Lutheran World Relief
Lutheran World Relief is a U.S.-based faith-oriented international development and humanitarian organization focused on sustainable livelihoods, disaster response, and community resilience.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Lutheran World Relief (LWR) is a United States-based international nongovernmental organization whose work combines humanitarian assistance with long-term development. Established in 1945, it began as a Lutheran response to the displacement and material hardship created by World War II. Early activities centered on collecting and shipping food, clothing, quilts, and other necessities to people in postwar Europe. Over time, the organization expanded its relief work to communities affected by conflict and poverty in other regions, including Palestine, Hong Kong, Korea, and Bangladesh. LWR’s contemporary model places particular emphasis on helping communities build durable livelihoods rather than treating emergency relief as an isolated activity. Its principal program areas are agriculture, climate adaptation, and emergency operations. Agricultural initiatives support smallholder farmers through stronger producer organizations, improved access to markets and finance, participation in more profitable stages of agricultural value chains, and climate-smart production methods. Climate-related work includes conservation agriculture, sustainable land and water management, disaster-risk planning, renewable energy, and protection of natural resources such as forests, soil, and water supplies. The organization also responds to sudden-onset disasters and complex humanitarian crises. Its methods may include cash transfers, distribution of non-food supplies, support for locally led relief programs, preparedness planning, and early-recovery assistance intended to restore livelihoods. LWR has worked in response to events including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, the 2015 Nepal earthquakes, and conflict-related crises in South Sudan, Iraq, and Syria. By 2023, it reported ongoing operations in 29 countries across several regions, while retaining the ability to respond to emerging emergencies. A distinctive part of the LWR identity is its Quilt and Kit Ministry. Congregations and volunteers in the United States make quilts and assemble Personal Care, School, Baby Care, and Fabric Kits. These goods are sent through partner organizations to people affected by poverty, displacement, disaster, or other forms of acute need. The program connects domestic volunteer participation with international relief delivery and remains one of the organization’s longest-running initiatives. In 2013, LWR joined the United Nations Humanitarian Resource Depot network, enabling it to pre-position some quilts and kits for faster distribution after emergencies. LWR has also developed programs linking consumer activity and community participation to development objectives. LWR Farmers Market Coffee, launched in 2017 with THRIVE Farmers, uses a direct-trade model involving farmers connected with LWR projects. The program offers medium, dark, and decaffeinated roasts and directs a portion of sales-related proceeds to LWR’s international programs. Eco-Palms, introduced in 2005 with support from the University of Minnesota, works with palm harvesters in Mexico and Guatemala to promote sustainable harvesting, better sorting and packaging, and improved retention of value within harvesting communities. U.S. congregations can order the palms for Palm Sunday observances. Organizationally, LWR is part of the Corus International family of faith-based international development organizations, alongside entities such as IMA World Health, CGA Technologies, Ground Up Investing, and LWR Farmers Market Coffee. It is also a member of the ACT Alliance, a global network of churches and related agencies engaged in humanitarian, development, and advocacy work. LWR is governed by a board of directors and is structured around the President’s Office, International Programs, External Relations and Strategic Partnerships, and Finance and Administration. Public charity evaluators have given the organization favorable assessments, although those ratings are external evaluations rather than commercial performance indicators.
