Lifeline Children's Services 
The information on this page was last updated 3/6/2026. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
Lifeline Children's Services exists to provide a hope and a future through the Gospel for children around the world by discipling, engaging, and equipping people towards adoption, foster care, and orphan care.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Lifeline Children's Services
100 Missionary Ridge
Birmingham, AL 35242
Website: lifelinechild.org
Phone: 205-967-0811
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 630896878
CEO/President: Herbie Newell
Chairman: Doug Acton
Board size: 14
Founder:
Ruling year: 1986
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 12/31
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 2007
Purpose
The vision of Lifeline Children's Services is vulnerable children and their communities are transformed by the gospel and are making disciples.
Mission statement
The mission of Lifeline Children's Services is to equip the Body of Christ to manifest the gospel to vulnerable children.
Statement of faith
God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
We believe in God, eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-51; John 10:30)
We believe that Jesus Christ is the one and only begotten Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary and is fully God and fully man. (Mark 14:61; Luke 3:22; John 8:58; Colossians 2:8-9; Philippians 2:5-11)
We believe in the physical resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into Heaven, and His present life there for us as our High Priest and Advocate providing a sufficiency for body, soul, and spirit for the believers. (Acts 3:15; 1 Corinthians 15:12-32; Hebrews 4:14-16)
Salvation & The Work of Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative, substitutionary, and complete sacrifice; and that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood. (Isaiah 53:46; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Ephesians 5:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24, 3:18)
We believe that all who receive by grace, through faith, the Lord Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit and become children of God, and there is no other way of salvation but through Jesus. (John 1:12-14, 3:3, 5:24, 14:6; Galatians 4:4-7; Ephesians 2:8-10)
We believe in the personal, visible, and second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, at a time unknown to us but for which we are eagerly anticipating. (Matthew 24:42-44; John 14:1-3; I Thessalonians 4:16-17; Hebrews 9:28; 2 Peter 3:10)
We believe that the redeemed will have eternal life with Christ Jesus while the lost will be separated from God in everlasting punishment. (Matthew 25:31-46; Acts 17:30-32; 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16)
We believe that every believer is sanctified through the work of the Holy Spirit to pursue personal holiness. (1 Thessalonians 4:3-9; 1 Peter 15-16; 1 Corinthians 6:9-13; Ephesians 5:4-5)
Humanity
We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, and become sinners in thought, word, and deed. (Genesis 1:26-27, 8:21; Psalm 51:5; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Colossians 3:6-10; Ephesians 2:2-3)
We believe that marriage is a sacred covenant before God and man between one man and one woman instituted by God from the beginning of Creation. (Genesis 2:18-24; Matthew 19:4-6; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Hebrews 13:4-7)
We believe that God is the creator of all life, and that every person is created in His image, and at the moment of conception, a new human life is created with a sovereignly-ordained sex of either male or female. (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:5; Acts 17:25)
The Word of God
We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the Word of God, written by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Word is inerrant, infallible, and sufficient in all manners of conduct. (Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Proverbs 30:5-6; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Peter 1:23-25)
The Work of Church
We believe that the Great Commission was given by the Lord to His Church to disciple the world, and that sharing the gospel is the great mission of the Church. (Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15; John 20:21; Acts 1:8)
Articles
Donor confidence score
Show donor confidence score details
To understand our donor confidence score, click here.
Transparency grade
C
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Adoption/Foster Care
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 297 of 1420 | 19 of 58 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 886 of 1420 | 33 of 58 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 385 of 1420 | 27 of 58 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 176 of 1421 | 6 of 58 |
To understand our financial efficiency ratings, click here.
