Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Type	Fraternal Benefit Society
Industry	Financial Services Fraternal Activities: Charitable, Educational, Social, Religious, Patriotic
Predecessor(s)	Aid Association for Lutherans, Lutheran Brotherhood
Headquarters	Appleton, Wisconsin
Key people	Brad Hewitt, President &CEO Kurt Senske, Chairman of the Board
AUM	USD 75.8 billion (2011)[1]
Employees	Approx. 3,000 Financial Representatives: Approx. 2,600
Website	Thrivent.com ThriventBuilds.com

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a member-owned Fortune 500 fraternal benefit society. The financial services organization is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Appleton, Wisconsin. As a fraternal benefit society, it operates on not for profit basis, under a chapter system, serving approximately 2.5 million members.^[2]
Thrivent Financial and its subsidiaries offer financial products and services including life insurance, annuities, mutual funds, disability income insurance, bank products and more.
Operating through its local chapters nationwide, in 2011, the organization and its members provided volunteer services to charitable organizations, schools, congregations and individuals in need. In 2011, the organization and its members contributed $175.5 million to organizations and activities that aim to strengthen families and communities.^[3]

History
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans was officially formed on January 1, 2002 with the merger of Aid Association for Lutherans and Lutheran Brotherhood, which had been established in 1902 and 1917 respectively. The merger formed the largest fraternal benefit society in the United States.^[4]

Aid Association for Lutherans
Aid Association for Lutherans (AAL) was created and incorporated in Wisconsin in 1902 by founders Albert Voecks, Gottlieb Ziegler, William Zuehlke and John Grupe. Lutherans throughout much of eastern Wisconsin were canvassed to sign up the 500 members required for the new organization to obtain its state charter.
AAL was formed as a fraternal society that would not be objectionable to Lutheran pastors and leaders, so that Lutherans could have affordable life insurance protection and participate in fraternal lodges without losing their church membership.^[5]

Lutheran Brotherhood
The founding of Lutheran Brotherhood (LB) in Minnesota came as a result of the 1917 merger convention of the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America. Jacob Preus, a Minnesota insurance commissioner, and Herman Ekern, a former Wisconsin insurance commissioner, proposed launching a not-for-profit mutual aid society. After much debate, the proposal passed, and the society was originally known as "Luther Union." Three years later, the organization was renamed "Lutheran Brotherhood."
The original articles of incorporation of Lutheran Brotherhood stated its purpose:
“To aid the Lutheran Church in extending the Lutheran Faith, to foster patriotism, loyalty, justice, charity and benevolence, to provide education, instruction, proper entertainment and amusements, to encourage industry, saving, thrift and development on the part of its members, to give aid in the case of poverty, sickness, accident or old age, and otherwise promote the spiritual, intellectual and physical welfare of its members.” ^[6]

Merger
Both organizations functioned independently throughout the 20th century. In June 2001, after close consideration of how combining the two organizations would be of benefit to members, the boards of directors of AAL and LB announced their intention to merge into a single organization to best serve the needs of their members, which was completed by the end of that year. Following the merger, in 2002 a new name was voted upon and approved by the members of the merged organization: Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.
[edit]Recognitions
Fortune 500 rank: 332 (based on 2011 revenue of $7.8 billion)^[7]
In 2012, Thrivent Financial was listed as one of 2012 World's most ethical companies.^[8]

Ratings
A.M. Best Rating: A++ (Superior)^[9]
Fitch Rating: AA (Very Strong)^[10]

Outreach
Thrivent Financial made donations to Haiti relief following the 2010 Haiti earthquake. The donations were made by Thrivent Financial members through Lutheran World Relief, ELCA Domestic Disaster Response, LCMS World Relief/Human Care, and WELS Committee on Relief received supplemental funds when so designated.^[11]
Thrivent Financial provided funding for the 2003 film Luther.

Chapters
Thrivent Financial’s membership is organized into individual chapters (legally called lodges) where members decide how to best support local communities and carry out charitable, social, educational, religious and patriotic activities.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans today maintains a network of nearly 1,400 local chapters, each led by a board consisting of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans members elected by their chapter peers. The board is in charge of choosing activities and programs and then developing promotion and support for their decisions. The chapters also manage service teams who come together to help an individual, family in need, or a not-for-profit organization.

Programs
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans members participate in a range of programs designed to give back and foster a sense of community.

Thrivent Choice
Thrivent Choice is a giving program that offers two ways members can recommend how Thrivent Financial distributes a portion of its charitable outreach funds based on the needs they see in their communities.^[12]

Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity
Thrivent Financial sponsors national outreach programs. Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity seeks to increase Habitat's capacity to build more homes and promote donations, volunteerism, neighborhood development as well as worldwide homebuilding trips by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans' members.