Program FAQs

General
Choice Dollars^SM
Voting Events

General

Q: What is Thrivent Choice^SM?

A: The Thrivent Choice program is a charitable grant program and a benefit of membership that encourages members of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans to recommend where Thrivent Financial distributes a portion of its charitable funding to causes important to them. The program has two components – Choice Dollars^SM and Voting Events – and will result in distribution of several million dollars of grant funds to causes that members like you care about most.

Q: What's the difference between Voting Events and Choice Dollars?

A: Voting Events let all Thrivent Financial members age 16 and older help decide which organizations should receive part of $1 million or more during each Voting Event. Voting Events occur over a short period of time, three weeks for example. Each Voting Event will include a short list of national Lutheran and non-Lutheran organizations that members, chapters and Lutheran church bodies tell us are important to them.

Choice Dollars are designated to eligible benefit members for the purpose of helping Thrivent Financial decide where to distribute its charitable grant funds among Lutheran organizations throughout the year. Eligible members can make such recommendations by directing the Choice Dollars designated to them to their preferred Lutheran organizations. There are thousands of Lutheran nonprofit organizations, including Lutheran congregations, to choose from.

Q: Why was the GivingPlus® Program replaced with Thrivent Choice?

A: As a membership organization, our goal is to offer programs that appeal to a broad range of members, and unfortunately, with just 5% participation, GivingPlus didn't. Because the program appealed to a small percentage of members, the decision was made to design a new giving program that would appeal to more members.

Thrivent Choice is designed to get more members involved in recommending where Thrivent Financial distributes its charitable funds. And we did member research to ensure the new program reflects what members want. It's a fast, easy way for more members to help make a difference to causes they care about most.

Q: Why doesn't Thrivent Financial use these funds to reduce the cost of the products?

A: A fundamental part of the mission of Thrivent Financial as a fraternal benefit society is to conduct activities and programs that support charitable, educational, religious, patriotic, and social purposes. Thrivent Financial is required by state law to have these types of programs and activities to qualify as a fraternal benefit society. Providing "assistance to Lutheran congregations and their institutions" is specifically stated as a purpose of Thrivent Financial in its Articles of Incorporation. Federal and state governments provide Thrivent Financial with tax exemptions so that Thrivent Financial has the funds to conduct these programs and activities and continue to meet more critical community needs than would otherwise be met through government programs. These tax exemptions are not provided for the purpose of decreasing the cost of financial products.

Q: Will Thrivent Choice benefit Lutheran and non-Lutheran nonprofit organizations?

A: The majority of Thrivent Choice funds will go to Lutheran organizations in 2011, but a few national non-Lutheran nonprofit organizations will also benefit.

Q: All members age 16 and older can participate in Voting Events but only eligible members can help direct Choice Dollars. Why?

A: Thrivent Choice was designed so members can participate at different levels based on their involvement with Thrivent Financial. Members who have a deeper relationship with the organization – via fraternal benefit society product ownership (life insurance, health insurance and annuities) and Thrivent Financial volunteer leadership – will have the opportunity to help direct more Choice Dollars funds. Thrivent Choice has a fixed charitable giving budget, and we wanted members to be able to direct a meaningful amount of Choice Dollars. There are not sufficient funds available for all members to have a meaningful level of participation.

This approach acknowledges members for their ownership and involvement in the organization. After all, members who own more fraternal benefit society products are the ones who are helping to generate the funds that allow Thrivent Financial to give back through programs like Thrivent Choice.

Q: Should I purchase or maintain insurance or annuity products from Thrivent Financial so that I can be eligible to direct Choice Dollars or to be able to direct more Choice Dollars?

A: No. Thrivent Financial has many unique differences as a fraternal benefit society, including our ability to make a positive impact with members in their communities and congregations. While Thrivent Financial wants eligible members to participate in Choice Dollars to help distribute charitable funds effectively to Lutheran organizations, you should never purchase or retain any insurance or annuity products to be able to direct Choice Dollars. You should only purchase and keep the insurance and annuity products that best meet the financial security needs of you and your family, considering the cost, features, and benefits of particular products.

Q: What if I have additional questions about Thrivent Choice?

A: Please call us toll-free at 800-THRIVENT (800-847-4836) and say "Thrivent Choice" when prompted.

Choice Dollars

Q: How are Choice Dollars organizations selected?

A: The organizations must be:

• Section 501(c)(3) Lutheran organizations and Lutheran congregations that meet program eligibility rules; and
• Recommended by an eligible member or apply online; and
• Approved by a local chapter before being added to the online list.