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 10% | 10% | 20% | 40% | 12% | 15% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 5% | 6% | 12% | 19% | 7% | 7% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 67% | 64% | 61% | 47% | 58% | 51% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 6% | 6% | 12% | 18% | 8% | 8% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 33% | 36% | 39% | 53% | 42% | 49% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 80% | 80% | 76% | 70% | 80% | 80% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 98% | 106% | 103% | 104% | 84% | 92% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 74% | 85% | 78% | 73% | 68% | 74% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 2% | -6% | -3% | -4% | 16% | 8% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 1% | -57% | -15% | -20% | 54% | 43% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 12% | 14% | 12% | 12% | 12% | 12% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.76 | 2.37 | 2.42 | 2.82 | 2.13 | 3.03 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.74 | 1.27 | 1.20 | 1.07 | 1.10 | 1.14 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.54 | 3.00 | 2.90 | 3.02 | 2.34 | 3.47 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 12.12 | 10.69 | 7.44 | 14.31 | 6.90 | 5.52 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.08 | 0.09 | 0.13 | 0.07 | 0.15 | 0.18 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 6.91 | 3.62 | 3.59 | 3.70 | 4.38 | 2.83 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 8% | 77% | 60% | 43% | 28% | 41% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 10% | 10% | 14% | 11% | 19% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 111% | 10% | 16% | 20% | 34% | 19% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Cash | $216,594 | $1,592,151 | $1,907,454 | $2,924,390 | $1,178,202 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $3,644,470 | $2,503,773 | $1,410,347 | $548,923 | $315,752 |
| Short-term investments | $2,557,841 | $1,822,514 | $1,602,026 | $1,367,554 | $1,161,455 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $6,418,905 | $5,918,438 | $4,919,827 | $4,840,867 | $2,655,409 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $281,862 | $368,728 | $224,926 | $385,689 | $380,914 |
| Other long-term assets | $1,433,357 | $809,096 | $124,020 | $88,830 | $3,862 |
| Total long-term assets | $1,715,219 | $1,177,824 | $348,946 | $474,519 | $384,776 |
| Total assets | $8,134,124 | $7,096,262 | $5,268,773 | $5,315,386 | $3,040,185 |
| Liabilities | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $439,254 | $422,237 | $56,503 | $255,112 | $213,536 |
| Other current liabilities | $161,155 | $373,039 | $287,223 | $446,847 | $267,742 |
| Total current liabilities | $600,409 | $795,276 | $343,726 | $701,959 | $481,278 |
| Debt | $813,643 | $713,975 | $727,282 | $611,264 | $566,541 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $4,860,118 | $2,777,057 | $1,190,262 | $151,269 | $208,394 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $5,673,761 | $3,491,032 | $1,917,544 | $762,533 | $774,935 |
| Total liabilities | $6,274,170 | $4,286,308 | $2,261,270 | $1,464,492 | $1,256,213 |
| Net assets | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Without donor restrictions | $805,780 | $1,370,140 | $2,228,323 | $3,275,103 | $1,459,091 |
| With donor restrictions | $1,054,174 | $1,439,814 | $779,180 | $575,791 | $324,881 |
| Net assets | $1,859,954 | $2,809,954 | $3,007,503 | $3,850,894 | $1,783,972 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Total contributions | $11,732,612 | $10,165,116 | $6,721,855 | $7,787,413 | $5,061,461 |
| Program service revenue | $6,929,845 | $6,546,034 | $5,913,239 | $3,995,472 | $3,560,097 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $78,530 | $8,052 | ($198,513) | $136,532 | $124,982 |
| Other revenue | ($535,141) | $3,086 | $1,826,117 | $1,508,197 | $1,252,064 |
| Total other revenue | $6,473,234 | $6,557,172 | $7,540,843 | $5,640,201 | $4,937,143 |
| Total revenue | $18,205,846 | $16,722,288 | $14,262,698 | $13,427,614 | $9,998,604 |
| Expenses | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Program services | $15,477,778 | $13,112,275 | $10,422,265 | $9,108,230 | $7,396,725 |
| Management and general | $2,617,324 | $2,047,726 | $1,740,842 | $1,318,807 | $1,089,282 |
| Fundraising | $1,166,669 | $1,986,154 | $2,692,930 | $914,123 | $739,874 |
| Total expenses | $19,261,771 | $17,146,155 | $14,856,037 | $11,341,160 | $9,225,881 |
| Change in net assets | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Surplus (deficit) | ($1,055,925) | ($423,867) | ($593,339) | $2,086,454 | $772,723 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | ($1,055,925) | ($423,867) | ($593,339) | $2,086,454 | $772,723 |
Compensation
Compensation data for this ministry has not been collected.
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 3/6/2026. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
Program accomplishments
10,000+ Families Served
4,305+ Children Placed
2,000+ Children Impacted
1,450+ Families Trained
$1M+ in Family Training