Management to offer Eco-Palms to congregations throughout the United States. [15] Eco-Palms is a program that engages palm harvesters in Mexico and Guatemala and provides training on sustainable palm harvesting and trains members of harvesting communities to sort and package palms in order to retain more of the income from the palm industry. Through Eco-Palms, congregations order palms through Lutheran World Relief for their Palm Sunday celebrations. [16]
The World Food Programme (WFP) is an international organization within the United Nations that provides food assistance worldwide. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and the leading provider of school meals. Founded in 1961, WFP is headquartered in Rome and has offices in 80 countries. As of 2021, it supported over 128 million people across more than 120 countries and territories.
Mercy Corps is a global non-governmental, humanitarian aid organization operating in transitional contexts that have undergone, or have been undergoing, various forms of economic, environmental, social and political instabilities. The organization claims to have assisted more than 220 million people survive humanitarian conflicts, seek improvements in livelihoods, and deliver durable development to their communities.
Heifer International is a global nonprofit working to eradicate poverty and hunger through sustainable, values-based holistic community development. Heifer International distributes animals, along with agricultural and values-based training, to families in need around the world as a means of providing self-sufficiency. Recipients must agree to "pass on the gift" by donating animal offspring, as well as sharing the skills and knowledge of animal husbandry and agricultural training with other impoverished families in the community. The organization receives financial support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, BlackRock, Cargill, Mastercard Foundation, Walmart and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.
Islamic Relief Worldwide is a faith-inspired humanitarian and development agency which is working to support and empower the world's most vulnerable people.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is the global humanitarian aid and development organization of the United Methodist Church (UMC). UMCOR is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization operated under the auspices of the General Board of Global Ministries. One hundred percent of donations are directed to an earmarked project or relief effort. Administrative expenses are funded by an annual offering collected by United Methodist churches on UMCOR Sunday.
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Founded in 1943 by the Bishops of the United States, the agency provides assistance to 130 million people in more than 110 countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
Church World Service (CWS) was founded in 1946 and is a cooperative ministry of 37 Christian denominations and communions, providing sustainable self-help, development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance around the world. The CWS mission is to eradicate hunger and poverty and to promote peace and justice at the national and international level through collaboration with partners abroad and in the US.
The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) with staff in more than 20 countries and operations in more than 70 countries. It was founded in 1987 by Daniel Katz, an American environmental activist, who serves as the chair of the board of directors. The NGO states that its mission is “to create a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities.” Its work includes the provision of an environmental certification for sustainability in agriculture. In parallel to its certification program, the Rainforest Alliance develops and implements long-term conservation and community development programs in a number of critically important tropical landscapes where commodity production threatens ecosystem health and the well-being of rural communities.
Direct Relief is a nonprofit humanitarian organization whose mission is to improve the lives of people in poverty or emergency situations by providing the appropriate medical resources. The charity provides emergency medical assistance and disaster relief in the United States and internationally. The organization is headed by an independent board of directors and its president and CEO, Thomas Tighe.
Zakat Foundation of America is a Chicago-based NGO providing emergency relief, post-disaster rehabilitation, sustainable development, education, healthcare, orphan sponsorship, and seasonal programs such as Ramadan iftars and Udhiya/Qurbani. Zakat Foundation of America is registered under 501(c)(3) as a non-profit charity organization.
Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) is a humanitarian agency engaged in community development, refugee resettlement, emergency relief, basic commodity shipments, volunteer placement and alternative trade. It classifies its activities as falling into four main areas: humanitarian response, food security and livelihoods, education and skills training, and refugee resettlement. While strengthening food security and economic development, CLWR subscribes to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals in planning community development and has declared a commitment everywhere to environmental protection, gender equality, organizational strengthening and HIV/AIDS prevention.
The Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Program is funded by the US Agency for International Development through the US Farm Bill to assist developing countries, middle-income countries, and emerging markets around the world to increase farm production and incomes. It promotes sustainable economic growth, food security and agricultural development worldwide. Volunteer technical assistance from US farmers, agribusinesses, cooperatives, and universities helps developing countries improve productivity, access new markets, build local capacity, combat climate change and conserve environmental and natural resources. Farmer-to-Farmer also aims to increase the American public's understanding of international development issues and programs and international understanding of the U.S. and U.S. development programs.
Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA), based in Alexandria, Virginia, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) humanitarian agency and member of the Islamic Relief Worldwide group of organizations. IRUSA was founded in California in 1993. In addition to international relief and development initiatives, Islamic Relief USA also sponsors and funds domestic projects ranging from emergency disaster responses to assisting the American homeless population and supporting those who cannot afford basic healthcare.
The Committee on Sustainability Assessment (COSA) is a global consortium of development institutions that work collaboratively to advance sustainability learning with systematic and science-based measurement. COSA applies a pragmatic and collective approach for using scientific methods to develop indicators, tools, and technologies to measure the distinct social, environmental, and economic impacts and are applied in performance monitoring, evaluation, return on investment (ROI) calculation, and impact assessment. COSA has a public mission to open its scientific methods and metrics up to widespread use.
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IMA World Health is an international, nonprofit health care service organization. The faith-based charity offers sustainable and efficient solutions to health-related problems in the developing world. IMA's stated purpose is to "provide health care…without bias, to vulnerable and marginalized people in the developing world." It is a member of the Corus International family of faith-based international development organizations, which include Lutheran World Relief, CGA Technologies, Ground Up Investing and Farmers Market Brands LLC.
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[summary in both the 2022 and 2023 reports] If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
GreatNonprofits 2016 Top-Rated Nonprofit