History
Lutheran World Relief was formally created in 1945 as U.S. Lutherans organized a coordinated response to the humanitarian consequences of World War II. Refugees and other civilians in postwar Europe needed food, clothing, bedding, and household necessities, and Lutheran congregations contributed material aid for shipment overseas. Quilts became one of the most recognizable forms of this early assistance, establishing a volunteer-led tradition that continues through the organization’s Quilt and Kit Ministry. During the remainder of the 1940s, LWR extended relief shipments beyond Europe to communities affected by conflict and displacement in places including Palestine, Hong Kong, Korea, and Bangladesh. In the 1960s and 1970s, the organization increasingly moved beyond short-term distribution toward methods designed to raise rural incomes and strengthen food security. It developed agricultural and cooperative approaches and eventually amended its articles of incorporation to reflect a broader international-development mission. The opening of a regional office in Peru in 1979 marked a step toward a more decentralized international presence. The famines and conflicts of the 1980s brought LWR into a larger humanitarian role. In response to the Ethiopian famine, it shipped 5,000 tons of wheat to northern Ethiopia and opened a regional office in West Africa. Its work during the Ethiopian Civil War and famine earned the Presidential End Hunger award, making LWR the first faith-based development agency to receive that recognition. During the same conflict period, LWR also helped facilitate the movement of Oromo refugees from African camps to sponsors’ homes in the Twin Cities, working with Lutheran Social Service and the International Institute of Minnesota. In 1999, LWR moved its headquarters from New York City to the Lutheran Center in Baltimore, Maryland. The organization’s governance model also evolved. It was initially headed by a secretary, changed to an executive-director structure in 1953, and shifted to a President and CEO model in 1996. The President and CEO reports to a 15-member board of directors. Since 2000, LWR has combined emergency response with a stronger focus on sustainable agriculture, climate adaptation, and community resilience. Its emergency portfolio has included responses to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, the 2015 Nepal earthquakes, and conflict-related crises in South Sudan, Iraq, and Syria. Rather than limiting assistance to immediate distributions, LWR describes its approach as linking relief to early recovery, livelihood restoration, preparedness, and locally supported systems for future emergencies. The organization’s long-running volunteer programs remain central to its public identity. U.S. Lutherans continue to make Mission Quilts and assemble Personal Care, School, Baby Care, and Fabric Kits. In 2016, LWR reported sending approximately $14 million worth of quilts and kits to more than 576,000 people in 21 countries. In 2013, it joined the United Nations Humanitarian Resource Depot network, allowing selected relief items to be stored closer to potential emergency locations. LWR has also used consumer and congregational programs to connect fundraising, ethical sourcing, and development. Eco-Palms, begun in 2005 with the University of Minnesota’s Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural Management, supports sustainable palm harvesting and improved community participation in the value chain in Mexico and Guatemala. In 2017, the organization launched LWR Farmers Market Coffee with THRIVE Farmers. Earlier partnerships included Equal Exchange, Divine Chocolate, and SERRV. By 2023, LWR reported ongoing work in 29 countries across Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania. It operates as part of Corus International and participates in the ACT Alliance.
- 2017
Farmers Market Coffee introduced
[1]LWR launched a direct-trade coffee program with THRIVE Farmers, linking farmer participation, consumer sales, and international programs.
- 2013
Humanitarian Resource Depot membership
[1]LWR joined the United Nations Humanitarian Resource Depot network to improve the speed of quilt and kit distribution.
- 2005
Eco-Palms partnership begins
[1]LWR began working with the University of Minnesota on a sustainable palm program serving harvesters and congregations.
- 1999
Headquarters relocated to Baltimore
[1]The organization moved from New York City to the Lutheran Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
- 1996
President and CEO model adopted
[1]LWR transitioned to its current top-leadership structure, with a President and CEO accountable to a 15-member board.
- 1980
Ethiopia famine response
[1]LWR shipped 5,000 tons of wheat to northern Ethiopia and expanded its presence in West Africa during the famine crisis.
- 1979
First regional office opens in Peru
[1]The Peru office marked the organization’s move toward a regional international operating structure.
- 1953
Executive director structure introduced
[1]LWR replaced its original secretary-led arrangement with an executive director as its principal leadership role.
- 1945
Organization established
[1]Lutheran World Relief was founded to coordinate aid from U.S. Lutherans for people affected by the post-World War II refugee and humanitarian crisis in Europe.
Products and positioning
A Lutheran, faith-based international development and humanitarian organization that connects U.S. congregations and donors with locally oriented programs supporting disaster recovery, sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, and poverty reduction.
Humanitarian aid · 1945
Mission Quilts
Mission Quilts are handmade quilts donated by Lutheran congregations and volunteers in the United States. They provide warmth, bedding, privacy, and a tangible form of solidarity to people affected by poverty, displacement, disaster, or conflict. Quilts originated among LWR’s earliest postwar relief efforts and remain a signature expression of the organization’s connection between domestic volunteer networks and international partner-led assistance.
