Lutheran Social Services of New York

What Lutheran Social Services of New York does

Lutheran Social Services of New York (LSSNY) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social services agency founded in 1886, headquartered at 475 Riverside Drive, New York, with 501-1,000 employees operating across all five New York City boroughs, Long Island, and a 22-county metropolitan service area. The organization delivers services through an integrated portfolio of branded "LIFE" programs: Early LIFE (10 early-childhood centers plus a Family Child Care Homes network serving 1,500+ preschool children), Home LIFE (7 residential and supportive-housing sites in Brooklyn and the Bronx serving ~500 individuals daily), Healthy LIFE (50+ hunger-prevention sites including food pantries and soup kitchens serving 15,000+ food-insecure families), Family LIFE (foster care and family support), LIFE Shield (immigration legal services including asylum, SIJS, TPS, VAWA, and U-visa work), Health Homes (Medicaid care management for children with chronic conditions), The New LIFE School (special-needs K-12), Lutheran Disaster Response of New York, and Congregation LIFE (the 400+-congregation parish network).

LSSNY is governed through covenant relationships with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), with the Atlantic District LCMS holding a board seat and all Lutheran congregations within the 22-county area eligible for membership. Revenue is generated entirely from third-party payers and donors — no fees are charged to clients — through a mix of government contracts (NYC Administration for Children's Services, NYC Department of Homeless Services, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NYS Office of Children and Family Services, federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, NYC HPD), foundation grants (Robin Hood, Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, Bethlehem Fund, Citi Foundation, Keith Haring Foundation, Reagan and Jax Cohen Memorial Fund), corporate and individual donations (with matching-gift programs, Thrivent Choice Dollars, planned giving/estate gifts, and a vehicle donation program through Careasy), and contributed volunteer time (2,000+ volunteers, 14,000+ hours annually). The organization claims every $1 donated generates $10 of service delivered and reaches 6,500-7,000 clients daily and 25,000+ annually. LSSNY is led by President & CEO Dr. Damyn Kelly (appointed February 2017) and a senior team that includes a Chief Program Officer, General Counsel, and Executive Directors for each major service line; it holds no proprietary technology platforms and operates as a direct-service agency rather than a software-enabled provider.

Name

Lutheran Social Services of New York

Legal name

Lutheran Social Services of New York

Website

https://lssny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1886

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Lutheran Social Services of New York is a faith-affiliated 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded 1886, delivering early-childhood education, supportive and residential housing, hunger prevention, foster care, immigration legal services, disaster case management, and special-needs education across New York City and Long Island through government contracts and charitable donations, serving 6,500-7,000 people daily.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human and Social Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Housing Services (62422), Child and Youth Services (62411), Social Assistance (624), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

Keywords

• Social services
• Foster care services
• Supportive housing programs
• Early childhood education
• Immigration legal services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices20 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: The organization accepts donations from individuals and corporations, with matching gift programs available through employers.
2. Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: LSSNY accepts bequests through wills and trusts, accepting percentage of estate, sums of money, or property descriptions.
3. Government Contracts: LSSNY operates programs funded by various NYC and NYS government agencies including the Administration for Children's Services, Department of Homeless Services, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and others.
4. Thrivent Choice Dollars: LSSNY receives designated Choice Dollars from Thrivent members who choose to support the organization.
5. Vehicle Donation Program: The organization accepts vehicle donations through the Careasy program.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Lutheran Social Services of New York is a nonprofit social services organization that delivers a portfolio of human services programs (collectively branded as LIFE - Lutheran Initiatives For Enrichment). Offerings include foster care and family support, permanent and non-secure supportive housing, early childhood education, special-needs schooling, immigration legal services, hunger prevention, health home care management, family child care, and disaster case management.

Product overview

Lutheran Social Services of New York operates as a multi-service social services organization offering a portfolio of interconnected LIFE (Lutheran Initiatives For Enrichment) programs. The organization provides community services including Early LIFE (early childhood education), The New LIFE School (special needs education), Healthy LIFE (hunger prevention), Home LIFE (supportive housing), Family LIFE (foster care and family services), LIFE Shield (immigration legal services), Health Homes (care management), Family Child Care network, Lutheran Disaster Response, and Congregation LIFE partnership program. Together, these programs serve vulnerable populations including children, families, immigrants, refugees, homeless individuals, and those with mental illness or disabilities across New York City and Long Island.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LIFE (Lutheran Initiatives For Enrichment): Service brand encompassing multiple programs including Family LIFE, Healthy LIFE, Home LIFE, Early LIFE, LIFE Shield, and Congregation LIFE.
• Home LIFE
• Healthy LIFE
• Health Homes
• LIFE Shield
• Early LIFE
• The New LIFE School
• Safe Haven for Children
• Lutheran Disaster Response of New York
• Commentators Bureau

