"We have seen unprecedented numbers of children coming across the border and so we need more parents than ever before and so if anyone out there is willing to open up their home and hearts, these children could use their care," she said. LIRS continues to be a faith-based organization and celebrates strong collaborative relationships with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The staff believes that only the removal of Hartke, along with Gold-Moritz, and Hoyer (who was allowed to resign on Sept 15 and naturally paid a big severance payout by Hartke) will allow the organization to survive., Hartke, the source says, knows little to nothing about the rules of managing federal grants and less than that about managing diverse teams of people, adding, The organization of less than 100 staff suffered turnover of 40 individuals in the 18 months leading up to a letter to the Board from concerned staff dated Jan 2016 (see attached). Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service: Your gift helps vulnerable families who are fleeing unspeakable violence in search of a safe home. 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 . 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. As of last month, the unapproved travel continued, along with the expenses being fraudulently charged to the USG grants. 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. Recommended Skills / Experience / Interests: Strong writing skills; Interest in working in immigration. The source cites seven specific problem areas under the current management at LIRS: (1) The source cites financial mismanagement at LIRS, due, in part to inappropriately charging an Indirect Cost Recovery rate to entire Federal grants, most of which are passed through in sub-awards to other organizations. The source adds: Over the six year period from 2011 through 2016, LIaRS revenue from the U.S. government grew from $30 million to almost $65 million. She knows it concerns Cecilia [Hoyer, the former Chief Human Resources Officer who resigned September 15] and the audit, as well as allegations of a pervasive atmosphere of harassment, bullying, and squelching of those raising the issues. $54k-65k yearly est. 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. / CBS Baltimore. Avg. Database Administrator Job in Baltimore, MD. [One staffer] resigned abruptly in disgust in August over what he said were unethical practices by his supervisor Hoyer and is believed to be pursuing legal action against LIaRS. 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. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is right for you. This employer has claimed their Employer Profile and is engaged in the Glassdoor community. Log In. 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. Programmatic Database Administrator. In 2015 Grant Thornton again found a significant deficiency in internal controls over Federal award management. Authorized by the. Large Severance and Settlement Payouts to Avoid Public and Board Reporting. Budget Grant Fraud Address. In a memorandum sent to all LIRS staff in an October 18 email, Chairman of the Board Michael Rinehart stated, On October 2, 2017, I made known that LIRS would undertake to examine several of LIRS processes.. So in 2016 LIaRS switched audit firms from Grant Thornton to Tait Weller and still audit findings were reported but this time as a significant deficiency in internal controls on financial statements. Program Specialist for Pre-Arrival. A substandard recruiting process, inconsistently applied personnel policies, a nonexistent performance evaluation system at all levels, and an unwillingness by leadership to grow and cultivate talented stafflong-time staff no longer feel a reason to stay. It's been very detailed and everyone has been so helpful and positive. The Breitbart News source alleges seven key areasthat the source believes will be investigated by this external firm: In February 2016, senior members of the LIRS staff sent a letter to the Board documenting their complaints over Hartkes leadership style. In partnership with Lutheran congregations and Lutheran social ministry organizations, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service has welcomed more than 379,000 refugees to the United States since 1939. The revenue to LIaRS from this arrangement brings in an estimated $500,000 which is NOT reported to the IRS as Unrelated Business Income as required, the source alleges, calling this concealment of taxable income. Connect to CRM . [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.]. A free inside look at company reviews and salaries posted anonymously by employees. in Psychology from Howard University in May 2015.. Get to help refugees and immigrants reach the American Dream alongside dedicated team members. In North Carolina, call (919) 832-2620 We will meet to answer questions, gauge our congregation's eagerness to help an Afghan family in our area and begin an action plan to do so. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is a nonprofit American organization that welcomes and supports refugees and migrants entering the United States. LIRS-North Dakota was established in March 2021 for the purpose of resettling refugees. It's amazing! Organization helps refugees and has a very noble mission. Mission Statement. 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. Our robust Refugee and Immigrant Services (RIS) program paves the pathway in the Greater Washington D.C. area for resettling families and individuals with legal, financial, employment, education, and housing support. 