Resources FAQs

General
Choice Dollars^SM
Voting Events

General

Q: We've heard that Thrivent Choice is based on "mutuality" and a member's relationship with Thrivent Financial. What does that mean?

A: While GivingPlus was based on equality (all benefit and associate members could participate equally and get equal funding supplements), Thrivent Choice is based on mutuality. That means that members can participate in the program at different levels based on their involvement with Thrivent Financial. We are defining "involvement" as fraternal benefit society product ownership (life insurance, health insurance and annuities) and Thrivent Financial volunteer leadership. Mutuality acknowledges members for their support of and involvement in the organization. Under Thrivent Choice, members who have a deeper relationship with Thrivent Financial will have the opportunity to help direct more of Thrivent Financial's tax-exempt funds than those who have a minimal relationship.

Q: How does the funding for Thrivent Choice compare with the funding for GivingPlus and Care in Congregations?

A: Care in Congregations and GivingPlus were discontinued at the end of 2009. The budget for Thrivent Choice comes from the combined budgets of those two programs.

Q: Is Thrivent Choice a "points program"?

A: The Thrivent Choice program does not provide "points." Thrivent Choice is a charitable grant program that uses Choice Dollars as a way that members can help Thrivent Financial distribute charitable funds. Each Choice Dollar directed by a member is a request and recommendation to distribute $1 of Thrivent Financial's charitable funding.

Q: Why is Thrivent Choice sometimes called a "benefit of membership" when members don't receive any personal benefit from Thrivent Choice and are really volunteering their time to participate?

A: Though members can't receive any funds or other personal benefit from participating in Thrivent Choice, research indicated that many members are interested in the opportunity to serve their communities by helping decide how charitable funds are distributed, even though they don't receive anything for themselves. Thrivent Choice is a "benefit" of membership in the same way as volunteering for charitable hands-on service and fundraising activities conducted by Thrivent chapters.

Q: How are Thrivent Choice funds being allocated between Voting Events and Choice Dollars?

A: Thrivent Choice is designed to be flexible, so the funding allocated to each part of the program may change from year to year (for example, if we add a Voting Event to distribute unused funds in the Choice Dollars budget). However, the majority of the Thrivent Choice budget will go toward providing Choice Dollars grant funds.

Q: How soon does a new member or newly qualifying member become eligible to participate in Thrivent Choice, including both Voting Events and Choice Dollars?

A: Members become eligible to participate in Thrivent Choice the month after they join the organization (for Voting Events) or the month after they have the necessary level of a qualifying product (for Choice Dollars).

Choice Dollars

Q: Why is Thrivent Financial asking members to direct Choice Dollars?

A: Providing assistance to Lutheran congregations and organizations is a fundamental purpose of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Members know and support the Lutheran organizations in their communities, so receiving direction from a large number of members helps Thrivent Financial effectively distribute funds to a large number of Lutheran organizations. Thrivent Choice is also offered as an attractive opportunity for members to request funding for Lutheran organizations that they support.

Q: Are Choice Dollars designated to individual members or households?

A: Individual members.

Q: How many Choice Dollars will an average eligible member get to direct?

A: Most eligible benefit members (80%) will be able to direct between $25 and $100, though some may be able to direct as much as $2,500.

Q: What is the minimum and maximum amount of Choice Dollars designated to eligible members?

A: The minimum is $25. Based on member research, this was the minimum amount that made eligible members more likely to participate. The maximum is $2,500.

Q: When directing Choice Dollars to organizations or congregations, can members designate the funds to be used for a certain purpose/ministry?

A: Through Thrivent Choice, members aren't able to designate funds to a specific purpose or ministry within an organization/congregation. All funds distributed under Thrivent Choice are exclusively Thrivent Financial's funds, and are never owned by members or paid on behalf of members. Thrivent Financial's charitable funds distributed through Thrivent Choice are not designated for any specific purposes.

Q: How often will Choice Dollars be designated to eligible members for them to direct?

A: Choice Dollars will be designated any time eligible members pay premiums (could be annually or monthly). For eligible members having products with contract value, Choice Dollars will be designated following each quarter's end, based on the contract value at that point in time.

Q: How often can eligible members direct Choice Dollars?

A: They can be directed anytime throughout the year as long as the member has Choice Dollars available to direct.

Q: Members need a certain level of product ownership to qualify for Choice Dollars. Doesn't Thrivent Financial value the business of members who own fewer products or have less money?

A: We value all of our members, and Thrivent Choice is only one of the many benefits of membership and volunteer opportunities available to them. We've designed Thrivent Choice so members can participate at different levels based on their involvement with Thrivent Financial. The design recognizes how members help generate the tax-exempt funds that allow Thrivent Financial to give back through programs like Thrivent Choice.

Because members told us they would be more likely to participate if they were designated a meaningful amount of Choice Dollars (at least $25 Choice Dollars), we set eligibility thresholds accordingly to encourage participation. Thrivent Choice operates with a fixed budget and there would not be enough funds for all members to participate at the minimum level.

Associate members and benefit members who do not qualify to participate in Choice Dollars still have a voice in how a portion of Thrivent Financial's charitable funds are distributed by participating in Thrivent Choice Voting Events.

Voting Events

Q: How much funding does Thrivent Financial dedicate to Thrivent Choice Voting^SM Events?

A: Typically $1 million per Voting Event.

Q: How will the Voting Event dollars be distributed?

A: Funds are distributed to organizations based on the percentage of total votes they receive.

Q: Why are non-Lutheran organizations included in Voting Events?

A: The majority of Thrivent Choice funds (from Voting Events and Choice Dollars) will go to Lutheran organizations and congregations in 2010, but a few national non-Lutheran nonprofit organizations also will benefit. Thrivent Choice is all about giving members a voice, and some members are passionate about supporting organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Feed My Starving Children, the American Heart Association, etc.

Q: Who can vote?

A: All Thrivent Financial members age 16 or older can vote (this includes associate and benefit members).

Q: Is there one vote per household or can each member vote?

A: Each member age 16 or older can vote. There could be multiple voters in a household.

Q: Can voting be promoted at group events?

A: If you have a previously scheduled event planned to coincide with the timing of a Voting Event, you can promote the opportunity to vote there. Having a laptop computer available would make it easy for members to vote during your event.

Q: Will there be a $1 million bonus if a certain amount of members vote?

A: No. The April 2010 bonus $1 million was a one-time offering to promote participation in the first Voting Event.

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.