Products and services

• Early LIFE (Early Childhood Education) Preschool care and early educational services delivered through ten childcare centers and a network of family-based childcare providers, promoting learning, development, and educational readiness for children aged two to four and infants through family child care homes.
• The New LIFE School A 12-month day school for students with special needs in grades 3 through 12, providing therapeutic and educational services in a structured environment.
• Healthy LIFE (Hunger Prevention) Hunger prevention services through a network of over 50 food pantries, soup kitchens, and hunger prevention sites across metropolitan New York, serving food-insecure families in Nassau County and New York City.
• Home LIFE (Supportive Housing) Supportive housing programs providing safe, affordable housing and social services for individuals with mental illness, addiction issues, low-income families, and formerly homeless individuals across 7 residential programs in Brooklyn and the Bronx.
• Family LIFE (Foster Care and Family Services) Intervention and preventive services including foster care placement, medical clinic services for children and families, and supportive housing for single mothers with children.
• LIFE Shield (Immigration Legal Program) Immigration legal services providing representation, legal advice, and community outreach for immigrants and refugees, including assistance with political asylum, family-based immigration, citizenship, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, TPS, VAWA, and U visas.
• Health Homes (Care Management) Health Home Care Management Services for children with Medicaid who have chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, or asthma, providing comprehensive care coordination.
• Family Child Care (FCC) Network Network supporting family-based childcare providers serving children from six weeks to three years old, offering early childhood education and development services across New York City.
• Lutheran Disaster Response of New York Disaster case management services for individuals and communities impacted by disasters, providing needs assessment, recovery planning, and access to resources for rebuilding.
• Safe Haven for Children Program Follow-up case management services for unaccompanied minors released to sponsors in the New York Metropolitan area, including temporary shelter and foster care, supporting access to medical, mental health, and educational services.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1 donation generates $10 worth of service
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLSSNY is linked to LCMS through affiliations and covenant relationships. The Atlantic District LCMS has a seat on the board. Every Lutheran congregation within the 22 counties of LCMS is eligible for membership in LSSNY.
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLSSNY maintains affiliations with ELCA predecessor bodies. Every Lutheran congregation within the 22 counties of ELCA is eligible for membership in LSSNY.
• NYC Administration for Children's ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing funding and oversight for child welfare programs including foster care and unaccompanied minors services.
• NYC Department of Homeless ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner funding and overseeing homeless shelter and supportive housing programs.
• NYC Department of Health and Mental HygienecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Health Home Care Management Services and other health-related programs.
• Supportive Housing Network of New York (SHNNY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLSSNY is a long-standing member of SHNNY due to six supportive housing projects. SHNNY represents over 200 nonprofits developing and operating supportive housing in New York.
• American Red CrosssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in disaster relief and recovery efforts through Lutheran Disaster Response of New York.
• Lutheran Immigration and Refugee ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLSSNY absorbed the NYC direct refugee and immigration services program from LIRS in 1999.
• Corporation for Supportive HousingsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing and operating supportive housing programs.
• Enterprise Community PartnerssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in community development and supportive housing initiatives.
• Collaborative for Children & Families (CCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth Home Provider affiliation through which LSSNY provides care managers for children's Health Home services.
• New York Public LibrarysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Internet Pilot Program to deliver free Internet access to supportive housing residents.
• NYC Department of Housing Preservation and DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner funding the Internet Pilot Program for residential programs.
• United WaysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for community services and volunteer coordination.
• United Way of Long IslandsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Long Island-based community services.
• Life Lutheran Church, Old WestburysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCongregation providing ongoing support to the New LIFE Center through Amazon wishlist donations and volunteer deliveries. Provided 105 layettes, 360 Thanksgiving food bags, 590 backpacks with school supplies, 865 packages of diapers, and 145,000 pounds of food.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CAMBA: Brooklyn-based multi-service nonprofit offering housing, family services, education, and workforce programs. Direct peer on supportive housing, family services, and Brooklyn-based service delivery with similar government contract mix.
• Children's Aid Society: One of NYC's largest child- and family-serving nonprofits, operating early childhood centers, foster care, housing, and community schools. Direct competitor for ACS and DOHMH contracts and a benchmark for integrated service delivery in NYC.
• Sanctuary for Families: NYC nonprofit providing shelter, legal services, and counseling for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. Comparable in the immigration/legal services and shelter verticals, particularly to LIFE Shield.
• Henry Street Settlement: Historic Lower East Side settlement house providing social services, education, housing, and arts programming. Comparable as a long-standing NYC social services nonprofit with early childhood, housing, and community services verticals.
• Urban Resource Institute: NYC nonprofit providing shelter, supportive housing, and domestic violence services across multiple boroughs. Comparable on residential service delivery and DHS-funded shelter programs in NYC.
• The New York Foundling: NYC child welfare and family services nonprofit operating foster care, adoption, early childhood, and community-based programs. Closely comparable on foster care, child welfare, and supportive housing services, with similar government contract dependencies.
• Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey: Workforce development and community services nonprofit serving NYC and Northern NJ with employment programs, housing, and reentry services. Comparable scale and breadth of community-facing programs with similar reliance on government contracts.
• Volunteers of America Greater New York: Regional affiliate of national faith-affiliated nonprofit operating supportive housing, behavioral health, and family services across NYC. Comparable faith-rooted multi-service operating model and supportive housing portfolio.
• Homes for the Homeless: NYC nonprofit operating family shelters, transitional housing, and supportive housing programs across the five boroughs. Direct peer for the Home LIFE residential and shelter services portfolio.
• Catholic Charities of New York: Faith-based multi-service nonprofit serving NYC with a comparable portfolio including housing, foster care, immigration legal services, food programs, and early childhood education. Most direct peer given parallel faith-rooted mission, similar government-contract mix, and overlapping service lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@LutheranSocialServicesofNY
• Facebookfacebook.com/LSSNY
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lutheran-social-services-of-new-york
• Xx.com/lssnewyork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Lutheran Social Services of New York