Lafayette Urban Ministry

What Lafayette Urban Ministry does

Lafayette Urban Ministry (LUM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social services organization founded circa 1970 in Lafayette, Indiana, operating as a coalition of 45-50+ Christian member churches that collectively serve as a social safety net for low-income children, families, and individuals in the Greater Lafayette area. Governed by a Board of Directors with one representative per member church plus appointed community members, LUM delivers a portfolio of direct-service programs grouped into four pillars: assistance programs (Financial Assistance, ID Clinic, Immigration Clinic, Jubilee Christmas), food programs (Food Pantry, Community Thanksgiving Feast, Food Rescue from retailers such as Starbucks, Panera, Great Harvest Bread, and Target), youth programs (After School Program, 5th Quarter Summer Learning, LUM Camp), and homeless services (a 44-48 bed Emergency Shelter operating 365 days a year and a Winter Warming Station operating November 15 to April 15).

The organization operates from multiple physical sites in Lafayette and West Lafayette, including its headquarters at 420 N 4th Street, the Emergency Shelter and Ray Ewry youth center at 525 N 4th Street, the Protein Food Pantry on 6th Street, and the Westside Food Pantry at 333 Meridian Street, supplemented by a client portal at client.lumserve.org. Service delivery is human-led and walk-in or referral based; no proprietary technology platform underpins the programs. Since 1984, the Emergency Shelter has served more than 10,000 individuals totaling 200,000 bed nights, and the Immigration Clinic has supported 1,237 individuals over its first decade (2014-2024).

LUM is funded through a diversified donation model with no commercial revenue: individual gifts are the largest source, supplemented by member church contributions, donations from church and civic groups and businesses, federal grants (e.g., $17,250 EFSP Phase 32), community foundation grants (e.g., Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette Tier 3 grant of $6,522), corporate matching programs (e.g., Denver Mattress Co.'s dollar-for-dollar match up to $2,500), and event-based fundraising including the annual Hunger Hike, Turkey Trot 5K, LUM Follies, Community Thanksgiving Feast, and IC Match Campaign (which raised $64,563 in 2025). The Hunger Hike has raised over $1.5 million historically. Staff consists of 11-50 paid employees supported by hundreds of volunteers managing shelter operations, food service, and youth programs. The organization holds Charity Navigator's Four-Star Rating and the GuideStar Transparency Seal. Geographic operations are exclusively within Greater Lafayette, Indiana; no expansion beyond the region is signaled.

Name

Lafayette Urban Ministry

Legal name

Lafayette Urban Ministry

Website

https://lumserve.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lafayette Urban Ministry is a 501(c)(3) coalition of 45-50+ Christian churches operating in Greater Lafayette, Indiana, delivering food, shelter, youth, financial, and immigration services to low-income children, families, and homeless individuals across multiple physical sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Homeless shelter services
• Emergency food assistance
• Youth education programs
• Immigration legal services
• Community social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lafayette

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: LUM receives most of its financial support from individual gifts from donors in the community.
2. Member Church Contributions: More than 50 Christian churches contribute financially to support LUM programs and operations.
3. Church & Civic Group Donations: Donations from church and civic groups and businesses supplement individual gifts.
4. Grant Funding: LUM receives grant funding from government programs (e.g., Federal EFSP Phase 32 grant of $17,250) and community foundations (e.g., Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette Tier 3 Discretionary Grant of $6,522).
5. IC Match Campaign (Immigration Clinic Fundraising): Annual fundraising campaign for the Immigration Clinic, with local businesses matching donations dollar-for-dollar up to $16,000. The 2025 campaign raised $64,563.
6. Event-Based Fundraising: LUM raises funds through community events such as Hunger Hike, LUM Follies, Purdue Crew Row-A-Thon, Turkey Trot 5K, and Dine to Donate partnerships with local restaurants like Mitchell's Mex.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lafayette Urban Ministry is a coalition of more than 45 Christian churches operating direct-service social programs for low-income children, families, individuals experiencing homelessness, and immigrants in the Greater Lafayette, Indiana area. Core offerings include a 44-to-48-bed Emergency Shelter (open year-round), Winter Warming Station, multiple food assistance channels (Food Pantry, Community Thanksgiving Feast, Food Rescue), youth programs (After School, 5th Quarter Summer Learning, LUM Camp), a Financial Assistance Program, an ID Clinic, an Immigration Clinic, and a Jubilee Christmas holiday program — all delivered free of charge to beneficiaries.

