Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest is a 1979-founded, Texas-based non-profit supporting organization that facilitates planned giving, legacy stewardship, and endowment management for individuals, families, and ELCA Lutheran congregations across Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersPflugerville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest does
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest (LFSW) is a Texas-based, tax-exempt non-profit corporation founded in 1979 in Austin (now headquartered in Pflugerville) that facilitates planned giving and legacy stewardship for individuals, families, and ELCA Lutheran congregations across Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. The foundation operates as a supporting organization of eight sponsors — three ELCA synods (Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana, Southwestern Texas, Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast), Texas Lutheran University, Upbring, Lutheran Sunset Ministries, Cross Trails Ministry, and the ELCA Foundation — and offers 30 services spanning charitable remainder unitrusts (CRUT), charitable remainder annuity trusts (CRAT), gift annuities, charitable bequests, beneficiary designations, donor-advised funds, living/management trusts, and qualified charitable distributions (the latter through the ELCA Foundation). Congregational services include endowment program design, planned giving seminars, and financial-management best-practices consultation.
The foundation's core "technology" is its network of personal gift-planner relationships, a self-serve planned giving portal (lfswgift.org), and access to the ELCA Endowment Fund Pooled Trust (over $750M invested by 1,000+ congregations). Revenue is generated through managed-service fees on charitable assets under administration, with endowment, charitable trust, and life-income agreement administration as primary streams. As of 12/31/2025 the foundation reported $232,745,683 in total assets and related assets, $93M currently under management, $19.4M+ in gift planner activity during 2025, and $1.34M in endowment income and outright gifts distributed to sponsors. Go-to-market is community-led via synod referrals, congregational seminars, direct consultations, and a basic Facebook/web presence rather than any digital marketing infrastructure.
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest
- Legal name
- Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest
- Website
- https://lfsw.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest is a 1979-founded, Texas-based non-profit supporting organization that facilitates planned giving, legacy stewardship, and endowment management for individuals, families, and ELCA Lutheran congregations across Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Charitable Planned Giving & Endowment Management
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious Organizations (81311)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)
Keywords
Where Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pflugerville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Gift Planning and Legacy Management Services: The foundation facilitates planned giving instruments including charitable remainder trusts, charitable bequests, donor-advised funds, living trusts, and gift annuities. Revenue is generated through management of assets under its care and facilitating charitable gifts to Lutheran ministries.
- Endowment Management: The foundation manages endowment funds for congregations and sponsoring organizations, providing professional investment management and distribution services. In 2025, over $1.34 million in endowment income and outright gifts were paid out to sponsors.
- Life Income Agreements: Revenue generated through charitable remainder unitrusts (CRUT) and charitable remainder annuity trusts (CRAT), providing donors life income in exchange for irrevocable charitable gifts.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest is a non-profit charitable foundation that facilitates planned giving instruments and end-of-life stewardship for individuals, families, and Lutheran congregations. It manages charitable remainder trusts (CRUT/CRAT), gift annuities, donor-advised funds, charitable bequests, living trusts, and beneficiary designations, while also designing and managing endowment programs for ELCA congregations and synods across Texas and Louisiana.
Product overview
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest offers a comprehensive suite of planned giving and legacy stewardship services for individuals, families, and congregations. The core offerings center on life income agreements (Charitable Remainder Unitrusts, Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts, Gift Annuities), estate planning vehicles (Charitable Bequests, Beneficiary Designations, Living Trusts), and donor-advised funds. For congregations, the Foundation provides endowment program design and management, planned giving seminars, and financial management best practices. All products facilitate the transfer of assets to Lutheran ministries while providing tax benefits to donors. The Foundation partners with the ELCA Foundation for certain products like Gift Annuities and Qualified Charitable Distributions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Charitable Remainder Unitrusts (CRUT) An irrevocable agreement that pays a variable income stream based on a fixed percentage of the trust assets' fair market value, redetermined annually, with the remainder going to charity. Targeted at donors seeking life income paired with a future charitable gift.
- Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts (CRAT) An irrevocable agreement that pays the same dollar amount each year regardless of trust performance, with the remainder going to designated charities. Designed for donors wanting predictable fixed income paired with charitable giving.
- Gift Annuities A contract that pays fixed lifetime payments to the donor, providing a charitable deduction and a portion of payment that could be tax-free, with the balance going to charities of choice. Offered in partnership with the ELCA Foundation.
- Charitable Bequests Provisions in wills or living trusts that designate a gift amount or percentage to Lutheran ministries through the Foundation, offering flexibility and estate tax charitable deductions.
- Beneficiary Designations Designations for retirement plans, IRAs, life insurance, and insurance annuities to pass assets to intended beneficiaries outside of wills.
- Donor Advised Funds (DAF) A philanthropic vehicle that allows donors to make irrevocable contributions, receive immediate tax deductions, and recommend grants to charities over time.
- Living Trust (Management Trust) Protects assets during the donor's lifetime and allows the Foundation to assist with financial care at end of life, passing assets to heirs without probate while creating permanent endowments for charities.
- Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) Allows donors to transfer funds directly from their IRA to qualified charities, offered through partnership with the ELCA Foundation.
- Endowment Program Design and Management Services for ELCA congregations that include teaching, training, designing, implementing, and managing endowment programs. Includes access to the ELCA Endowment Fund Pooled Trust.
- Planned Giving Seminars and Program Design Educational seminars for congregation members and communities about planned giving basics, plus program design to help craft plans using planned giving tools.
