It is very important for chapters to report eligible locally supported activities.
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Why it's important to report eligible locally supported activities
Reporting locally supported chapter activities can help protect Thrivent Financial’s
special tax-exempt status—a status that allows Thrivent Financial to
provide the funding and resources to help our members help others through
volunteer action.
Chapter volunteerism is a major reason why the federal and state governments
have granted Thrivent Financial tax-exemptions. Elected officials have historically
recognized that we use tax-exempt resources to meet critical community needs
more effectively than government programs ever could. And it's those tax-exempt
resources that fund the chapter system.
Reporting locally supported chapter activities helps draw a more complete
picture of our organization’s volunteer impact. We have an obligation to communicate
this complete picture to elected officials, regulators and others to demonstrate
the societal good they enable when they support our tax exemptions. And only
by earning this support for our special tax-exempt status can Thrivent Financial
continue to provide funding and resources to help our members help others
through volunteer action.
Dollars raised, people attending, hours volunteered all add up. Every dollar
raised and every single volunteer hour worked makes a difference! In your
suburb or city, county and region, in your state, what our volunteers are
doing is noticed. The information reported tells a story and creates a positive
impression for those watching. Therefore, encourage chapter members to conduct
and report locally supported activities. It's extremely important. And most
important, encourage members to continue volunteering and helping, whether
it's through corporately funded or locally supported chapter activities. Always
remember, volunteering does make a difference!
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Locally supported chapter activity reporting requirements
The following requirements must be met for reporting a locally supported chapter
activity:
- Reasonable notice must be given to chapter members about the time and place of the activity they have the opportunity to participate.
- The service team must include at least six Thrivent Financial members,
each from different households, who are involved with the activity.
Exception: This requirement does not apply to chapter
meetings, which require a simple majority--quorum--of elected chapter
leaders to attend and participate. Chapter meetings always should be
reported.
- The activity is planned and conducted by actively involving chapter members
and others acting on behalf of the Thrivent chapter (publicly identified
as a Thrivent Financial for Lutherans chapter-hosted activity).
IMPORTANT: Ongoing church activities (church meetings, funeral dinners, wedding receptions, Sunday coffee hours) are not eligible to be entered as locally supported activities unless the three requirements above are met. (These activities normally occur without Thrivent Financial members coming together as a service team to plan, coordinate and host the activity, and wouldn't be appropriate to publicize as a chapter-sponsored activity).
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Reporting locally supported chapter activities
Locally supported chapter activities can be reported online by chapter leaders
(via Chapter Leadership Administration), congregational coordinators (via
Congregational Coordinator Administration), Lutheran Community Services (LCS)
Team staff and Fraternal Service Center staff.
These activities do not require pre-approval. They are reported after the
fact.
The following information must be reported: Activity information (e.g., date,
name and description), activity results (e.g., volunteer
hours, attendance, Thrivent Financial households involved), contact information
(person, phone and e-mail) and recipient information (e.g., name and address).
When reporting these activities online, be sure to report any expenses paid
out of your chapter operating funds. Click
here to see a table showing examples of eligible locally supported
chapter activities.
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Additional topics
Inviting elected officials to chapter events
Funds: net funds raised - calculating and reporting
Six-member-household requirement
Nonfunded (locally supported) activities - tips to get funds for social gatherings
Attendance - tracking and reporting
Volunteer hours - tracking and reporting