Diakon

What Diakon does

Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) social services organization affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, headquartered in Topton, Pennsylvania, with administrative operations in Middletown, PA. Founded in its current form on January 1, 2000, through the merger of Lutheran Services Northeast and Tressler Lutheran Services (with institutional roots dating to 1868), Diakon delivers a continuum of human services across Pennsylvania and Maryland through nearly 25 service centers and affordable housing communities, serving approximately 67,000–70,000 children, youth, families, and older adults annually.

The organization's service portfolio spans four core divisions: Diakon Child, Family & Community Ministries (adoption, foster care, behavioral health counseling, pregnancy services, youth wilderness programs, family preservation); Diakon Housing Services (HUD Section 8 rental-subsidized senior housing at Lutherwood, Frostburg Heights, and Luther Meadows/Heilman House); Diakon Community Services (Meals on Wheels, senior centers, Medicare counseling, RSVP volunteer coordination); and the statewide administration of Pennsylvania's SWAN (Statewide Adoption & Permanency Network) via Diakon-SWAN, LLC. The technology footprint is minimal—no proprietary platform—with commodity integrations including HealthcareSource for recruiting and Raisedonors for donation processing.

Diakon's business model is a hybrid of government contract revenue (Pennsylvania DHS for SWAN and child welfare, county children and youth offices for referrals, HUD for housing), sliding-scale program service fees, charitable donations and planned giving, foundation grants (over a dozen foundations contributed in 2024), and endowment income managed through the Diakon Lutheran Fund. The organization provides roughly $1 million per month in benevolent care to clients unable to pay, with revenue governed by multi-year government contracts (SWAN has been renewed four times since 2000) and church-affiliated board oversight through five ELCA partner synods. In June 2024, Diakon divested its senior living operations to Lutheran Senior Services (LSS), refocusing the organization on its remaining service lines.

Name

Diakon

Legal name

Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries

Website

https://diakon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Diakon is a Pennsylvania-based Lutheran-affiliated nonprofit providing adoption, foster care, behavioral health, affordable senior housing, and community services to approximately 70,000 children, youth, families, and seniors annually across Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Human and Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Resources, Social Services & Transportation Coordination (HLADALAK), Affordable/Subsidized Independent Living (HUD/LIHTC) Communities (HLADAAAB)

Keywords

• Child welfare services
• Foster care adoption
• Behavioral health counseling
• Senior affordable housing
• Community senior services

Headquarters

HQ city

Middletown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts & Referrals: County children and youth offices, medical assistance programs, and government agencies fund foster care, adoption, and other social services
2. Donations & Charitable Giving: Individual donors, congregations, community groups, and businesses provide charitable contributions; in 2024, grantors provided $614,000 in funding
3. Program Service Fees: Fees for services with sliding scale for those who can pay; provides approximately $1 million monthly in benevolent care
4. Planned Giving & Endowments: Bequests, charitable gift annuities, IRA rollovers, insurance policies; Diakon Lutheran Fund manages endowment assets generating income for services
5. Grants: Foundation grants, governmental programs, and community organization funding including Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and various private foundations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Diakon is a faith-based nonprofit social services organization delivering a comprehensive continuum of care across the lifespan. Its core offerings include adoption and foster care services, behavioral health counseling, pregnancy services, youth services, family reunification and preservation, community-based senior services (Meals on Wheels, senior centers, Medicare counseling), HUD Section 8 affordable senior housing, and statewide administration of Pennsylvania's Adoption & Permanency Network (SWAN). Services are delivered through nearly 25 service centers across Pennsylvania and Maryland, serving approximately 70,000 children, youth, families, and older adults annually regardless of ability to pay.

Product overview

Diakon is a faith-based nonprofit social services organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of human services through multiple divisions. Diakon Child, Family & Community Ministries provides child welfare services (adoption, foster care), behavioral health counseling, pregnancy services, youth services, and family preservation programs. Diakon Housing Services operates HUD Section 8 rent-subsidized senior housing communities. Additionally, Diakon administers the Pennsylvania Statewide Adoption & Permanency Network (SWAN) statewide. Services span nearly 25 locations across Pennsylvania and Maryland, serving approximately 70,000 people annually. Programs include community-based senior services (Meals on Wheels, senior centers, Medicare counseling, wellness programs), wilderness-based youth treatment programs, and affordable housing for older adults.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Diakon Lutheran Fund: An endowed fund that supports Diakon services for children, families, adults of all ages and entire communities. Originally operated as Tressler Lutheran Fund.
• Second Chance Fund
• Compassionate Care Fund
• Diakon Community Services
• Diakon Adoption & Foster Care

