Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains

What it reported doing in 2024

Foster care services: in the past year, lfsrm's foster care programs provided 50,856 nights of care for 220 children and youth across the front range of Colorado who were unable to remain in their home or with family. The program cared for 140 youth who were temporarily removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect, 78 unaccompanied refugee minors whose parents and caregivers were unable to be located after having fled their home countries due to war, unrest or other valid concerns for safety, and 2 unaccompanied children in the custody of the office of refugee resettlement while seeking immigration relief. Lfsrm certifies and trains parents to provide high quality care to children and youth who are unable to be cared for by their biological parents or kin and provides ongoing support and oversight to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of children in care. The agency provides evidence based training to ensure families are well prepared to meet the needs of children placed in their homes in a trauma informed manner. Additionally, the agency provides high quality case management and enhanced supports, including mental health services for children and families, and specialize culturally and linguistically appropriate foster care and independent living services that facilitate social, cultural, and economic integration for children who are unable to be reunified with their family or kin. In fy 2025, lfsrm maintained a combined placement stability rate of only 0.9 changes in placement per 1,000 nights of care, far below the state average of 3.4 moves per 1,000 nights of care for the same period.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 89%; rating input score 89
• Program expense ratio: 91.1%; rating input score 91
• Fundraising efficiency: $7.05 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 2.1%; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.36; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.54; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 2.6%; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 10.4% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 7.8% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 10.3% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings