Our Organization
We are a Fortune 500 financial services organization with a unique blend of financial expertise, shared values and steadfast service that truly sets us apart. We're a faith-based organization, called to care for others. We are the largest fraternal benefit society in the United States. As such, we have a unique ability to work with and through our members to carry out our mission of improving lives.
Our Mission, Vision and Values
Financial Services
We're here to help you be wise with money. We offer a full complement of products, services and professional advice to help you meet your goals – wherever you are in life. Every step of the way, you'll partner with a caring, knowledgeable financial representative, who will offer guidance and advice to help you make informed financial decisions.
Member Focus
As the nation's largest fraternal benefit society, we're committed to helping others. We do this through national volunteer programs and grassroots initiatives. Our members meet in chapters and participate in various educational, social and volunteer activities. Together, our members connect with one another, strengthen their communities and congregations, and support individuals in need.
What's a Fraternal Benefit Society?
At the beginning of the 20th century, life insurance was a largely unfamiliar and unaffordable concept. Fraternal benefit societies were formed so people with a common bond – typically religious, ethnic or occupational – could help one another when tragedy struck.
Fraternal benefit societies also provided opportunities for people to socialize and helped recent immigrants acclimate to America. Members belonged to local "lodges" or meeting places where they could come together as a community and celebrate their common bond.
Official definitions of a fraternal benefit society:
- The IRS defines a fraternal benefit society as "one whose members have adopted the same or a very similar calling, avocation, or profession ... working in union to accomplish some worthy object." The IRS also notes that members of a fraternal band together as a society to "aid and assist one another and promote the common cause" and engage in activities of a "beneficial and fraternal character."
- The National Fraternal Congress of America (a trade group) defines it as a membership organization united around a unique common bond. And it must offer members fraternal benefits including insurance. The common bond of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is Lutheranism.
To be exempt from income tax, a fraternal benefit society must also "operate under the lodge system," which means having its members belong to subordinate units that are "largely self-governing." In our case we call them chapters.
The History of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Being Both Fortune 500 and Not-for-profit
Each year, Fortune magazine ranks America's largest companies according to their annual revenue. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has ranked among the nation's 500 largest organizations based on this measure. That said, Thrivent Financial is a fraternal benefit society (not-for-profit membership organization). Its business operations fuel its charitable outreach. The organization's business success gives the organization a unique opportunity to promote member volunteerism, aid individuals and families in need, strengthen nonprofit organizations, and address critical community needs.
Fraternal Benefit Society
A not-for-profit organization that provides insurance to its members and operates for social, intellectual, educational, charitable, benevolent, moral, fraternal, patriotic or religious purposes for the benefit of its members and the public. These organizations operate under the lodge system, which means a member of the society is a member of a local chapter of the society. Fraternal benefit societies have representative governments, and members share a religious, ethnic, vocational or other common bond.
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