Thrivent FAQ 1
Thrivent YourCause Site
Frequently Asked Questions Table Of Contents Click on the topic you would like to jump to
General Site Information
Giving: Overall
Volunteering: Overall
Giving: Credit Cards
Volunteering: CauseCards
Giving: Payroll
Privacy
Giving: Matching
Feedback & Suggestions
Giving: Board Membership Double Matching
General Site Information What is YourCause? YourCause is Thrivent’s selected service provider to supply web-based tools that empower and connect individuals and companies with non-profit organizations. YourCause expands your outreach to positively impact the community. Learn more about YourCause solutions here. Can I edit the way my name is listed in my YourCause profile, e.g., to use a nickname? Unfortunately, no. The system doesn’t allow it. How is the location on the “My Profile” determined? Mine is incorrect. The location information on your “My Profile page is related to your main office location, which for some deployed corporate employees is NOT the sate that you live in. This is due to an internal HR file and cannot be changed. The only implication is for the Volunteer search. When you search volunteer events, the Thrivent YourCause will not list your own zip code. Please feel free to filter the events you see by your correct zip code. Can I log in to YourCause from my home computer? Active members of Thrivent’s workforce should sign in at http://give.thrivent.com from their Thrivent computer. This site automatically uses single sign-on technology to eliminate the need to set up an additional password. If members of the Thrivent workforce go to https://thrivent.yourcause.com, there’s one additional step: click on the “Sign in through SSO” button,. Retirees and members of Thrivent’s Board of Directors can sign in to the Thrivent YourCause site from any computer at https://thrivent.yourcause.com. They should use the basic login and will have to set-up a password.
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General Site Information How do brightpeak financial employees login to the Thrivent YourCause site? • The first time, you’ll need to register at https://thrivent.yourcause.com . Complete this in a regular browser and do NOT use Citrix. • Click on “Continue to Basic Login,” then answer the questions. You will need to know your Employee ID (TSXXXXX), select English as your preferred language, and select Public as your privacy setting. You will also need to select a password between 8-15 characters. Lastly, please use your @thrivent.com email address. • In the future, to login, simply go to https://thrivent.yourcause.com, enter your login details, and you will get right to the Thrivent YourCause home page. • Note: the URL for the website and how you login is different for brightpeak employees, so follow the instructions above. This difference is hopefully for the short-term. In addition, all of your emails from this site will be sent to your @thrivent.com email address. What’s a ‘Charity Page’? It’s an informative page where supporters can view a nonprofit’s mission statement, contact information and more. A charity page is also where users come to make a credit card donation to the nonprofit of their choice. Do contractors, interns, FR’s office professionals, or external consultants have access to the Thrivent YourCause website? No, as they do not have a direct relationship with Thrivent. Field RFO employees, field leaders and FRs are all eligible – as they work directly for Thrivent or are directly contracted with Thrivent.
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General Site Information I can’t find a nonprofit I’m looking for. What do I do? There are a total of nearly 3 million organizations in the Thrivent YourCause site, all pulled directly from the organizations registered on Guidestar with the IRS. If you cannot find the one you’re looking for, try narrowing down your search. Click the magnifying button on the top right hand of the screen to go to the search page. Then, use advanced options to narrow down your search by tax identification number (EIN), category, keyword or state. You can also filter by organizations accepting donations, nonprofit page details, and locations served (vs. physical location). Be sure to remove all punctuation and abbreviations when you type in the name of the nonprofit you are looking for. • Some Habitat for Humanity affiliates are listed as “Habitat for Humanity International” rather than by their local affiliate name. Just search for “Habitat for Humanity,” then use the advanced search option and narrow by location. • If you do not find the organization by name, contact them to obtain their tax identification number (EIN) and search by EIN. This is the most accurate search method. All organizations in the YourCause system must have their EIN registered with Guidestar and be registered with the IRS. • If the organization is a sub-chapter or affiliate that falls under a larger entity’s group exemption and does not have its own EIN, you can donate to that larger organization and use the designation field to write-in a designation to the specific chapter, office or program where you’d like the funds directed. YourCause will distribute funds to the larger organization, so there may be a delay while funds are redirected to the sub-chapter or affiliate you designated. • If you still can’t find the nonprofit, contact YourCause and they will be happy to assist you. • Note: A limited number of nonprofit organizations are ineligible to receive funding from Thrivent Financial or the Thrivent Financial Foundation. These organizations will not be found in the Thrivent YourCause site.
