lutheran immigration and refugee service investigation

Start Free Trial . I have the names of three law firms with whom to talk. LIaRS charges it on all the money, thereby giving them millions of dollars per year to fund their headquarters for doing nothing. Follow Company. Small. Estimated $49.1K - $62.1K a year. Small organizations filing a Form 990N "e-Postcard" are not included in this data. HR is not transparent and moves slowly. Our goal through this self-examination is to strengthen the organization and assist the Board in leading LIRS. Preschool Staff It is one of the nine refugee resettlement agencies working with the office See more. It draws from Scripture and the experience of Lutherans in America as an immigrant church in a country of immigrants. Workload can be a little unpredictable at times. 86% of employees would recommend working at Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service to a friend and 85% have a positive outlook for the business. Lutheran Immigration And Refugee Service - Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica Research Tax-Exempt Organizations LUTHERAN IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE SERVICE BALTIMORE, MD 21230-3850 | Tax-exempt since. -Working for an organization that assists the world's most vulnerable people -Mission-driven leadership -Supportive leadership team and colleagues -Teamwork is a driving force behind our success -Excellent pay, leave and benefits -Keen focus on work-life balance -Hybrid work schedule -Paid holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year's off with pay. Awesome organization that truly cares about their staff. In 2016, LIaRS paid in excess of $86,000 to former staff member Annie Wilson (see 2016 Form 990 Schedule J Part III) and more than $120,000 to longtime CFO Jane Anthon who was forced out. Get Involved! Baltimore, MD 21230 (Otterbein area) +1 location. Base Salary (USD) $113,506/year View Hourly Rate With the support from LSF and the community, refugees go from being in the most difficult situations to putting down roots and becoming integral members of our communities. Multiple locations. This began with her leading the ouster of 25 year senior staff member Annie Wilson in 2016 and then followed with she and Moritz pushing longtime CFO Jane Anthon out later that same year. Failure to Address Financial Irregularities Discovered by Independent Audits Wasteful Spending Save . Howard University would neither confirm nor deny that Hoyer had an undergraduate degree from the school. We have a zero tolerance policy for fraud, waste, and abuse of American taxpayer resources. Also on its list are California, New Mexico and New York. $1,500/mo). Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting. According to Pew Research from fiscal 2008 to 2017, an average of about 67,100 refugees arrive in the United States each year. LIRS has since grown into an internationally recognized leader known for innovative services for refugees, asylum-seekers, unaccompanied migrant children and families, migrants in . Your response will be removed from the review this cannot be undone. Nonprofit. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service 106 views11 years ago Caring Congregations and Concerned Friends We can't do it alone! Heck, I won't be able to retire unless the media (and even people like Beck who fancies himself a great investigator) make that fact known! Given that USG revenue accounts for almost 95 cents of every LIaRS dollar, the only way Hartke could continue to spend on herself and the headquarters is through charging the USG an indirect cost recovery rate on the entire amount of their grants, even though 90 percent of the funds were simply passed through to subawards to the dozens of independent affiliates that actually do the refugee resettlement work (i.e. to hire other consultants to do the work he could not. Organization. Connect to CRM . As an organization, LIRS originates from the response of American Lutherans in 1939 to the needs of Europeans displaced because of World War II,[6] but the roots of the organization reach back to the 1860s when the New York Ministerium and the Pennsylvania Ministerium joined together to help and protect Lutheran immigrants in the US. Very inclusive, Doing a great service, Great benefits, It's non profit so the pay is not as high as other companies, but they make up for it in other ways. Great compensation and benefits too. A migrant is in the process of relocating to a new home country, once settled in one country they are considered immigrants. It's been such a pleasant onboarding experience. During that time, under CEO Hartkes oversight, the headquarters spending exploded from $8.8 million to $13.5 million with a staff of less than 100. Sorry to hear that you feel that HR is moving too slowly and not offering enough transparency. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service . None of this travel was included in the approved budgets, and when this was pointed out to CEO Hartke and Hoyer, they dismissed the reports. A free inside look at company reviews and salaries posted anonymously by employees. In addition to the raw summary data, we link to PDFs and digital copies of full Form 990 documents wherever possible. Regarding remote work - we now have staff working from 20 states and roughly 40% of our staff are fully remote. 