Q: How do I know if I'm eligible to direct Choice Dollars?

A: Approximately 30% of benefit members are eligible to direct Choice Dollars.

To be eligible for Choice Dollars, you must be a benefit member age 16 or older. Individual eligibility is also based on:

• Holding a Thrivent Financial volunteer leadership position; or
• Having $800 or more in annual premiums of qualifying insurance products; or
• Having $20,000 or more in contract value of qualifying products.

Member eligibility under current eligibility requirements is determined monthly, and these eligibility requirements are re-evaluated on an annual basis.

 

Qualifying Volunteer Leader Positions

Chapter leadership positions:

• President
• Vice President
• Records Director
• Financial Director
• Director of Congregational Advocates
• Community Service Team Director
• Communications Director
• Assistant Financial Director
• Youth Director
• Events Director

Congregational leadership positions:

• Congregational Advocate
• Lead Congregational Advocate

Thrivent Builds leadership positions:

• Thrivent Builds Congregational Champion
• Thrivent Builds Chapter Specialist

Chartered Thrivent Communities leadership positions:

• Chartered Thrivent Communities board members

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Qualifying Products

Qualifying Products – Premiums

Qualifying Products – Contract Value

Fraternal benefit society life and health premium products including: • Endow/Retirement Income • Universal Life Insurance • Variable Universal Life Insurance • Whole Life Insurance • Decreasing Term Life Insurance • Level Term Life Insurance • Annual Renewable Term Life Insurance1 • Yearly Renewable Term Life Insurance2 • Disability Income Insurance • Family Hospital Insurance • Hospital Confinement Income Insurance2 • Principal Sum Benefits Insurance2 • Long Term Care Insurance (product no longer available for new sales) • Major Medical Insurance • Medicare Supplement Insurance • Business Overhead Expense Insurance1 1 Premerger LB product 2 Premerger AAL product

Fraternal benefit society life and annuity products including: • Variable Deferred Annuity • Variable Immediate Annuity • Variable Settlement Option • Fixed Deferred Annuity • Fixed Immediate Annuity • Fixed Settlement Option • Equity Indexed Annuity • Endow/Retirement Income • Universal Life Insurance • Variable Universal Life Insurance • Whole Life Insurance • Decreasing Term Life Insurance • Level Term Life insurance

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Benefit Member

A benefit member is someone 16 years or older who meets membership eligibility, has been admitted for membership and has a qualified connection to a Thrivent Financial insurance or annuity product or received a settlement agreement from such insurance.

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Q: How do I direct Choice Dollars?

A: Direct Choice Dollars in a few easy steps:

1. Choose Choice Dollars from the left navigation.
2. Sign-in or set up a Thrivent.com account.
3. Search for your preferred organization(s).
4. Choose "Direct Now."
5. Direct all or a portion (minimum of $5 Choice Dollars per organization) of your designated Choice Dollars.
6. Confirm your selection.
7. Repeat this process if you have additional Choice Dollars to direct.

If you have questions or would like to direct your designated Choice Dollars by phone, call 800-THRIVENT (800-847-4836) and say "Thrivent Choice" when prompted.

Q. What is a recurring direction?

A: Selecting this option lets you request an automatic direction of your designated Choice Dollars to one organization. It's an easy way to request and recommend funding for an organization that you care about on an ongoing basis.

By setting up a recurring direction:

• Choice Dollars are directed when the balance reaches $10 Choice Dollars or more.
• You only have to set up the process once. It will remain in place indefinitely unless you change or remove it.
• You're able to change or remove it at any time.
• You will receive an email reminder prior to each recurring distribution of Choice Dollars funds.

Q. What are approximate Choice Dollars?

A: Approximate Choice Dollars represent our estimate of the designated Choice Dollars you will be able to help direct annually, assuming a full year of eligibility. The approximate amount is estimated based on your qualifying annual billed premium amounts, qualifying contract values and qualifying Thrivent Financial leadership positions held. Approximate annual Choice Dollars may vary from the actual amount of Choice Dollars designated to you based on premiums paid, contract value and how much of the year you are actually eligible for Choice Dollars.

Q: How is the amount of Thrivent Choice Dollars designated to me determined?

A: The amount is based on your Thrivent Financial volunteer leadership, your insurance premium amount and your contract value of qualifying products. In 2011:

• $4 Choice Dollars per $100 of annual premium on qualifying insurance products is designated monthly based upon the premium payments you made in the prior month.
• $2 Choice Dollars per $1,000 of contract value of qualifying products is designated on a quarterly basis. 25% of this amount will be designated to you each calendar quarter based upon the actual contract value at the end of quarter.
• $25 Choice Dollars for Thrivent Financial volunteer leadership positions is designated once each year.