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. More frequently, LIaRS pays out smaller settlements to employees that complain, leave, and eventually lawyer up as evidenced in the attached recent $12,137 settlement approved by Hartke and paid to [NAME REDACTED], who complained about harassment from Hoyer. If this organization has filed an amended return, it may not be reflected in the data below. Copyright 2021 Pro Publica Inc. From https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits. Organization. Linda Hartke is out as CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, three months after Breitbart News first reportedon an internal investigation into claims of financial irregularities and harassment at the embattled non-profit under her leadership. Find a Great First Job to Jumpstart Your Career, Getting a Job Is Tough; This Guide Makes it Easier, Climb the Ladder With These Proven Promotion Tips, A Guide to Negotiating the Salary You Deserve. 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 . The Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains (LFSRM) Refugee and Asylee Programs are dedicated to helping those vulnerable individuals and families rebuild their lives by equipping them to achieve self-sufficiency within their first year in Read More Sign up to get ProPublicas biggest stories delivered straight to your inbox. Management and the company in general very much stresses the importance of work-life balance and are very understanding in that we're human beings and things may come up. The social message on "Immigration" presents basic themes for discernment on questions of immigration that our society is facing. Oh, and WONDERFUL PAY AND BENEFITS! Refugee and Immigrant Services Northwest is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural organization with a mission of empowering refugees and immigrants and their families to become self-sufficient and healthy, contributing members of society. 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 countrys largest refugee resettlement agencies, that the board has called for an external investigation of CEO Linda Hartke. Under President Trump, annual refugee resettlement has dropped from 84,995 in President Obamas last full year (FY 2016) to slightly over 53,000 in FY 2017 to a presidential determination of a ceiling of 45,000 in the current fiscal year, FY 2018, which began on October 1. The VP Programs even wrote that the monthly travel was not required for the employee to do her job and requested that she stop the visits. The employee was permitted to travel monthly to visit LIaRS headquarters, staying at the Royal Sonesta Hotel for a week at a time and charging everything from dry cleaning, pistachio nuts, and room service to Federal grants (est. Foster Care . Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service has an overall rating of 4.1 out of 5, based on over 57 reviews left anonymously by employees. The source added, In September of this year, after many months and perhaps years of build up, three members of the LIaRS Leadership Team the VP Programs, the CFO, and the General Counsel (who together hold more than 100 years of professional experience) held a confidential meeting with the LIaRS Board Chair Mike Rinehart, the Audit Committee Chair Evan Moilan, and Board member Evelyn Soto, who also happens to represent the ELCA which is a large donor to LIaRS. 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. Refugees are forced to move whereas immigrants want to move. These audits are copied from the Federal Audit Clearinghouse. The main goal of the study is to offer some biblical and confessional principles and guidelines to LCMS lay members, congregations, and church workers as they reflect . Welcoming Refugees Today more than 82 million refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons are living with a very uncertain future. Rinehart wrote in a follow-upemail on September 14, 2017, The Executive Committee convened and agreed to an investigation. Rapport has been awesome, morale is consistently high with each employee I've come across, training has been extensive which I love. Wastes the energy and time of the staff regularly. who are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and doing the work of welcome. Also on its list are California, New Mexico and New York. But now we will work through more change as last week I discussed my departure with the LIRS Board, which I believe comes at the right time for me personally and for LIRS., LIRS Board Chair and Bishop Michael Rinehart of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod (ELCA) said, Linda Hartke has provided important leadership at LIRS through challenging years. See the list , The data powering this website is available programmatically, via an API. BALTIMORE (WJZ) For months now, we've seen images of federal facilities packed with thousands of unaccompanied minors at a time when there are a record number of children reaching the southern border, most coming from Central America. Individual salaries will, of course, vary depending on the job, department, location, as well as the individual skills and education of each employee. The previous reviews have mentioned the various issues but the reality is that this organization is so poorly managed that it has become a toxic, ineffective and disrespected national organization. Type. This data release includes only a subset of what can be found in the full Form 990s. Their mission is witnessing to God's love for all people, they stand with and advocate for migrants and refugees, transforming communities through ministries of service and justice.For over 70 years Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service has led a ministry of welcome to America's most vulnerable newcomers. The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service has issued a call for help resettling thousands of Afghan allies. The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service listed Colorado among 11 "sanctuary" states. I have the names of three law firms with whom to talk. Read the API documentation . Afghan refugees and allies need our help. For further information, contact Christy Lumm (234-6256) or the church office 898-4395, Preschool Home 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. A migrant is in the process of relocating to a new home country, once settled in one country they are considered immigrants. While Americans suffer the consequences of the unprecedented . News Gathering 5K run/walk nets $30,000 for LIRS The LCMS November 9, 2016 3 "Just seeing this, you know, you wanna help, but we're just two people," Catherina said. The State Departments Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) has contracted with LIRS and eight other voluntary agencies (VOLAGs) to resettle refugees admitted into the United States under the Refugee Admissions Program. As of September 2017, LIaRS remained out of compliance on all these past three years of audit finding. Through her efforts, thousands of congregations are growing in their work of welcome through celebrating Refugee Sunday, receiving refugees, teaching English, visiting detained immigrants, and engaging in speaking out for refugees with elected officials.. Simply put, we resettle refugees, reunite children and parents, and rekindle the American Dream. 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. (3.) They will meet next week in St. Louis. Work with internal LIRS staff to finalize and implement the Stand Up, Speak Up program. LFSRM Trainings Jan 11 Wed 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. I'm only a month in to my position with LIRS, but the onboarding process was especially impressive. HR is not transparent and moves slowly. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is a non-profit organization that welcomes and supports refugees and migrants entering the United States. Timesheet fraud this is a big one, as it is criminal to fraudulently submit timesheets to the USG as a grant recipient, the source alleges: The first is for an employee named [REDACTED] who was charging time against the refugee grant R&P17 even though she was out on extended medical leave. Research and craft programs, retreats and documents to educate and raise awareness regarding the refugee and immigration work of LIRS. Assist with the processing and placement of refugee cases to LIRS affiliate partners throughout the U.S. I can say that we take very seriously any allegation of misuse of U.S. government funds, a spokesperson for the State Department told Breitbart News. Base Salary (USD) $113,506/year View Hourly Rate Adoption Because of their service to the U.S. mission, our allies and their families soon became . Pros & Cons are excerpts from user reviews. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service insights Based on 4 survey responses What people like Ability to learn new things Ability to meet personal goals Energizing work tasks Areas for improvement Time and location flexibility Great company and wonderful location very easy to get to work. . Except where staff are providing direct services or their job requires they be in the office, all of our staff are allowed to choose their own schedule and decide how many days per week they come into the office. ProPublica posts new tax forms as they are released by the IRS. The company is self-aware and working towards improving diversity and inclusion but it's a process. -I have identified no noteworthy cons while working for this organization. Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs LIRS is one of the nine top voluntary agencies (VOLAGs) in the refugee resettlement industrythat collectivelyreceives more than $1 billion each year from the federal government to resettle refugees across the United States. LIRS helps reunite families and provides real help and hope that can change the lives of those who need it most. Founded in 1939, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is one of the largest refugee resettlement agencies in the United States. Keep in mind that this is a small organization with less than 100 employees! She led efforts to reshape our governance structure in pursuit of excellence, and nurtured ongoing and new strategic partnerships. Hartkes salary also jumped from $182,270 to more than $293,000 last year (note this does not include her 9 percemt employer retirement plan contribution, 100% employer paid health care, and paid time off). Get Involved! Perks and benefits are excellent. We have established active risk mitigation measures in our funding arrangements with partners. The benefits are the best I have ever experienced. Regarding remote work - we now have staff working from 20 states and roughly 40% of our staff are fully remote. 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. Clearly, something is wrong., The main illness over the past two years was identified as the hiring by CEO Hartke and COO Moritz of Cecilia Hoyer as Chief Human Resources Officer in October 2015, continues the source, elaborating [emphasis added], Hoyer was brought in as a member of the Leadership Team with recent salary of $137,000 plus full benefits, despite not having a college degree., The source went on to state that the problems began immediately and over the course of the next two years, Hoyer fueled a culture of harassment, bullying, discrimination, defamation, and slander. Please join us as we make a difference in the lives of newcomers. Extracted financial data is not available for this tax period, but audit documents are available for download. Nonprofit Explorer has PDFs of these audits for some nonprofits for fiscal year 2015 and later. Preschool Staff As a growing organization, there is still work to be done creating systems and processes that best serve a rapidly expanding staff. 