Products and services

• Diakon Adoption & Foster Care Permanency services for children including special-needs adoption, multiple levels of foster care, and legal-risk placements (foster-to-adopt), uniting children with forever families across Pennsylvania.
• Diakon Behavioral Health Services Compassionate counseling including individual, marriage and family counseling, addictions counseling, school-based services, and family-based mental health (including specialized services for problematic sexual behaviors). Formerly Diakon Family Life Services.
• Diakon Pregnancy Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 70,000 people served annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lutheran Services in AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiakon is part of Lutheran Services in America, a network of more than 300 independent Lutheran health care and human service organizations serving thousands of communities across the U.S. and Caribbean. LSA collectively serves approximately 1 in 50 persons in the U.S. with combined budgets exceeding $8 billion.
• Lutheran Senior Services (LSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn June 2024, an agreement was finalized to combine Diakon's senior living operations with Lutheran Senior Services. Diakon Senior Living operations and staff at its four campuses became part of LSS following regulatory approvals.
• Partner Synods (ELCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiakon is a partner in ministry with five synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: Delaware-Maryland, Lower Susquehanna, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Southeastern Pennsylvania, and Upper Susquehanna synods.
• Voce (SWAN Partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiakon-SWAN, LLC, in partnership with Voce, has administered Pennsylvania's Statewide Adoption & Permanency Network (SWAN) under contract with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Human Services since 2000. Has received four five-year contracts.
• Pennsylvania Department of Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor government partner providing funding and contracts for child welfare services including foster care, adoption, and family services across Pennsylvania.
• AmeriCorps SeniorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal program partnership supporting RSVP volunteer opportunities for older adults through Diakon Community Services.
• The Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living (LVCIL)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides sign language interpretation services for Diakon clients through a designated account relationship.
• Certified Language International (CLI)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides foreign language interpretation services for Diakon clients through a certified interpretation account.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• KVC Health Systems: Nonprofit child welfare and behavioral health organisation operating foster care, adoption, family preservation, and in-home services across multiple states. Directly comparable in service mix and revenue model (government contracts, donations).
• Lutheran Services Florida: Lutheran-affiliated nonprofit social services agency providing child welfare, behavioral health, and senior services across Florida. A direct peer within the same Lutheran Services in America network as Diakon, sharing governance models and funder relationships.
• Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: Large nonprofit behavioral health and child welfare provider serving children, adolescents, and adults with emotional, behavioral, and cognitive differences. Overlaps directly with Diakon's behavioral health, youth services, and adoption/foster-care programs.
• Lutheran Senior Services: Faith-based senior living and services organisation. In June 2024, Diakon's senior living operations and staff at its four campuses were combined with LSS, making it a direct operational and governance peer with overlapping service lines in senior housing and services.
• Catholic Charities USA: National faith-based social services network offering child welfare, behavioral health, senior services, and community support. Operates with a comparable multi-program, mission-driven nonprofit model and competes for similar government contracts and foundation funding.

Regional players

• Wesley Enhanced Living: Faith-based nonprofit operator of continuing care retirement communities and senior living across Pennsylvania. Operates in the same geography as Diakon and competes for similar affordable senior housing and faith-based senior service demand.
• Presbyterian Senior Living: Faith-based nonprofit operating senior living communities, affordable housing, and personal care services primarily in Pennsylvania. Directly comparable to Diakon's faith-based affordable senior housing and community service lines in the same state.
• Elwyn: Pennsylvania-headquartered nonprofit serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, behavioral health needs, and children/families. Operates in the same geography as Diakon with overlapping behavioral health and child/family programs.

Broad incumbents

• Easter Seals: National nonprofit providing disability services, senior programs, behavioral health, and child development services. Comparable in operating a broad portfolio of human services funded by government, donations, and fees.
• Volunteers of America: Large national faith-affiliated nonprofit providing housing, behavioral health, child welfare, and senior services across many states. Comparable in mission scope and multi-service nonprofit operating model, with substantially larger national footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DiakonServes
• Facebookfacebook.com/DiakonLutheranSocialMinistries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/diakon
• Instagraminstagram.com/wildernessgreenhouse

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Diakon