Q: Why don't members qualify for Choice Dollars based on ownership of Thrivent mutual funds, Thrivent Life Insurance Company variable annuities and bank accounts?

A: As a fraternal benefit society, the money we dedicate to charitable programs, such as Thrivent Choice, comes from the sale of fraternal benefit society products (Thrivent Financial life insurance, health insurance or annuities). The funds we would otherwise pay in taxes from the sale of those products (if we weren't tax-exempt) allow us to work with and through our chapters and members to help others – an important part of our mission. We offer other products (mutual funds, bank products) because they fill an important financial security need for our members, but they're not products of the fraternal benefit society. They are sold by for-profit subsidiaries, and do not generate funding for charitable programs such as Thrivent Choice and Care Abounds in Communities.

Q: Is there a minimum amount of Choice Dollars I can direct to an organization?

A: Yes. You can direct a minimum of $5 of Choice Dollars per organization per transaction.

Q: Can I split my designated Choice Dollars between organizations?

A: Yes. You may direct your designated Choice Dollars to Lutheran organizations and congregations from our catalog of more than 20,000 national and local organizations, including your local Lutheran congregation.

Q: What do the status of "requested" and "paid" mean on my Activity History page?

A: "Requested" means that the member has directed Choice Dollars to the member's selected organization, but that the requested grant has not yet been made by Thrivent Financial. "Paid" means the requested grant has been electronically paid by Thrivent Financial to the organization. Unless Thrivent Financial determines that the grant recommended by the member will not be made, the requested grant will be paid electronically to the organization on the 5th of the following month.

Q: Can I write Choice Dollars off on my taxes?

A: No. Choice Dollars are not part of your income or tax deductible. By directing Choice Dollars, you are recommending that Thrivent Financial donate an amount of its charitable funds to one or more Lutheran organizations. All funds distributed under the Thrivent Choice program are exclusively Thrivent Financial's own funds, and are never owned by members or paid on behalf of members.

Q: Can I change my Choice Dollars direction?

A: After choosing Direct Now, you will be asked to verify your Choice Dollars direction. Once you have verified, you cannot change your direction.

Q: Can I contribute my own money to increase the impact of the Thrivent Choice program?

A: Yes. Choice Dollars are intended to complement, not replace, your personal donations to your preferred organizations. Non-profits rely heavily on individuals like you. Your personal donations make a big difference.

Q: How and when are organizations evaluated to participate in Choice Dollars?

A: Choice Dollars will initially include Lutheran nonprofit organizations and congregations. In the future, non-Lutheran organizations may be added as recipients of Choice Dollars if members tell us that is important.

Q: What happens to undirected Choice Dollars?

A: Eligible members will have until March 31 of the following year to direct Choice Dollars they are designated. If the Choice Dollars haven't been directed by then, and there are remaining funds in the program budget, Thrivent Financial may choose to hold another Voting Event or use some of the remaining funds to further promote participation in the program or for other purposes. The goal is to get the maximum number of eligible members involved to recommend how Thrivent Financial's charitable funds are distributed.

Voting Events

Q: How are Voting Event organizations selected?

A: Organizations must be a section 501(c)(3) Lutheran or non-Lutheran organization that is nationally recognized and has a local presence. Thrivent Financial gives members the opportunity to nominate national Lutheran and non-Lutheran organizations to be considered as recipient organizations. Chapter leaders then help narrow down the list of nominees via a survey. Thrivent Financial makes the final decision on the Voting Event recipient organizations based on chapter leader input and on information received from each of the organizations.

Q: When are Voting Events held?

A: Voting events are held once or twice annually. You'll be notified when votes can be cast through alerts on the Thrivent Choice website and other options, such as email and Thrivent® magazine.

Q: How do I vote?

A: When a Voting Event is open, members can vote online, by calling 800-THRIVENT (800-847-4836) and say "Thrivent Choice", or by returning the business reply card found in the Thrivent® magazine.

Q: How many votes do I have?

A: Each member age 16 and older can cast one vote during each Voting Event.

Q: Can I change my vote?

A: You will be asked to verify your choice. Once you have verified, you cannot change your selection.

Q: When will the Voting Event dollars be distributed?

A: Organizations receive their grant funds within one month after the Voting Event has ended.

Directing Thrivent Choice Dollars^SM and participating in Voting Events are subject to the Terms and Conditions of the Thrivent Choice® program and if you direct any Thrivent Choice Dollars or participate in any Voting Events this means that you agree to the Terms and Conditions.