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General Site Information
Are local Boy Scout, Girl Scout, and 4H troops included in the YourCause site? The council level is registered with the IRS and listed on the site, and you can write in a designation to a specific troop’s account. The funds are not passed directly to the troop, but held in an existing fundraising account held by the Council for the troop to draw out of for expenses. You can also log hours or direct CauseCards to the Council and designate the funds to the troop. This is assuming that the Council is listed in Guidestar. Are churches included in the YourCause site? Yes, churches are included, and you may direct credit card donations or payroll donations to churches. Donations to churches continue to be ineligible for a match from the Thrivent Financial Foundation or Thrivent Financial. When you answer the match application questions, please answer “Yes,” to the question, “Was this a donation to a church? These donations are not eligible for a match, unless the donation is actually to a private school under the church’s group exemption. This will stop the match application, but your donation to your church will still be saved. Are all organizations that are in the Thrivent Choice catalog in the Thrivent YourCause catalog? Most of them are, but the databases are separate and have different requirements for inclusion. A handful of organizations listed in the Thrivent Choice catalog (or that were in the previous gift matching system) are not currently in the Thrivent YourCause site. Organizations listed in the Thrivent YourCause site MUST be registered as a 501c3 public charity with the IRS through registration on Guidestar.com. We did send the organizations a letter in Sept. 2015 encouraging them to start the process to register with Guidestar and YourCause.
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General Site Information
The Thrivent YourCause website requests the organization's EIN when suggesting a new nonprofit. What is an EIN? The Employer Identification Number (EIN) is a nine-digit number assigned by the Internal Revenue Service. Every IRSdesignated, tax-exempt nonprofit organization has its own EIN. You can obtain an organization’s EIN by contacting them directly, visiting the organization’s website or checking Guidestar. Can I access the YourCause site if I’m on disability from work? If you have your Thrivent computer while on disability, you will be able to login to the YourCause site. That said, you will not be able to enter any match requests while you are on disability leave because your match cap will be reset to $0. Once you return to work, your match cap will return to $20,000 annually, and you’ll be able to enter your donation match requests for the full year. You will be able to enter volunteerism information while on disability.
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Giving: Overall
How can I view my past donations? You can view all your donations since September 14, 2015, when we transitioned to YourCause, by going to the ‘Give’ tab and clicking on ‘Donation History’. Please make sure to use the year drop down if you would like to view a previous year’s donation history. Donations will either be listed under ‘Scheduled,’ ‘In-Process,’ or ‘Donation History.’ The ‘Donation History’ area is for donations from the company (ex: matching donations). What’s the best way to see my donations at the end of the year? Click on http://give.thrivent.com, then go to the Give tab, then the Donation History page, and then look at the Donation History area on the bottom of the page. Click on “Export Summary” for a given year to export a summary, which may be helpful for tax purposes. What are the ways I can donate on the Thrivent YourCause site? You can make personal donations via credit card, payroll deduction, or you can simply request a match for a donation you already made (check/cash, life insurance, or stock). What does it mean if a charity’s page has a button that says “Unable to Donate” instead of “Donate Now”? Though the organization is in the Thrivent YourCause site and is listed on Guidestar, the organization does not currently meet the IRS criteria to process donations. The organization is still listed on the site for logging volunteer hours, if desired.
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Giving: Overall How do I give to an organization (or request a match) that isn’t listed in YourCause, especially schools that are affiliated with churches? • First confirm that the organization is a 501(c)(3) public charity. To do this, either check the organization’s website or contact the organization directly to verify that it is classified as a 501(c)(3) public charity by the Internal Revenue Service. Organizations that are, for example, other types of 501(c)(3)s, 501(c)(4)s or 501(c)(9)s, are ineligible to be added. • If the organization has its own EIN and is a 501(c)(3) public charity, it should register on Guidestar. Once the nonprofit has successfully registered with Guidestar, it will be available in YourCause assuming it then meets our processing criteria based on their IRS recognition. Other benefits of registering with Guidestar include insurance options and registration for AmazonSmile. It may take up to 2 months for this process to be complete. • If the organization is a sub-chapter or affiliate that falls under a larger entity’s group exemption and does not have its own EIN, you can donate to that larger organization and use the designation field to write-in a designation to the specific chapter, office or program where you’d to have the funds directed. YourCause will distribute funds to the larger organization. Neither YourCause nor Thrivent Financial nor the Thrivent Financial Foundation can guarantee that they will be directed to the sub-chapter or affiliate you designated. (continued on next page) • Similarly, if you are giving to a private school that does not have its own EIN (it’s considered under the church’s group exemption), you can donate to the church and use the designation field to write-in a designation to the school. YourCause will distribute funds to the church to be redirected to the private school you designated. Donations to private schools through churches are eligible to be matched.
