Loving Shepherd Ministries (LSM)

What Loving Shepherd Ministries (LSM) does

Loving Shepherd Ministries (LSM) is a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Bluffton, Indiana, founded circa 2002-2005 by Ed Schwartz, that serves vulnerable children, single mothers, and families across three countries. In Haiti, LSM operates the Homes of Hope network — 21+ family-style homes serving approximately 250 children — alongside the LSM Tech Campus and Business Center, a Trauma Recovery Program, and the Nouvelle Aube business cluster, which includes a concrete block plant, construction services, and an automotive operation; a prefabricated steel warehouse added in 2021 expanded production capacity. In Ethiopia, the Family Preservation Program, led by Rebecca Moise, supports 30+ single mothers and their children. In the United States, the BrickHouse Foster Care program in Northeast Indiana, an adoption resource ministry, and a farm-based gift shop serve 9,000+ families cumulatively.

The core product surface is programmatic rather than technological: residential care, family preservation, vocational training, trauma counseling, foster care and adoption support, and a small earned-income vertical. LSM Tech provides vocational and technical training equipping young adults with trade skills, while the trauma recovery layer addresses psychological needs of program participants. The underlying operational stack is conventional nonprofit infrastructure — donation processing, recurring sponsorship billing at $35+/month tiers, event ticketing, and retail — with no disclosed AI/ML or proprietary platform components.

LSM's business model is a hybrid of charitable donations, recurring family sponsorships, event fundraisers (golf tournament, gospel sing), retail sales from the BrickHouse gift shop, and earned income from Haiti-based business operations. LSM is a member of ECFA and CAFO and holds Charity Navigator 4-star status, providing third-party financial accountability signals to donors. The organization employs approximately 18 staff supporting multi-country operations.

Name

Loving Shepherd Ministries (LSM)

Legal name

Loving Shepherd Ministries

Website

https://loving-shepherd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Loving Shepherd Ministries is a Bluffton, Indiana-based faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating Homes of Hope (21+ homes, 250 children) in Haiti, a Family Preservation Program in Ethiopia, and BrickHouse foster care and adoption services in Northeast Indiana, funded by donations, sponsorships, events, and Haiti-based business operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare & Humanitarian Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Other Residential Care Facilities (6239)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF)

Keywords

• Child welfare services
• Foster care programs
• Adoption support services
• Humanitarian international aid
• Community development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bluffton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: LSM receives contributions from individual donors through its website donation portal and mail. Donations can be one-time or recurring (monthly, quarterly, or annual) and can be designated to specific programs (Haiti, Ethiopia, USA) or general operations.
2. Family Sponsorship: Monthly sponsorship program where donors support specific Homes of Hope families or children, providing ongoing relational and financial support.
3. Haiti Business Operations: Multiple businesses in Haiti (Concrete Products/Block Plant, Construction, Automotive) generate revenue to support LSM programs and provide sustainable jobs in the communities served.
4. BrickHouse Farm Store: US-based farm store selling meat and eggs to fund foster care programs in Northeast Indiana.
5. Event Fundraisers: Annual events including golf tournaments and gospel sings that generate sponsorship revenue and donations.
6. Gift Shop: BrickHouse gift shop at the Bluffton office selling items to supporters and visitors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Loving Shepherd Ministries provides a continuum of care for vulnerable children through Homes of Hope family-based foster care in Haiti, the LSM Tech vocational training campus, and a Trauma Recovery program. The organization also offers adoption resources and BrickHouse foster care in the USA, Family Preservation in Ethiopia, and operates sustainable businesses in Haiti (construction, block plant, automotive) to fund programs and create local jobs.

Product overview

Loving Shepherd Ministries (LSM) is a non-profit organization offering a comprehensive continuum of care for vulnerable children rather than a unified software product. The organization operates multiple interconnected programs including Homes of Hope (family-based foster care in Haiti), LSM Tech Campus (vocational training), Business Development (sustainable businesses creating revenue), Family Sponsorship, Adoption Resources (free support for US families), BrickHouse Foster Care (Indiana), Gospel Project (evangelism and aid), Family Preservation (Ethiopia), Trauma Recovery, Respite Home, Free Counseling, Education Tours, and Child Development. These programs work together to serve vulnerable children and families from childhood through adulthood across Haiti, Ethiopia, and the USA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Homes of Hope: LSM's core residential care program in Haiti providing vulnerable children with loving Christian families.
• LSM Tech
• BrickHouse
• Gospel Project
• Nouvelle Aube

