LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 110

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110

SYNOD REPORTS
Fort Wayne, Indiana

• Provided 2500 hours of on-site technical assistance to the Zion/St.
Peters Project.
• Formed consortium of local banks, attorneys, and community
leaders to build affordable homeownership for the working
poor.
• Took leadership to New York to visit Nehemiah site.
• $390,000 grant funding received from Tippmann Foundations in
Fort Wayne, Indiana, for our work in the Lutheran Community
Center and Homeownership Center in support for the Zion Lutheran
project.
• Opened in January 2010 a Lutheran Community Center by engaging collaborative partnerships with Bethesda and Lutheran Social
Services of Indiana. The Center is valued at $1 million and is provided on a long-term lease to Bethesda for $1.00 per year for 15
years.
Elderly Housing Development
• Provided on-site technical assistance to 10 LCMS congregations,
RSOs, and seminaries to construct housing for elderly and disabled
on church-owned property.
• Approved budget to provide five feasibility grants for $10,000 each
before June 2010 for elderly projects to be built in proximity to
Word and Sacrament ministries.
Next Triennium Major Goals

• Continue to provide support to neighborhood and community
development efforts maintained by or associated with LCMS congregations, districts, and Recognized Service Organizations that
help revitalize communities or prevent community deterioration.
This support will include financial support (grants, loans, and guarantees), consultations (on obtaining financing from other sources),
technical staff, and technical assistance.
• Obtain financing from private and government sources to support
the corporation’s mission as the Synod’s housing ministry arm.
Communications
LCMS World Relief and Human Care communications provides
opportunities for both the church-at-large and the secular world
to learn about and support LCMS WR-HC programs and projects
through a growing variety of Web resources, print publications, and
other media.
Past Triennium Major Accomplishments

• Hired Director of Communication Services.
• Created and staffed new position of media/Web developer.
• Created and staffed new position of communication projects
manager.
• Developed a greater alignment between communications and fund
development.
• Implemented a “newsroom approach” to disaster coverage with
faster reporting timelines.
• Completely redesigned Web site and created international Web site.
• Created March for Life online newsroom and sent staff to report
on-location from Washington DC.
• Complete redesign of Caring magazine and Sharing newsletter.
• Initiated regular schedule of Reporter inserts featuring work of
LCMS WR-HC.

• Created domestic and international profile booklets.
• Implemented use of social media, including blogs, Facebook, and
Twitter.
• Implemented extensive Web cross-training program to insure Web
communications continuity.
• Improved internal communication partnerships with LCMS Board
for Communication Services, LCMS World Mission, and other entities, including Concordia Publishing House for the VBS Mission
Project.
• Added additional contract workers to increase Communications’
capacity.
• Created Web-based “E-mail Update” sign-up opportunities to
increase contact database.
• Created LCMS WR-HC online store presence within Web environment and added features and products.
• Initiated new LCMS WR-HC branding.
• Created new display materials.
Operations
The ability of LCMS World Relief and Human Care to respond
in mercy with increased effectiveness and efficiency has been a priority over the past three years. Improved internal capacity became
necessary as LCMS WR-HC added staff and became more active in
carrying out its own work, focused on responding to major disasters with long-term assistance, and dealt with the financial stress that
came with the recession.
Past Triennium Major Accomplishments

• Improved project accounting to allow for more accurate reports to
donors.
• Improved internal communication regarding operational procedures and finances resulting in greater buy-in by staff.
• More formalized decision-making processes related to our domestic and international grants resulted in more strategic granting.
• Streamlined administrative services, making more funds available
to programming.
• Increased educational resources made available helping to promote
mercy work in the districts and congregations.
• Aligned external communications more closely with fund development and programs to provide a more focused effort.
Fund Development
Major Accomplishments Past Triennium

• Reported gift income of $30 million.
• Maintained a staff average of three major gifts officers who made
2,200 donor visits, received $3 million, completed 60 estate planning leads, and established 20 Congregation Giving Clubs.
• Held 15 major donor events for several designated projects.
• Coordinated direct response giving, including 20 mail appeals generating 53,000 gifts and $4.385 million received.
• Coordinated Shepherd’s Staff sustained giving program, generating $3 million in gifts.
• Received $6 million from direct congregational support.
• Reported other gifts generated by newsletters ($3 million) and
electronic giving, which increased over the three-year period from
almost nonexistent to $1 million this fiscal year.

2010 Convention Workbook

2010 Convention.indb 110

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