National Lutheran Choir – Minneapolis/St. Paul | celebrating the art and culture of sacred choral music

The National Lutheran Choir recently received a $100,000 grant from the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation, Appleton, WI. The grant will expand the fundraising capacity of the organization, develop relationships with congregations in the Lutheran community to help in the support of the sacred choral music tradition, and establish working relationships with advisors from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and the Lutheran Community Foundation.  
The grant is part of the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation Charitable Gifting Initiative designed to educate supporters of Lutheran institutions and ministries about the advantages of tax-wise charitable gifts.

Paul Tillquist, National Lutheran Choir board member states that "for many years Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has been a partner with the National Lutheran Choir and its mission to strengthen, renew and preserve the Lutheran heritage of choral music.  Thousands of people across the country have heard the choir and love its work.  We are grateful for the opportunity provided by this grant to help individuals match their love of choral music with their philanthropic dreams."

"It is our hope that this grant will strengthen the National Lutheran Choir's ability to inform potential donors of various options available to them to financially support the organization's work," said Brad Hewitt, president of the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation. "As people come alongside the National Lutheran Choir with charitable gifts, the choir will become increasingly effective in carrying out its mission."

In 2007, the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation awarded 62 Charitable Gifting Initiative grants to Lutheran nonprofits ranging from $8,000 to $100,000. Those grants are expected to generate more than $177.6 million in immediate or deferred monetary gifts to Lutheran institutions in the coming years.  The grant program goals are to:

• Provide practical and personalized opportunities for people to learn about and respond to charitable gifting options.
• Equip church leaders with collaboration skills and techniques to open charitable giving doors.
• Increase the number and amount of immediate and deferred charitable giving solutions among Lutherans and others.
• Develop cooperative relationships that unite Lutheran institutions with financial services organizations in offering charitable giving product options and services.

"Helping organizations communicate the benefits of tax-advantaged charitable giving to their potential donors is what this grant is all about," said Karen Coonen, executive director of the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation. "We are delighted to support the National Lutheran Choir through this grant as we know it will greatly multiply the support it receives from those who believe in its work."

Eligible grant applicants include the following Lutheran groups: congregations, regional divisions of the three largest church bodies, small church bodies, high schools, colleges, universities, seminaries, camps, campus ministries, social ministry organizations and other independent organizations or institutions.

The Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation is a private foundation funded by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. As a 501(c)(3) organization with its own board of trustees, the foundation is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious, scientific, literary and educational purposes and makes grants and gifts to 501(c)(3) exempt organizations. The foundation does not provide grants to individuals. To learn more about the foundation and its Charitable Gifting Program, visit: http://www.thrivent.com/foundations/thrivent/charitable_gifting_initiative.html.

About Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a Fortune 500 financial services membership organization helping its members achieve their financial goals and give back to their communities. Thrivent Financial and its affiliates offer a broad range of financial products and services including life insurance, annuities, mutual funds, disability income insurance, bank products and more. As a not-for-profit organization, Thrivent Financial sponsors national outreach programs and activities that support congregations, schools, charitable organizations and individuals in need. For more information, visit www.thrivent.com.

Securities offered through Thrivent Investment Management Inc., 625 Fourth Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55415-1665, 800-THRIVENT (800-847-4836) a wholly owned subsidiary of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Member FINRA. Member SIPC.