11 Nov 2017 0. But they knew, even as two people, they could do something. This is direct contradiction to the Code of Federal Regulations which only allows the ICR to be charged on the first $25,000 of each subaward. About the Organization: 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. Internship Position: Work with internal LIRS staff to implement the Gather, Hope for the Holidays and Stand UpSpeak Up national programs. 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 . " Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) was founded in 1939 by Lutheran churches in the United States to serve uprooted people during World War II. With the help of caring congregations and concerned friends,. Phone: URGENT: Immigrant children and families affected by Hurricane Ian need your support! Organizations making less than $50,000 dont have to file either form but do have to let the IRS theyre still in business via a Form 990N "e-Postcard.". 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. LIaRS built and manages a database of refugees being resettled in the U.S. called IRIS and quietly licenses this out to at least four other agencies (IRC, HIAS, CWS, and EMM) on a fee for service basis. Performing other job-related duties assigned. Hardworking, committed staff, incredible coalition and network of former refugees and migrants. 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. 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! 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 . An internal email obtained by Breitbart News confirms the sources claim of an external investigation at LIRS. Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Concordia Summit, receives more than $1 billion each year from the federal government, an email the following day, September 15, 2017, Failure to Address Financial Irregularities Discovered by Independent Audits, Large Severance and Settlement Payouts to Avoid Public and Board Reporting. Because the ultimate goal is to reunify the children with their family members that are currently living in the United States, said Leonard. Solutions. Join the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service team See Our Latest Jobs 2.0 Current Employee Amazing Mission, Amazing Colleagues - NGO's aren't political campaigns 4 Dec 2022 - Director in Baltimore, MD Recommend CEO Approval Business Outlook Pros The Organization lives its mission, the co-workers are amazing and love their work. Great compensation and benefits too. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "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. Resources. Family . Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Inc. Company Profile | Baltimore, MD | Competitors, Financials & Contacts - Dun & Bradstreet Find company research, competitor information, contact details & financial data for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Inc. of Baltimore, MD. Afghan Allies need food, housing assistance, clothing, and other basic needs. 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. Virtually all of LIRSs revenues come from the federal government. [3] LIRS also advocates for just policies and practices relating to immigration and detention.[4][5]. URGENT: Immigrant children and families affected by Hurricane Ian need your support! This behavior along with other performance issues resulted in [REDACTED] immediate termination; however, Hoyer continued to submit timesheets on [ALSO REDACTEDs] behalf through July 15, 2017. You get to work with incredible mission-driven people, make a difference to refugee families, and the pay is higher than other peer nonprofits. We offer Immigration Legal Services for a nominal fee to help refugees, asylees and other immigrants living in the Twin Cities and St. Copyright 2008-2023, Glassdoor, Inc. "Glassdoor" and logo are registered trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc. Thank you for the positive feedback. 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 . Search Crunchbase. Through Operation Allies Refuge, the U.S. has evacuated more than 100,000 of our Afghan alliesbut tens of thousands remain in harms way. LSF has provided refugee settlement support since 1982 to more than 200,000 families who fled religious and political persecution and oppression in their home countries. Products. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service 106 views11 years ago Caring Congregations and Concerned Friends We can't do it alone! LIRS is widely-recognized . Currently, the city prohibits employees from using city resources to assist or cooperate with any ICE investigation, detention, or arrest when it comes to alleged violations of the civil . 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. By 2017, the complaints escalated to the point where an outside investigation was initiated. Track program activity and participation data throughout the course of the program. But one Baltimore based organization, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, is working to move kids out of those facilities and into the homes of families eager to help.