- Financial Management Best Practices Resources for congregations including accounting, finance, human resources, risk management, and stewardship guidance.
Quantifiable outcome
- $93 million currently under management
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- ELCA FoundationflagshipThe ELCA Foundation is the primary sponsoring partner, facilitating gifts to support all ELCA-related institutions including congregations, synods, camps, campus ministries, and churchwide programs. The partnership provides access to the ELCA Endowment Fund Pooled Trust with over $750 million invested by more than 1,000 participants.
- Texas Lutheran UniversitycoreOne of the original sponsoring organizations. A private, residential, undergraduate university in Seguin, Texas offering academic programs grounded in the liberal arts with a strong commitment to faith-based education.
- UpbringcoreSponsoring organization with roots dating back to 1881. A Lutheran social service agency focused on breaking the cycle of child abuse through foster care, adoption, education, and residential treatment programs.
- Lutheran Sunset MinistriescoreSponsoring organization providing person-centered retirement living since 1954. Located in Clifton, Texas with a 32-acre campus offering retirement living, assisted living, long-term care, memory support, and hospice services.
- Cross Trails MinistrycoreSponsoring organization operating Lutheran Camp Chrysalis and Ebert Ranch Camp, providing youth, adult, and family camp experiences and retreats for faith formation.
- Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana SynodcoreSponsoring synod with 104 worshipping communities across North Texas, Louisiana, and portions of Oklahoma and New Mexico, committed to developing leadership and planting/growing congregations.
- Southwestern Texas SynodcoreSponsoring synod with 130 congregations covering territory from West Texas to north of Austin to the Rio Grande Valley, serving diverse communities including the US/Mexican border.
- Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast SynodcoreSponsoring synod with 108 Lutheran congregations working together to plant churches, support churches around the world, prepare pastors, and encourage evangelism and ministry.
- Maxwell Locke & RitterminorIndependent auditing firm located at 401 Congress Ave, Ste. 1100, Austin, TX 78701 providing annual audit services.
- Walter C. Guebert PCminorLegal counsel providing legal services to the foundation, located at 5900 Balcones Drive, Austin, TX 78731.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- LCMS Foundation: The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod's dedicated foundation, offering planned giving, endowment management, and legacy stewardship services comparable to LFSW's core offerings, but serving the LCMS rather than ELCA community.
- Thrivent Charitable Impact & Investing: A Lutheran-affiliated donor-advised fund sponsor and charitable giving program that facilitates legacy planning for individuals and families — a direct peer in faith-based legacy giving with broader national reach.
- ELCA Foundation: The primary sponsoring partner of Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest and a direct peer — both are ELCA-affiliated charitable foundations facilitating planned giving, endowment management, and legacy stewardship across the Lutheran community.
- Texas Methodist Foundation: A faith-based foundation serving United Methodist churches and ministries in Texas with planned giving, endowment management, and legacy services — a direct peer operating in the same Texas religious-foundation space.
Broad incumbents
- Schwab Charitable: A major national donor-advised fund sponsor offering legacy giving and charitable investment vehicles — a broad incumbent competing directly for high-net-worth donors in the planned giving space.
- Fidelity Charitable: The largest donor-advised fund sponsor in the United States — a broad incumbent competing for the same legacy giving dollars that LFSW relies on, with significant brand recognition and low-friction online platforms.
- National Philanthropic Trust: A national donor-advised fund sponsor and giving vehicle provider — a broad incumbent in the legacy giving space, offering institutional-scale charitable giving solutions that complement and compete with regional faith-based foundations.
- National Christian Foundation: One of the largest Christian giving foundations in the U.S., connecting donors to faith-based charitable giving through gifting strategies and donor-advised funds — a broad incumbent offering similar faith-based legacy giving services at national scale.
Regional players
- Catholic Foundation of the Archdiocese of San Antonio: A Catholic foundation serving the San Antonio archdiocese with planned giving, endowment management, and legacy services — a regional peer operating in the same Texas faith-based foundation space but serving a different denomination.
- Austin Community Foundation: A community foundation serving Central Texas with endowment management, grantmaking, and donor services — a regional peer in the foundation/grantmaking space, though focused on geographic community rather than faith-based community.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest social profiles
Digital presenceLutheran Foundation of the Southwest financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest 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 Foundation of the Southwest
What does Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest do?
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest is a non-profit charitable foundation that facilitates planned giving instruments and end-of-life stewardship for individuals, families, and Lutheran congregations. It manages charitable remainder trusts (CRUT/CRAT), gift annuities, donor-advised funds, charitable bequests, living trusts, and beneficiary designations, while also designing and managing endowment programs for ELCA congregations and synods across Texas and Louisiana.
Is Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest a public or private company?
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest founded?
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest was founded in 1979. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest based?
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest is headquartered in Pflugerville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Gift Planning and Legacy Management Services are the primary driver. The others are endowment Management and life Income Agreements.
Who are Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are LCMS Foundation, Thrivent Charitable Impact & Investing, ELCA Foundation and Texas Methodist Foundation. Broad incumbents are Schwab Charitable, Fidelity Charitable, National Philanthropic Trust and National Christian Foundation. Regional players are Catholic Foundation of the Archdiocese of San Antonio and Austin Community Foundation.
Does Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest.
What industry is Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest in?
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest's product category is Charitable Planned Giving & Endowment Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAC, Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking, with a secondary code of FSAAANAI, Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services. Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 8600.