Educational activities provide Thrivent chapters and congregational advocate teams with another opportunity to bring together members and the community to help lead secure and generous lives through education.
What is an educational activity?
An educational activity is defined as instruction/training to improve capabilities or knowledge about useful topics that benefit, are of interest to and will attract Thrivent Financial members and others.
What chapter funds can support a chapter educational activity?
Chapter educational activities can be supported by chapter operating funds and Care Abounds in Communities program funds.
Important: The predominant use of Care Abounds in Communities funds must be for charitable activities (fundraisers and service projects). Chapters are encouraged to use operating funds first for educational activities.
What qualifies as an eligible educational activity?
To qualify as an eligible educational activity supported by chapter funds a volunteer service team must actively plan and conduct the activity and publicize it as an activity hosted by Thrivent chapter members (e.g., hosted by members of the ABC Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans).
The list of possible topics is endless; however, chapter educational activities supported by chapter funds cannot have a substantial purpose of promoting sales of products and services, including Thrivent Financial products and services. In addition, invitees cannot be chosen based on their past or desired future Thrivent Financial product purchases.
Tip: Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has some workshops, led by Thrivent Financial representatives, which are eligible for chapters to support with chapter funds. These workshops educate participants about financial topics in the context of their values. See Thrivent Financial educational workshops in CHIP for complete details, including the list of workshops available and descriptions of each.
Frequently Asked Questions About Educational and Member Social Activities
What Qualifies?
Q. Can we reimburse Thrivent Financial representatives (FRs), Community Engagement Team members or other Thrivent Financial employees for expenses from a chapter activity partners with an FR or the Regional Financial Office (RFO)?
A. Yes. When an FR, Community Engagement Team member or other Thrivent Financial employee makes a purchase for a chapter activity, ask them to submit receipts and a completed Chapter Expense Reimbursement Request (PDF, 754K) for their actual expenses to the chapter leadership board. Someone other than the individual being reimbursed must enter the funding request online.
Q. Can a chapter host a Thrivent Financial Representative (FR) Open House using chapter operating funds or any other chapter funding, or promote an FR Open House via the Chapter Mailing Service (chapter newsletter or postcard)?
A. Chapter funds (operating funds, Care program funds) are tax-exempt dollars. They cannot be used to promote Thrivent Financial products or financial representatives. It would not be appropriate to use chapter resources to solely promote an FR Open House or to introduce new FRs or their office location.
However, it is acceptable for chapters to use these funds to conduct and promote an eligible chapter activity1 where the chapter partners with the FR and the FR is present (e.g., hosting a member social or educational activity at the FR's new office during specific hours, where the FR and chapter leaders are on hand to answer questions about the chapter and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans).
In addition, chapters are always encouraged to invite FRs to chapter activities and to introduce the FRs, along with the chapter leaders, to attendees.
Q. Are chapters allowed to conduct educational activities other than Thrivent Financial educational workshops?
A. Yes, as long as the activity has the purpose to provide instruction/training to improve capabilities or knowledge about useful topics that benefit, or are of interest to and will attract Thrivent Financial members and others. The activity cannot have a substantial purpose of promoting sales of products or services, including Thrivent Financial products and services. If you are not sure whether an activity qualifies, contact your regional Community Engagement Team.
Q. Are there educational and member social activities that chapters are discouraged from doing?
A. When chapters are considering which educational and member social activities will best engage and appeal to more Thrivent Financial members, there are some activities that require further review. If an activity you're considering involves a topic listed below, consult CHIP to become familiar with special guidelines surrounding these activities.
| Activities Requiring Further Review | Search Word in CHIP |
| Health fairs or activities involving the administration of medical procedures | Professional Liability Insurance |
| High risk activities, including inflatable bouncing equipment, bungee jumping, racing, firearm auctions, etc. | Liability Insurance |
| Activities involving consumption of alcoholic beverages | Alcohol Policy |
| Activities involving gambling or raffles | Raffles; Gaming |
Reminder: Hosting activities that have a substantial purpose of promoting sales of products or services, including Thrivent Financial products and services is an ineligible use of chapter funding.
Q. Would conducting Vacation Bible School qualify as an educational activity?
A. Yes, however be sure to keep the purpose of chapter-hosted educational and member social activities in mind – to appeal to, attract and involve more members. The leadership board may approve the activity for funding if they feel it meets the definition of an educational activity and has the potential to attract and involve more Thrivent Financial members.
