How Lutheran Care’s Bold Vision is Delivering Results

Recently, I had a chance to spoke with Rohan Feegrade, the CEO of Lutheran Care to explore how the organisation is reshaping the way community support is delivered. The organisation won the 2024 Not for Profit of the Year, as announced at the SA Premier’s Business and Export Awards and was a finalist in the Australian Marketing Institute’s prestigious Marketing Excellence Awards for their Foster Care program advertising campaign.

Through bold leadership and a clear focus on impact, the organisation is breaking down traditional barriers and creating meaningful change across South Australia and the Northern Territory.

A Strategy Built on Purpose

Lutheran Care's journey began with a powerful question: How can we remain relevant and truly make a difference? The answer came through a strategic plan built on four fundamental pillars: best for people, growth for impact, sustainability, and reputational growth. This wasn't just another corporate strategy, but a bold vision to change community behaviors and support those most vulnerable. 

Reimagining Foster Care: The "Be the Village" Approach

One of the organisation's most innovative programs is the "Be the Village" Foster Care initiative. Unlike traditional narratives that portray foster care as a sad, challenging experience, Lutheran Care flips the script, and the campaign celebrates the joy of foster caring, highlighting the incredible impact carers can have on children's lives.

The program is co-designed with people who have lived experience, ensuring that the services are truly tailored to meet real needs. By partnering closely with Aboriginal communities and employing dedicated cultural workers, they've created a nuanced, respectful approach to child protection.

Solving Homelessness: A Collaborative Model

Lutheran Care's leadership work with the Toward Home Homelessness Alliance stands as a powerful example of what’s possible through collaboration. By bringing together multiple service providers, government agencies, and community organisations, they've created a groundbreaking approach to addressing homelessness.

The alliance's key innovation lies in designing the service system first then the funding, not the other way around. This approach has resulted in housing over 1,200 people and supporting 5,500 individuals annually. 

Expanding Support Through Allied Health Services

Recognising that community needs are complex, Lutheran Care has strategically expanded into Allied Health services. What started as a small positive behavior support program has grown to include psychology and speech pathology services, making them one of the largest psychology providers in South Australia.

This expansion isn't just about diversifying revenue, it's about creating holistic, wraparound support for clients. By generating income through these services, they can fund critical but underfunded programs like their emergency relief service, which supports 6,000-7,000 people annually.

Advocacy at the Heart of Change

Beyond service delivery, the team is committed to systemic change. They're not afraid to challenge inadequate legislation, particularly in child protection. By advocating strongly and collaborating with the government, they're pushing for meaningful reforms that truly protect vulnerable children.

Their work in the Northern Territory exemplifies this approach. After 15 years, they've been invited into 28 remote communities, a testament to the trust and safety they've built.

As Rohan mentioned, it's about "changing the way communities behave" supporting people with dignity, respect, and a genuine belief in their potential.

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