Lutheran Services Florida
Lutheran Services Florida is a Tampa-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating Head Start, child welfare, and behavioral health programs across Florida through 65+ sites, serving 1 in 50 Floridians annually with government contracts and donations as primary funding.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersTampa, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Lutheran Services Florida does
Lutheran Services Florida (LSF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social services organization founded in 1982 and headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The organization operates three core service lines through distinct subsidiaries: LSF Head Start (early childhood education for low-income children ages 0-5 across Duval, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Palm Beach, and Okaloosa counties), LSF Family Focus (child welfare, foster care and adoption, refugee services, community counseling, and youth shelters), and LSF Health Systems (behavioral health Managing Entity contracted by the Florida Department of Children and Families, managing mental health and substance abuse treatment across 23 counties in Northeast and North Central Florida). Supporting these service lines are youth residential facilities (Grace Place, Dream Center, Miami Bridge, Hands of Mercy) and seasonal donation programs including Baskets of Love, Back to School Drive, Christmas Angels, Refugee Hope Kits, and the Circle of Hope recurring giving program. The organization serves approximately 1 in 50 Floridians annually through 65+ programs and 1,600 employees.
LSF is funded through a hybrid model of government contracts (federal Head Start funding, Florida DCF Managing Entity contracts, child welfare case management contracts), foundation grants (PNC Bank, Community Foundations), individual donations, and emergency federal relief funding. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, but historical context indicates the organization grew from a $30 million annual budget in 2007 to $400+ million under former CEO Samuel Sipes, with current operations most plausibly in the $250M-$500M operating budget range. The underlying technology stack is a social services delivery platform with case management capabilities, no public API or AI/ML systems, and no commercial product surface. The organization has no parent company, no private equity ownership, and is governed by an independent Board of Directors chaired by Lorenzo Cobiella. Mike Carroll has served as President and CEO since 2018, succeeding Sipes.
Lutheran Services Florida firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lutheran Services Florida
- Legal name
- Lutheran Services Florida, Inc.
- Website
- https://lsfnet.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Lutheran Services Florida is a Tampa-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating Head Start, child welfare, and behavioral health programs across Florida through 65+ sites, serving 1 in 50 Floridians annually with government contracts and donations as primary funding.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lutheran Services Florida industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Services
- NAICS
- Religious Organizations (8131), Educational Support Services (6117), Child and Youth Services (62411), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Faith-Based Before/After Care Programs (Early Years) (EDACAHAE), Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF)
Keywords
Where Lutheran Services Florida is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tampa
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Lutheran Services Florida business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Government Grants and Contracts: LSF receives funding through federal, state, and local government grants and contracts. This includes Head Start/Early Head Start programs funded by the federal government, behavioral health Managing Entity contracts with Florida DCF, and child welfare case management contracts.
- Private Donations and Foundation Grants: Individual donations, monthly Circle of Hope recurring donations, corporate grants from foundations like PNC Bank and Community Foundations, and philanthropy from businesses and organizations.
- American Rescue Plan and Federal Relief Funding: Emergency pandemic relief funding such as the $6.1 million American Rescue Plan grant for Head Start programs.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Lutheran Services Florida product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lutheran Services Florida is a statewide nonprofit social services organization that delivers early childhood education (Head Start and Early Head Start), child welfare and family services (foster care, adoption, refugee resettlement, youth shelters, community counseling), and behavioral health care management (as a state-contracted Managing Entity across 23 Florida counties). All services are provided at no charge to clients through 65+ program sites and are funded by federal, state, and local government grants and contracts supplemented by private donations and foundation grants.
Product overview
Lutheran Services Florida (LSF) is a statewide nonprofit social services organization operating as a platform of multiple distinct programs. The organization is structured around three core service lines: LSF Head Start (early childhood education), LSF Family Focus (child welfare and family services), and LSF Health Systems (behavioral health services). Supporting these core programs are youth shelter services, donation drives including Baskets of Love, Christmas Angels, and Back to School initiatives, and the Circle of Hope recurring donation program. The organization manages over 65 programs throughout Florida and approximately 1,600 employees.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LSF Head Start: Early childhood education programs including Head Start and Early Head Start serving children ages 0-5, with locations in Duval, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Palm Beach, and Okaloosa counties.
- LSF Family Focus
- LSF Health Systems
Products and services
- LSF Head Start and Early Head Start Federally funded early childhood education program providing comprehensive school-readiness, health, nutrition, and family support services to children ages 0-5 from low-income households. Operates across Duval, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Palm Beach, and Okaloosa counties serving approximately 5,800 children and families with over 750 employees.
- LSF Family Focus Social services program providing child welfare case management, foster care and adoption, refugee services, family support, community counseling, and adult advocacy services to strengthen families across Florida. Operates as a Community-Based Care subcontractor in counties including Lake and Sumter.
- LSF Health Systems Behavioral health Managing Entity contracted by the Florida Department of Children and Families to manage the state-funded system of mental health and substance abuse care for individuals facing poverty without insurance across 23 counties in Northeast and North Central Florida.
- Youth Shelters and Group Homes Emergency and residential shelter services for youth ages 10-17 across multiple Florida locations including Hope House, Miami Bridge, Grace Place (Broward), Dream Center (Sarasota), and Hands of Mercy. Provides safe housing, counseling, and family reunification support; achieves a 98% success rate of youth returning home to families from shelters.