Products and services

• Homes of Hope Family-based foster care homes in Haiti providing comprehensive care for vulnerable children, including education, trauma recovery, discipleship, and life skills training.
• LSM Tech Campus Vocational and technical training campus in Haiti for Home of Hope graduates, offering education in agriculture, business, technology, and life skills for young adults.
• Business Development (Nouvelle Aube) Sustainable businesses in Haiti including block plant, construction, automotive, and agricultural operations that create jobs and generate revenue to support LSM's programs.
• Adoption Resources Free, objective, personalized support for families considering adoption (international, domestic, or foster-to-adopt), including assessment forms and support groups.
• Family Sponsorship Program Program allowing donors to sponsor vulnerable children and families in Haiti, Ethiopia, and the USA to support their basic needs and development on a recurring monthly basis.
• BrickHouse Foster Care Structured foster care services for hard-to-place youth in Northeast Indiana, including residential homes on a 40-acre farm and counseling for foster and adoptive families.
• Gospel Project Program where Home of Hope children in Haiti distribute Gospel kits containing living essentials and evangelistic materials to those in need in their communities.
• Family Preservation (Ethiopia) Programs in Ethiopia helping at-risk families through business training, education, trauma recovery, and support for single mothers and their children.
• Trauma Recovery Program Psychological and social support services for children who have experienced trauma, abuse, or trafficking, including counseling and trauma healing.
• Respite Home Temporary care services for families in the USA, providing relief and support for foster and adoptive families.
• Free Counseling Services Counseling services provided at no cost to area foster and adoptive families in the USA.
• Education Tours (Haiti) Immersive educational experiences for visitors to learn about LSM's work, including the Haiti Education Wing exhibits and opportunities to pack Gospel kits.
• Child Development Program Comprehensive programs supporting children's academic, spiritual, and personal development through tutoring, music, and various educational activities.
• BrickHouse Farm Store and Gift Shop Physical farm store in Bluffton, IN selling meat, eggs, and gift shop items to fund foster care programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 32 out of 34 qualifying students passed critical graduation-qualifying exam through Impact Program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA)coreOthersLSM is an ECFA member in good standing, demonstrating financial accountability and transparency standards expected by evangelical Christian nonprofits.
• Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO)coreOthersLSM is a CAFO member, connecting with a network of Christian organizations committed to orphans and vulnerable children.
• Charity NavigatorcoreOthersLSM maintains Four Star status with Charity Navigator, demonstrating high standards for accountability, transparency, and integrity.
• Outdoor ConceptsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor for LSM's 2026 Golf Tournament, featured in event materials and social media.
• MB (Multiple instances)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor for LSM's 2026 Golf Tournament.
• National OilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor for LSM's 2026 Golf Tournament.
• AdamsWellsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLunch sponsor for LSM's 2026 Golf Tournament.
• Felger ResidentialminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLunch sponsor for LSM's 2026 Golf Tournament.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Lifeline Children's Services: Christian adoption and orphan-care ministry with international and domestic adoption, foster care, and family preservation programs. Closely aligned with LSM's faith-based adoption, foster, and Haiti-style child welfare model.
• Bethany Christian Services: Faith-based nonprofit offering adoption, foster care, and family support services across the US and internationally. Most directly comparable to LSM's adoption resources, BrickHouse foster care, and family preservation programming.
• Children's HopeChest: Christian child-development nonprofit pairing US sponsors with partner communities internationally, including Haiti. Closely comparable to LSM's Homes of Hope and Family Sponsorship models serving at-risk children overseas.
• Buckner International: Faith-based nonprofit running domestic and international foster care, adoption, and family services. Comparable to LSM's BrickHouse foster care, adoption resources, and multi-country child-welfare portfolio.
• Show Hope: Faith-based organization focused on adoption aid and care for orphans, including financial adoption grants and the Care Center residential program. Comparable to LSM in adoption support and family-based residential care for vulnerable children.

Broad incumbents

• Food for the Hungry: Christian relief and development organization operating child-focused community programs internationally. Comparable in faith-based child welfare mission and international donor-funded service delivery, with broader scope.
• Compassion International: Large faith-based child sponsorship nonprofit operating internationally with comparable child sponsorship, family-style care, and donor-driven fundraising. Serves as a much larger incumbent in the same charitable child-sponsorship category where LSM competes for the same donor segment.
• World Vision: Global Christian humanitarian organization running child sponsorship, community development, and crisis response programs. Comparable to LSM in mission, donor base, and international child-welfare delivery, but at materially greater scale and geographic breadth.

Others

• ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability): Accrediting body for evangelical nonprofits of which LSM is a member in good standing. Not a direct peer but a relevant comparable for the governance, accountability, and transparency standards LSM is benchmarked against.
• Saddleback Church Foster Care Initiative: Faith-based foster care mobilization effort at a large US church that recruits and supports foster/adoptive families. Conceptually similar to LSM's BrickHouse foster-care and free-counseling model for Northeast Indiana families.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LovingShepherdMinistries
• Instagraminstagram.com/lovingshepherd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/loving-shepherd-ministries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Loving Shepherd Ministries (LSM)