19% of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service employees are Black or African American. Despite Hartkes forced ouster, the memorandum announcing her departure was couched in polite words of praise all around: Hartke said, Leading LIRS has been a blessing to me, and I have sought to give generously of my gifts for the sake of refugees, immigrants, and the communities that welcome them. CEO Hartke seemed not only to permit Hoyers behavior but also support it. For further information, contact Christy Lumm (234-6256) or the church office 898-4395, Preschool Home Thank you for the positive feedback. The basic themes are grounded in the call to welcome the stranger (Matthew 25:35) together with . Focusing on businesses owned by immigrants, refugees, and underrepresented populations, this project will support up to 600 diverse small businesses over two years by providing counseling, technical assistance, and support in accessing up to $5 million in small . LIaRS is essentially a U.S. government contractor whose 2016 record revenue totaled nearly $70 million of which approximately 95 percent came from the government through refugee resettlement and childrens services grants, as well as refugee travel loan collections. Five Groups Contracted to House Unaccompanied Migrant Children. WASHINGTONThe U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office of Migration and Refugee Services (USCCB/MRS) and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), released its report today, entitled Serving Separated and Reunited Families: Lessons Learned and the Way Forward to Promote Family Unity, which documents the work of Catholic and Lutheran agencies who assisted the Administration with . While Americans suffer the consequences of the unprecedented . Hardworking, committed staff, incredible coalition and network of former refugees and migrants. 1939. We also link to copies of audits nonprofit organizations that spent $750,000 or more in Federal grant money in a single fiscal year since 2016. Programmatic Database Administrator. Size. 46 Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service reviews. She showed active listening while we each introduced ourselves, asked us questions, really showed she genuinely cares about her employees. What Hoyer was best at was fostering a culture of harassment through gossip and deceit., The resumeHoyer submitted as part of her application for the Chief Human Resources Officer position at LIRS stated that she anticipated receiving a B.A. Keep in mind that this is a small organization with less than 100 employees! Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is a champion for all uprooted people. REFUGEE AND RESETTLEMENT SERVICES. Virtually all of LIRSs revenues come from the federal government. During these years I have worked with a remarkable staff team, we have stayed focused on our mission of welcoming newcomers, and centered in our faith that God calls us to love and serve all of our neighbors. Press Contact: Miji Bell (410) 230-2841,. On behalf of the LIRS Board of Directors, we are deeply grateful for her service, her passion for our mission, and her tireless work of welcome., Rev. To oversee this process, LIRS has engaged the services of Kathy Hoskins and Mark Saudek of Baltimore-based Gallagher Evelius & Jones LLP. The onboarding was self-paced and independent, and it's a great feeling to work for a company that trusts you enough to let you work at your own pace. Associate Director Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service Jobs, Case Manager Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service Jobs, Internship Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service Jobs, Salesforce Administrator Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service Jobs, Senior Accountant Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service Jobs, Service Coordinator Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service Jobs, Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area Reviews, National Immigrant Justice Center Reviews, Institute of Women & Ethnic Studies Reviews, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service Jobs, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service Salesforce Administrator Jobs. Breitbart News asked both Hoyer and LIRS to confirm or deny the sources claim that she did not have a college degree but did not receive a response from either. LUTHERAN IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE SERVICE Across Europe, Ukrainian exiles pray for peace back home Across Europe, Ukrainians gathered for church services on Sunday to pray for peace in their war-torn country. Today, Linda Hartke, President and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), announced her departure from LIRS after eight years of service, LIRS said in a memorandum sent to its donors, Lutheran congregations, and the U.S. government on Tuesday. Work with internal LIRS staff to finalize and implement the Stand Up, Speak Up program. Volunteer your time, donate needed items and monetary donations, or become a refugee employer. It's amazing! Avg. [Note: The source and several other critics refer to the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service as LIaRS. Breitbart News uses the more commonly used shortened form of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, LIRS.]