Quantifiable outcome
- Transformed from worst performing CMO in Circuit to second place in Lake and Sumter counties
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Lutheran Services Florida
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Lutheran Services Florida technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Lutheran Services Florida partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Kids Central, Inc.coreKids Central, Inc. is the Community-Based Care (CBC) lead agency that partnered with LSF during the Lake and Sumter CMO turnaround. They offered support at every level as LSF worked to transform the child welfare program from worst performing to second place in the Circuit.
- Florida Department of Children and FamiliescoreLSF Health Systems is one of seven behavioral health Managing Entities (ME) contracted by the Florida Department of Children and Families to manage the state-funded system of behavioral health care for people who face poverty and are without insurance across 23 counties.
- Kristi House Child Advocacy CenterminorDr. Toshiba L. Mitchell previously served as Director, Prevention Education and Outreach at Kristi House Child Advocacy Center before joining LSF Miami Bridge. Kristi House focuses on combatting child exploitation and trauma in Miami-Dade County.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Lutheran Services Florida competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lutheran Services in America: National umbrella network of Lutheran social service organizations of which LSF is a member. Directly comparable as a faith-based, multi-program (child welfare, behavioral health, refugee, senior services) nonprofit operating under the same Lutheran mission framework across the U.S.
- Lutheran Social Services of the South (LSSS): Former employer of LSF CEO Emeritus Samuel Sipes and a sister Lutheran social services agency serving Texas and surrounding states. Comparable as a faith-based, multi-program human services nonprofit delivering child welfare, behavioral health, refugee, and senior services.
- Catholic Charities USA: National federation of faith-based Catholic social service agencies providing adoption, foster care, refugee resettlement, behavioral health, and family services. Closely comparable model to LSF as a faith-affiliated, government-contracted multi-service nonprofit platform.
- Children's Home Society of Florida: Florida-focused child welfare, adoption, and family services nonprofit where LSF CFO Bob Wydra previously served 15 years. Directly comparable in operating model, Florida geographic footprint, and core services (foster care, adoption, family preservation).
- Eckerd Connects: Florida-headquartered nonprofit providing child welfare, workforce development, and family services; former employer of LSF Chief of Staff Terri Durdaller. Closely comparable in program mix (youth residential, family services) and reliance on Florida DCF contracts.
- Kids Central, Inc. Community-Based Care lead agency in Central Florida, current strategic partner with LSF on the Lake/Sumter CMO turnaround. Comparable as a Florida child welfare case management organization operating under the same CBC contracting framework.
- Bethany Christian Services: Faith-based nonprofit specializing in adoption, foster care, and refugee services nationally. Comparable to LSF's Family Focus program, particularly in faith-affiliated child welfare and refugee resettlement.
- Southwest Key Programs: Nonprofit operating residential programs for unaccompanied immigrant children and at-risk youth, overlapping with LSF Miami Bridge and Grace Place youth shelters. Comparable in residential youth services and government-contract dependence.
Regional players
- JAFCO (Jewish Adoption and Family Care Options): Florida-based faith-affiliated nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, disabilities services, and at-risk youth programming. Comparable in faith-based, Florida-geographic scope and child welfare focus.
Others
- Florida Department of Children and Families: State agency that contracts with LSF as Managing Entity, child welfare lead, and Head Start counterpart. Comparable as a funder/regulator that defines the procurement environment in which LSF competes, though not a competitive peer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lutheran Services Florida social profiles
Digital presenceLutheran Services Florida financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lutheran Services Florida leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles21 records
Lutheran Services Florida subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
Lutheran Services Florida funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
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Lutheran Services Florida M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lutheran Services Florida
What does Lutheran Services Florida do?
Lutheran Services Florida is a statewide nonprofit social services organization that delivers early childhood education (Head Start and Early Head Start), child welfare and family services (foster care, adoption, refugee resettlement, youth shelters, community counseling), and behavioral health care management (as a state-contracted Managing Entity across 23 Florida counties). All services are provided at no charge to clients through 65+ program sites and are funded by federal, state, and local government grants and contracts supplemented by private donations and foundation grants.
Is Lutheran Services Florida a public or private company?
Lutheran Services Florida is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Lutheran Services Florida founded?
Lutheran Services Florida was founded in 1982. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Lutheran Services Florida based?
Lutheran Services Florida is headquartered in Tampa, United States, in the North America region.
How does Lutheran Services Florida make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Government Grants and Contracts are the primary driver. The others are private Donations and Foundation Grants and american Rescue Plan and Federal Relief Funding.
Who are Lutheran Services Florida's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lutheran Services in America, Lutheran Social Services of the South (LSSS), Catholic Charities USA, Children's Home Society of Florida, Eckerd Connects, Kids Central, Inc., Bethany Christian Services and Southwest Key Programs. JAFCO (Jewish Adoption and Family Care Options) is listed as a regional player. Florida Department of Children and Families is listed as an others.
Does Lutheran Services Florida have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lutheran Services Florida.
What industry is Lutheran Services Florida in?
Lutheran Services Florida's product category is Social Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAJAG, Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling), with a secondary code of EDACAHAE, Faith-Based Before/After Care Programs (Early Years). Its NAICS code is 8131 and its SIC code is 8300.