As Lutherans, we have a long history of expressing ourselves out into the world. It’s not so much a choice as a declaration of faith. We see the world in all of its messiness, complexity and contradictions, and still, we choose to embrace it. And so, it’s not surprising that when we exercise our charitable selves, WE EXPRESS OURSELVES FAR AND WIDE.
We are responsive when extraordinary events cry for our individual participation, we are thoughtful when we gather in groups to address today’s most pressing issues and we can form a mighty force of change when we speak in our collective voice. Our work in the world is, in fact, our vocation.
This year, we celebrate all of the ways in which donors at the Lutheran Community Foundation are letting their joy out into the world. DONORS ARE EXPRESSING THEIR JOY INDIVIDUALLY, WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND WITH FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS. They are also coming together in response to disasters, domestic violence and child abuse, and when we advocate for stewardship of the planet that sustains us.
In 2007, Foundation donors made 1,647 grants totaling nearly $9 million to organizations and causes throughout the U.S. and abroad. These grants ranged in size from $100 to $1,000,000. Some reflected long-standing relationships with congregations and other charities while others established new programs and entrepreneurial ventures. Through every grant, the declaration of joy was heard and the engagement in the world was made tangible.
We on the staff and board of the Lutheran Community Foundation have the great privilege of supporting our donors as together we let the joy out. We delight in our work and we look forward to the ever-expanding possibilities to achieve effective, positive and lasting change as we spread our joyful noise.
