Home › International, foreign affairs & national security
Lifesong for Orphans
Lifesong for Orphans reported $51.7 million in revenue and $37.8 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $93.38 went to program services, $1.23 to management and general costs and $5.39 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 90.6% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $258,841 (VICE-PRESIDENT). Revenue rose 100% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $38MFor context, the median across 469 covered international, foreign affairs & national security charities: $89.04 programs, $8.28 management, $2.68 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $52M- Contributions & grants (non-government)$90.40 $47M
- Program service revenue$6.00 $3.1M
- Investment income$3.60 $1.9M
Other revenue was negative: −$89,996. The bar shows the positive sources only.
The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 93.4% | 86.1% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 1.2% | 8.0% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 5.4% | 2.6% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.04 | $0.03 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 90.6% | 96.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 6.0% | 0.0% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $258,841 | $341,362 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.68% | 1.06% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 0 | 10 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 27.2 | 7.5 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 7 of 7 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseOrphan and vulnerable children care program - provide support to orphan and vulnerable children in the united states of america and throughout the world, including humanitarian aid; establishing schools and living quarters; assisting and training families; biblical training in schools, homes and orphanages; support other charitable organizations whose ministries are focused on at-risk children; supporting mentors to meet the needs of at-risk chilrden; short-term mission trips to various locations; approximate number of individuals reached - russia region - 3,384; europe region - 820…
Adoption and post-adoption assistance program - provide grants and loans to assist in the adoption of orphans by christian families; provide post-adoption assistance including literature, counseling and training; support other charitable organizations that provide such assistance; financial assistance is provided to offset only documented adoption costs; covenant loans to adoptive families are also part of this program; lifesong helped facilitate adoption and post-adoption support to over 3,500 individuals/families during the year
Sustainable businesses program - provide job opportunities for orphaned children as they transition to adulthood as well as orphan care-givers; job skill training for orphaned children in the lifesong programs; lifesong currently has 10 business programs located in haiti, india, uganda, ukraine and zambia; businesses include farms, food and lodging establishments and construction businesses
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VICE-PRESIDENT Officer, 30.00 hrs/week | $0 | $246,623 | $12,218 | $258,841 |
| VICE PRESIDENT Officer, 30.00 hrs/week | $0 | $217,766 | $34,057 | $251,823 |
| TREASURER Officer, 30.00 hrs/week | $0 | $116,814 | $27,671 | $144,485 |
0 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Lifesong for Orphans (Part VII, line 2).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b7 · 7 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2Yes
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 50
- Volunteers Part I, line 6150
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| LIFELINE CHILDRENS SERVICES Program services | $1,326,523 |
| SOUTH SIDE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Program services | $700,000 |
| CLEAR DESIGN GROUP LLC Support services | $592,276 |
| LAUNCHPAD EVENTS AND MEDIA Support services | $265,561 |
| HOPE FOR THE FATHERLESS Program services | $221,500 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 15 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
33 private foundations reported grants to Lifesong for Orphans totaling $751K on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Lifesong for Orphans's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Lifesong for Orphans, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Lifesong for Orphans spent in FY2025, $93.38 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
Embed on your site
Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Center for Social ChangeElkridge, MD · revenue $52M · programs 84.4% · FY2025
- The Population CouncilNew York, NY · revenue $54M · programs 79.5% · 2024
- Plan International USAProvidence, RI · revenue $52M · programs 68.9% · FY2025
- Orphan Grain TrainNorfolk, NE · revenue $54M · programs 97.8% · FY2026
- Unrwa USA National CommitteeWashington, DC · revenue $51M · programs 95.2% · 2024
All international, foreign affairs & national security charities · Largest charities in Illinois
Questions people ask
How much of Lifesong for Orphans's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Lifesong for Orphans reported that 93.4% of its $37.8 million in expenses went to program services, 1.2% to management and general and 5.4% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Lifesong for Orphans pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Lifesong for Orphans reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $258,841, for the role of VICE-PRESIDENT (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Lifesong for Orphans get its money?
Of $51.7 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 90.6% came from contributions and grants and 6.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Lifesong for Orphans a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 35-1902841 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 (amended), object 202611339349307231 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202520859349301502 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202440339349301519 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202311109349300641 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202230429349301448 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202130279349301603 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 35-1902841: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.