Product overview

Lafayette Urban Ministry operates as a social safety net organization serving the Greater Lafayette, Indiana community through a portfolio of interconnected programs. The organization offers assistance programs (Financial Assistance, ID Clinic, Immigration Clinic, Jubilee Christmas), youth programs (After School Program, 5th Quarter Summer Learning, LUM Camp), food programs (Food Pantry, Community Thanksgiving Feast, Food Rescue), and homeless services (Emergency Shelter, Winter Warming Station). LUM also organizes community events including Hunger Hike, Turkey Trot 5K, and Hope for Tomorrow. The organization is governed by a board of directors with representation from over 45 member Christian churches and has been serving the community for over 50 years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial Assistance Program Provides financial assistance and advocacy services to low-income individuals and families in the Greater Lafayette area, helping prevent evictions, utility disconnections, and other financial crises.
• ID Clinic Assists community members in obtaining essential identification documents such as birth certificates and state IDs, a prerequisite to accessing many other social services.
• Immigration Clinic Helps immigrants in the Greater Lafayette area navigate the U.S. immigration system, providing assistance with green card applications, citizenship filings, and other immigration paperwork (supported 1,237 individuals over 10 years from 2014–2024).
• Jubilee Christmas Annual Christmas assistance program held on the second Saturday in December that provides gifts and holiday support to children and families in need in Greater Lafayette.
• After School Program Educational and enrichment program for children in kindergarten through 6th grade, offering thematic lessons, cooperative learning activities, field trips, and recreational events delivered after school hours.
• 5th Quarter Summer Learning Program Ten-week summer learning retention program housed at the LUM Ray Ewry Youth Program Center, using engaging techniques to boost proficiency in reading, math, science, and social studies for low-income children (cost: $27,000 per session).
• LUM Camp Annual summer camp program for children from low-income families, held during the last week of July, providing recreational and developmental experiences.
• Food Pantry (Protein Food Pantry) Food pantry located at St. John's Church on 6th Street between Ferry & North Streets in Lafayette, providing food assistance to community members in need; supplemented by a Westside Food Pantry in West Lafayette.
• Community Thanksgiving Feast Annual Thanksgiving Day meal event held at Central Presbyterian Church, providing food and community gathering for residents who would otherwise be alone or without a holiday meal.
• Food Rescue Program Rescues surplus food from retailers including Starbucks, Great Harvest Bread, Panera Bread, and Target, redistributing it through LUM's food pantry network to fight community hunger.
• Emergency Shelter 44-to-48-bed emergency homeless shelter providing short-term overnight shelter, meals, and showers in a safe, caring environment to individuals experiencing homelessness in Greater Lafayette; operates 365 nights per year with a $250/day operating cost.
• Winter Warming Station Overnight warming station at the LUM Ray Ewry Center, open from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. between November 15 and April 15, complementing the year-round Emergency Shelter during cold-weather months.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 10,000 homeless individuals served with 200,000 combined overnight stays since 1984
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Local Businesses (IC Match Campaign Matching Donors)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 March 2025Local businesses pledged to match donations dollar-for-dollar up to $16,000 for the LUM Immigration Clinic IC Match Campaign 2025. This campaign raised $64,563.
• CLINIC (Catholic Legal Immigration Network)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2024LUM Immigration Clinic director Christian Gallo attended the annual CLINIC Convening (Upholding Dignity – Protecting Rights) in Minneapolis, which provides premier immigration clinic training and networking for accredited representatives.
• Denver Mattress Co.minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2014Denver Mattress Co. pledged to match all donations to LUM dollar-for-dollar up to $2,500 during November 2014 as part of its annual charity partnership with rescue missions across 29 states. Past efforts yielded $132,753 in local community support matched to the full $150,000 cap.
• Food Finders Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 September 2014Food Finders Food Bank is one of three co-sponsors of the annual Hunger Hike fundraising event, alongside LUM and St. Thomas Aquinas Center's Haitian Relief Ministry. Food Finders would use Hunger Hike funds to expand its Mobile Pantry program to fight hunger in the community.
• St. Thomas Aquinas Center (Haitian Relief Ministry)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 September 2014St. Thomas Aquinas Center, through its Haitian Relief Ministry, co-sponsors the annual Hunger Hike alongside LUM and Food Finders Food Bank. St. Thomas Aquinas also partnered with LUM to start the emergency shelter in 1984 at Central Presbyterian Church.
• K105 RadiominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 September 2014K105 Radio provided media support for the Hunger Hike 2014 event, helping promote the fundraiser to the local community.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Food Finders Food Bank: Lafayette-area food bank that co-sponsors Hunger Hike with LUM. Directly comparable as a regional nonprofit addressing food insecurity for low-income residents in the same service territory, with overlapping donor and volunteer pools.
• United Way of Greater Lafayette: Community-based fundraising and grantmaking organization serving the same Greater Lafayette area. Comparable as a coalition-style intermediary supporting a network of human-service programs and competing for the same corporate and individual donor dollars.
• Catholic Charities of Lafayette: Faith-based social services organization providing food, shelter, financial assistance, and immigration services. Directly comparable to LUM in mission, programmatic mix, and faith-based funding model.
• Salvation Army of Lafayette: National faith-based nonprofit operating emergency shelter, food, and financial assistance programs with a Lafayette presence. Comparable in service portfolio (shelter + food + financial aid) and donation-driven revenue model.
• Habitat for Humanity of Lafayette: Local affordable housing nonprofit serving Greater Lafayette. Comparable as a community-rooted nonprofit competing for similar volunteer labor, donor dollars, and corporate partnerships.
• Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette: Regional grantmaking foundation that has awarded discretionary grants to LUM. Comparable as a community institution stewarding charitable resources for the same donor base and service territory.
• YWCA of Greater Lafayette: Local YWCA chapter delivering social services, advocacy, and youth/family programs. Comparable as a mission-driven nonprofit addressing poverty and family stability in the same geography.
• St. Thomas Aquinas Center (Haitian Relief Ministry): Parish-based ministry that co-sponsors Hunger Hike and co-founded the LUM Emergency Shelter in 1984. Comparable as a faith-based partner with overlapping mission, donor network, and program footprint in Greater Lafayette.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Charities USA (Immigration Clinic network): National Catholic Charities federation, of which the local Catholic Charities affiliate is a member, operating the broader immigration legal services network (CLINIC) that LUM's clinic trains with. Comparable as the larger-scale faith-based operator of immigration and social services with similar service lines.
• United Way Worldwide: National umbrella for community fundraising and impact measurement; LUM likely benefits from or competes with affiliates. Comparable as a broad nonprofit platform operating community resource networks analogous to LUM's coalition model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lumserve
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/LUMserve
• Facebookfacebook.com/lumserve
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lafayette-urban-ministry
• Instagraminstagram.com/lumserve
• Pinterestpinterest.com/lumserve

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lafayette Urban Ministry