Humanitarian aid
LWR Kits
LWR Kits are standardized packages assembled by U.S. volunteers for distribution through overseas partners. Personal Care Kits contain basic hygiene supplies; School Kits provide materials for students; Baby Care Kits contain items such as infant clothing and cloth diapers; and Fabric Kits provide sewing materials that can support practical skills or income generation. The kits are designed to address immediate needs while allowing local partners to determine appropriate distribution.
Ethical consumer product · 2017
LWR Farmers Market Coffee
LWR Farmers Market Coffee is a coffee program created with THRIVE Farmers in 2017. Coffee is sourced through farmers involved in LWR-supported development work, and the model provides participating farmers with an upfront price and a share of sales profit. The range includes medium, dark, and decaffeinated roasts, while a portion of proceeds supports LWR international programs.
Sustainable agriculture and congregational product · 2005
Eco-Palms
Eco-Palms is a sustainable palm program developed with the University of Minnesota. It works with palm harvesters and communities in Mexico and Guatemala on sustainable harvesting, quality sorting, and packaging so that more value can remain with participating communities. U.S. congregations order the palms for Palm Sunday observances, connecting a seasonal church practice with environmental stewardship and rural livelihood support.
Marketing campaigns
- 2005Eco-Palms
United States · Mexico · Guatemala
LWR partnered with the University of Minnesota to promote sustainable palm harvesting and improve the economic position of harvesting communities while supplying palms for U.S. congregations.
Outcome. The program established a congregation-facing channel for purchasing palms linked to sustainable harvesting and community income retention.
- 1945Quilt and Kit Ministry
United States · International partner countries
Lutheran congregations and volunteers make quilts and assemble care kits for communities affected by poverty and emergencies. The ministry is both a material-aid channel and a major volunteer and donor-engagement platform.
Outcome. The program continues as one of LWR’s flagship activities and has supported hundreds of thousands of people through international partners.
Brand decisions
2017
Launch of LWR Farmers Market CoffeeProduct launchBackground
LWR sought to connect consumer purchasing with farmer livelihoods and funding for international development.
Action taken
LWR partnered with THRIVE Farmers to introduce coffee sourced through farmers participating in LWR projects under a direct-trade model.
Aftermath
The program expanded LWR’s public-facing offerings beyond grants, relief supplies, and congregational donations.
2013
Pre-position quilts and kits for emergency deploymentStrategyBackground
Relief supplies assembled in the United States can take time to reach communities after a disaster.
Action taken
LWR joined the United Nations Humanitarian Resource Depot network so that quilts and kits could be stored in regional locations.
Aftermath
The arrangement was intended to shorten delivery times and strengthen LWR’s emergency logistics.
Recent events
- 2025
External charity evaluators continue to rate LWR favorably[1]
Other
Reference material states that LWR met BBB Wise Giving Alliance standards, received an A combined rating with IMA World Health from CharityWatch, held a four-star Charity Navigator rating as of October, and had a five-star GreatNonprofits rating.
- 2017
LWR Farmers Market Coffee launches[1]
Product launch
LWR and THRIVE Farmers introduced a direct-trade coffee program connected to farmers participating in LWR development projects.
- 2013
LWR joins the United Nations Humanitarian Resource Depot network[1]
Other
Membership in the depot network allowed LWR to pre-position quilts and kits in locations around the world for quicker deployment after emergencies.
- 1999
Lutheran World Relief moves headquarters to Baltimore[1]
Other
LWR relocated its headquarters from New York City to the newly built Lutheran Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
- 1980
LWR responds to the Ethiopian famine[1]
Other
During the severe famine and conflict affecting Ethiopia in the 1980s, LWR shipped 5,000 tons of wheat to northern Ethiopia and expanded its regional presence in West Africa.
- 1980
LWR receives Presidential End Hunger award[1]
Other
For its response to the Ethiopian Civil War and famine, LWR became the first faith-based development agency to receive the Presidential End Hunger award.
- 1979
Lutheran World Relief opens first regional office in Peru[1]
Other
The organization expanded its international operating structure by opening its first regional office in Peru, supporting its growing development work in Latin America.
- 1945
Lutheran World Relief founded to aid postwar Europe[1]
Other
Lutheran communities in the United States established LWR to collect and send food, clothing, quilts, and other assistance to people affected by the refugee and humanitarian crisis following World War II.
Sources1 sources
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