. Lindas leadership has also significantly strengthened LIRS financially to ensure sustainability through challenging times. Read the API documentation . But in the meantime, Vignarajah says the need is still great as the children continue to arrive at the southern border. A source with first-hand knowledge tells Breitbart News that financial mismanagement, fraud, and harassment are so widespread at Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), one of the country's largest refugee resettlement agencies, that the board has called for an external investigation of CEO Linda Hartke. Both Leonard and Catherina agree, their experience fostering migrant children has been rewarding. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) is the largest faith-based nonprofit dedicated to serving vulnerable immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees in the U.S. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. When Maryland couple, Catherina and Leonard, saw the images coming from the southern border like of kids sleeping on concrete floors, they were called to act. (3.) For over 80 years, Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service has resettled refugees, reunited families & rekindled dreams | Since 1939 Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service has worked to create welcoming communities for newcomersimmigrants and refugees who have been forced to leave their homes and begin anew. The investigation initiated by LIRS Board Chairman Rinehart on October 2 is rooted in the incompetence of leadership under CEO Hartke and her #2 COO Gary Gold-Moritz, the drama of the past two years associated with Hartkes Chief Human Resources Officer Cecilia Hoyer, the recent Board of Directors initiated investigation, and the multiple complaints filed against Hartke, Hoyer, Gold-Moritz, et al., from many staff, the source tells Breitbart News. Cloud complete immigration documents - including Permanent Resident, Naturalization, Employment Authorization, and family visa applications. Large severance and settlement payouts to avoid public and Board reporting are another problem, the source alleges: LIaRS spends hundreds of thousands per years paying out settlements and severance to departing staff members in exchange for their signatures on release of claims and non-disclosure agreements. Every organization that has been recognized as tax exempt by the IRS has to file Form 990 every year, unless they make less than $200,000 in revenue and have less than $500,000 in assets, in which case they have to file form 990-EZ. As a growing organization, there is still work to be done creating systems and processes that best serve a rapidly expanding staff. For those interested in acquiring the original data from the source, heres where our data comes from: Enter a nonprofit's name, a keyword, or city, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits. As an example, in 2016 of the $64 million in government funds received by LIaRS, more than $55 million was sent out in subawards to the independent affiliates to do the actual resettlement work but LIaRS managed to charge the government the ICR rate of over 10 percent on that $55 million which brings over $5 million to be kept in Baltimore for Hartke and her office. The Internal Revenue Service is substantially delayed in processing and releasing nonprofit filings, so documents available here may not be the most recent an organization has filed. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is a non-profit organization that welcomes and supports refugees and migrants entering the United States. It's been very detailed and everyone has been so helpful and positive. I have spoken to Linda. The summary data contains information processed by the IRS during the 2012-2019 calendar years; this generally consists of filings for the 2011-2018 fiscal years, but may include older records. When Maryland. The purpose of this meeting was to come forth under the protection of the LIaRS Board-approved Whistleblower Policy to report on unethical behavior being practiced by the CEO Hartke in the course of her management and oversight of the organization. To Whom It May Concern: We write to express our deep concerns with the growing role non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play in fueling the drastic increase in illegal aliens crossing the southern border. Again, both were given large severance payments in exchange for their silence and signatures on agreements. First published on April 29, 2021 / 4:42 PM. ImmigrationPoliticsBureau of Population Refugees and MigrationLutheran ChurchLutheran Immigration and Refugee ServiceRefugee Resettlement programrefugeesState Department. Find out more about, 87% of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service employees would recommend working there to a friend, Get started with your Free Employer Profile, Upper management seems entirely unconnected, LIRS is dedicated to both its mission and its employees. This rating has improved by 31% over the last 12 months. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, or any other . For over 70 years Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service has led a ministry of welcome to America's most vulnerable newcomers. Type. A subcommittee of the Board was formed, which would hire outside legal counsel to conduct interviews with staff and report back to the Board., According to the source, None of the three LT [Leadership Team] members who approached the Board or the dozens of staff they were representing believe that the Board investigation will result in real change, continuing, This is due to the fact that Hartke largely controls the Board through her filtering all Board applicants that the Executive Committee considers for appointment, the separation she maintains from her Leadership Team and the Board by limiting their interactions with the Board, and the fact that complaints have been filed in the past with the Board resulting in nothing. If you have used our data or site in your research or reporting, add credit and a link to Nonprofit Explorer in your story or publication and let us know. Already their two largest church body supporters, ELCA and LCMS [Lutheran Church Missouri Synod], have cut back donor support to LIaRS over concerns with Hartkes leadership. 11 Nov 2017 0. Sign up to get ProPublicas biggest stories delivered straight to your inbox. With no action from the Board at that time, another 41 staff have left LIaRS over the next 18 months up to August 2017. Foster Care . It is nationally recognized for its leadership advocating with refugees, asylum seekers, unaccompanied children, immigrants in detention, families fractured by migration and other vulnerable populations. Over the past several decades, federal payments to these VOLAGs have averaged about $1 billion annually. Given that the root cause of this audit finding was related to the Chief Human Resources Officer Cecilia Hoyer and her control over the payroll process, and numerous complaints directed at her, Hartke made efforts to thwart the Finance department from rectifying the absence of internal control. Afghan Allies need food, housing assistance, clothing, and other basic needs. Assist with the processing and placement of refugee cases to LIRS affiliate partners throughout the U.S. For more than 80 years, LIRS has been a champion for migrants and refugees from . Authorized by the. Preferred Timeline:10 weeks, 4-6 hours/day, Program Format:Hybrid Virtual & In-Person, Community Focus: Refugees and forced migrants, Field of Interest:Outreach, Faith Relations. Headed by a political candidate - it is run as a political campaign (whims and bright shiny objects that can get media coverage vs. strategy). The IRS Form 990 is an annual information return that most organizations claiming federal tax-exempt status must file yearly. Database Administrator Job in Baltimore, MD. Please enter valid email address to continue. Family . Stay up to date with everything going on at LIRS. According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service employees rate their compensation and benefits as 4.5 out of 5. Preschool Calendar, Weekly Announcements Since 1917, Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) has evolved to meet the changing needs of its community, while staying true to its mission of accompanying those in need to foster resiliency, self-sufficiency, and access to opportunities by creating, connecting with, and engaging welcoming communities. Linda Hartke is out as CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, three months after Breitbart News first reported on an internal investigation into claims of financial irregularities and harassment at the embattled non-profit under her leadership. Simply put, we resettle refugees, reunite children and parents, and rekindle the American Dream. [7] Since then the organization's scope has expanded to include any refugees entering the US, support for asylum seekers[8] and migrants,[9][10] and services to unaccompanied children (UACs). There are 27 nonprofit designations based on the numbered subsections of section 501(c) of the tax code. "Just seeing this, you know, you wanna help, but we're just two people," Catherina said. Through nearly 80 years of service and advocacy, LIRS has helped over 500,000 migrants and refugees rebuild their lives in America. A Refugee employer put, we link to PDFs and digital copies of full Form documents! 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Church office 898-4395, preschool home Thank you for the positive feedback simply put, we resettle refugees reunite... 898-4395, preschool home Thank you for the positive feedback the numbered of. Small organization with less than 100 employees offering enough transparency out of 5 to be creating. Coalition and network of former lutheran immigration and refugee service investigation and migrants American Dream 67,100 refugees arrive in the States... Federal government of Service and advocacy, LIRS. ], asked us questions, really showed she genuinely about!