Funding and Reporting
Q. Are there activity minimums and maximums associated with educational and member social activities?
A. If the activity is being supported with chapter operating funds, there is no activity maximum or minimum amount. The minimum when using CAIC funding is $100. There is no maximum when using CAIC funding, but each chapter needs to determine if the amount requested is a wise use of their resources-regardless of using CAIC funding or operating funds.
Q. Can pre-funding be requested for member social and educational activities when Care Abounds in Communities dollars are being used to support those activities?
A. Yes, up to 50 percent up-front funding can be requested for supplies.
Q. Is it acceptable to have multiple chapters support one activity and each receive credit for the activity?
A. If each chapter is supporting the activity with its own funds, and each chapter has a unique service team planning, preparing for or working at the activity, then each chapter can report the activity as long as the reporting results are divided among the chapters involved. (For example, if 100 people attended an educational event, each chapter would report a share of the 100. Each chapter would NOT report 100 in attendance.)
Q. Does recipient information need to be provided when requesting funds for member social and educational activities?
A. No.
Q. Will receipts need to be collected and retained for member social and educational activities?
A. Yes. Receipts or legible photocopies of receipts for expenses for these two activity types need to be submitted to and retained by the chapter for seven years in case of an audit. Receipts serve as supporting information for funds that are released and for reporting that is done online.
Chapter Election
Q. Can our chapter hold an educational and/or member social activities in conjunction with the annual chapter leader election?
A. Yes. Holding an educational or member social activity, or a charitable activity, in conjunction with the election event is a great way to not only attract more members to the event, but to help attendees learn more about the chapter experience and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.
As you consider holding an activity with the election, here is some information and tips to guide you:
- Providing refreshments (e.g., coffee and doughnuts, cake and ice cream) is considered part of the election event; it does not count as a separate member social activity.
- The chapter reports the election event and the additional activity separately:
- Report the election event as a locally supported activity, choosing the "Election" category. This helps demonstrate to others that we operate with a representative form of government, which is a requirement of a fraternal benefit society.
- Report the additional activity as you normally would report an eligible charitable, educational or member social activity.
- When reporting, divide the attendance and volunteer hour numbers between the election event and additional activity (e.g., if 100 people attended, report 50 for the election and 50 for the activity).
Example:
During its planning of the annual election event, the chapter leadership board considers holding an additional activity that will attract and involve more members. They decide to host a member social picnic at the local park with games for children and adults. A service team is formed to plan and conduct the member social activity. Chapter operating funds are used to support the member social activity. Volunteer hours totaled 65 for the election event and 75 for the activity, and 90 members attended.
After the activity, the chapter reports the election event as a locally supported activity, choosing the "Election" category. It reported 65 hours for volunteer hours and 45 members for attendance. In addition, the chapter reported the member social activity as a locally supported activity, choosing the "Member Social" category. It reported 75 hours for volunteer hours and 45 members for attendance.
Because chapter operating funds were used, the chapter also reported the expenses on the Manage Chapter Operating Funds screens online.
Helpful tools
Find Events & Workshops
This registration page on Thrivent.com provides an easy way for people to find and RSVP for upcoming events and workshops in your area – no login is required and is open to members and nonmembers.
If your chapter is planning any type of event, or working with an FR to conduct a Thrivent Financial educational workshop:
- Use the Online Registration Tool2 to submit your event information for same-day online posting.
- Share the news and direct members, congregations and community members to "Find Events & Workshop" (Thrivent.com/findanevent) to learn more and RSVP. Because no login is required, online workshop registration is open to members and nonmembers alike.
For more information about the Find Events & Workshops registration page, please contact your regional Lutheran Engagement Team. See the Financial educational workshops page in CHIP, your online resource guide, for details about the workshops.
2 All required fields must be completed.
For more details about chapter educational activities, please review the following tools located on the Quick Reference Guides page of Thrivent.com:
- Educational Activity Planning Checklist PDF, 180K
- Educational Activities Idea Starters and Best Practices Word, 92K | PDF, 37K
- Activity type comparison chart (high-level comparison of charitable, educational and member social activities) PDF, 35K
- Activity Plan Worksheet template to help plan and conduct educational and member social activities Excel, 220K