About the LCMS RSO Explorer
A transparency initiative by Ad Crucem to promote accountability and best practices among LCMS Recognized Service Organizations (RSOs).
Ad Crucem has published the LCMS RSO Explorer to serve the broader LCMS community by providing unprecedented visibility into the financial health and operations of Recognized Service Organizations (RSOs). This tool serves three critical purposes:
Improve Transparency
Make RSO financial data accessible and understandable to all LCMS members and stakeholders.
Highlight Best Practices
Recognize organizations demonstrating strong financial stewardship and operational excellence.
Identify Areas for Review
Pinpoint deficiencies and concerns that warrant further synodical oversight and investigation.
Who Pays for This?
This project is entirely funded by Ad Crucem with no external donations or sponsorships. All development, data collection, analysis, and hosting costs are covered internally by Ad Crucem as part of our commitment to promoting transparency and accountability within the LCMS. The tool is provided free of charge to the Synod and all others interested in RSOs.
How the Tool Works
The RSO Explorer aggregates financial data from multiple authoritative sources:
- •IRS Form 990 filings - Annual tax returns filed by all tax-exempt organizations
- •ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Comprehensive database of nonprofit financial records
- •LCMS official RSO registry - Current list of recognized organizations
Advanced algorithms analyze key financial metrics:
- •Revenue & Expenses - Total financial activity and operational costs
- •Profit Margins - Financial sustainability and efficiency indicators
- •Executive Compensation - Leadership pay relative to organizational size
- •Program Expense Ratios - Percentage of funds going to mission vs overhead
The system automatically identifies potential areas of concern:
- ⚠Executive compensation exceeding 10% of total expenses
- ⚠Program expense ratios below 75% (excessive administrative costs)
- ⚠Negative profit margins indicating financial instability
- ⚠Declining net assets suggesting long-term viability concerns
Users can explore RSO data through multiple interfaces:
- •Sortable data tables - Compare organizations across all metrics
- •Visual charts & graphs - Distribution analysis and trends
- •Organization profiles - Detailed financial history and analysis
- •Search & filtering - Find specific organizations quickly
Each organization profile includes an AI-generated SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis that provides strategic insights:
Strengths
Identifies positive financial indicators such as strong revenue growth, healthy profit margins, high program expense ratios, and sustainable net assets.
Weaknesses
Highlights areas of concern including declining revenues, excessive administrative costs, high executive compensation ratios, or financial instability.
Opportunities
Suggests potential growth areas, efficiency improvements, program expansion possibilities, and strategic advantages based on financial position.
Threats
Identifies external and internal risks such as financial sustainability concerns, competitive pressures, or governance issues requiring attention.
How it works: The SWOT analysis uses advanced AI to evaluate multiple years of Form 990 data, financial ratios, and operational metrics. The analysis is generated on-demand and considers the organization's size, mission category, and historical trends to provide contextually relevant insights.
This tool exists to serve the LCMS community by making RSO financial information readily accessible and understandable. By shining light on both exemplary stewardship and areas of concern, we aim to:
- Encourage all RSOs to maintain the highest standards of financial stewardship
- Provide synodical leadership with data-driven insights for oversight decisions
- Enable LCMS members to make informed decisions about supporting specific organizations
- Facilitate constructive dialogue about RSO governance and accountability
All data presented in this tool is derived from public sources including IRS filings and official LCMS records. Ad Crucem is committed to accuracy and welcomes corrections or clarifications from RSO leadership.
Financial Support
We welcome donations to help offset development, hosting, and ongoing maintenance costs. While Ad Crucem has funded this project internally to date, your financial support helps ensure we can continue expanding features, maintaining data accuracy, and keeping this resource freely available to the LCMS community.
Volunteer Opportunities
We are actively recruiting volunteers to help keep our RSO database current and comprehensive. Whether you have expertise in data verification, nonprofit financial analysis, or simply want to contribute your time to improving transparency within the LCMS, we'd love to hear from you.
Areas where volunteers can help:
- •Verifying and updating RSO contact information
- •Reviewing and validating Form 990 data extractions
- •Identifying new RSOs to add to the database
- •Providing feedback on analysis methodologies and red flag criteria
Interested in contributing? Please contact us at tim@adcrucem.net to learn more about donation options or volunteer opportunities. Every contribution, whether financial or through volunteered time, helps strengthen accountability and transparency within the LCMS.
Ready to Explore?
Browse the complete database of LCMS Recognized Service Organizations