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Giving: Credit Cards Is there a transaction fee when donating via credit card? YourCause works with Network for Good, an online fundraising platform for nonprofits, to process credit card donations. The processing costs for completing your transaction and disbursing the funds to your selected nonprofit is one of the many costs Network for Good incurs as part of their mission of supporting nonprofits in their fundraising efforts. You, the donor, will cover the processing and credit card fee of 4.75% of your donation, which will be deducted from your donation amount. If your donation is matched, it will be matched at the full donation amount. Will I receive a tax-deductible receipt once the donation has been made? Your credit card will be charged the day you make the gift and you will be emailed a receipt from Network for Good. Rather than the specific nonprofit organization name, your statement will read “Network for Good.” When you file your taxes, you will need to itemize your donations on Schedule A of the 1040 form. You can download this form and the instructions for how to fill it out from the IRS Web site. How long do credit card donations and the match take to get to the nonprofit? If the transaction is successful, credit card donations go to the nonprofit organization from Network for Good on the 15th of the month after the month that you made your donation. At that time, your donation history will read “Complete.” For example, if you made a donation anytime in the month of November, the donation would be sent on December 15. Once approved, your credit card donation match will be sent to the selected nonprofit organization about 6 weeks after the end of the quarter. Is my donation transaction secure? We use industry-leading Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology to keep your personal information as secure as possible. We protect your information by working with partners that provide a secure and safe environment for credit card donations. Can I make an anonymous donation? Yes – simply select the ‘anonymous’ box when completing your online donation.
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Giving: Payroll How does payroll deduction work? Unlike in the past, you can now add payroll deductions anytime throughout the year. You can either choose to do a onetime payroll deduction or a recurring payroll deduction. If you choose recurring, the deduction(s) you request will come out of your paycheck each pay period (every two weeks). This will automatically continue year after year, unless you log in to cancel or make changes to your deduction. Can I change my deduction amount at any time? Yes, by accessing the Thrivent YourCause site, you can change/start/stop your payroll deduction amount at any time. All changes will take affect for the following pay period, if you make them at least one week in advance. How many charitable organizations can I elect to contribute funds to? You are able to make as many payroll contributions as you wish. What if I want to make a one-time donation? Payroll deductions are usually used for continuous giving, but you are able to make a one-time payroll deduction on the Thrivent YourCause site. The minimum one-time donation is $25. Which nonprofit organizations can I select for payroll deductions? You can donate to any nonprofit that is listed on the Thrivent YourCause site. This does include churches, but know that donations to churches are not eligible for a match. When you answer the match application questions, please answer “Yes,” to the question, “Was this a donation to a church congregation for tithing/offering? These donations are not eligible for a match.” This will stop the match application, but your payroll deduction to your church will still be saved and set-up.
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Giving: Payroll
Who is eligible to participate in the payroll deduction program? All corporate employees can actively participate, including field leaders and deployed corporate employees. What if I leave the company? Your regularly-scheduled deductions will be included in your last paycheck. YourCause will match those contributions and automatically cancel future contributions. Will 100% of my deduction be sent to the nonprofit that I choose? Thrivent Financial is covering the check fee cost to ensure your donation is 100%. How will the YourCause system work for payroll with the special AIP payout? It’s not a regularly scheduled paycheck, so no deductions are taken on the AIP checks, other than 401(k). Can I use the Thrivent YourCause to enter my Employee Political Action Committee (EPAC) donations? No, EPAC donations are managed directly by Thrivent payroll, not through the Thrivent YourCause site. They will continue without any action on the part of employees.
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Giving: Matching Does Thrivent still offer gift matching for donations? The Giving program doubles your personal gifts of $25 or more to eligible nonprofit organizations. Gift matching is funded by, and at the discretion of, the Thrivent Financial Foundation for corporate employees, retirees and Thrivent’s board of directors, and Thrivent Financial for gifts from field employees and retirees. What is the Thrivent Financial Foundation? The Thrivent Financial Foundation is a private foundation supported by Thrivent Financial. The Foundation contributes to the health and vitality of the Lutheran community, as well as the Twin Cities in Minnesota and the Fox Cities in Wisconsin. Grants are provided for selected projects and missions that reflect the charitable interests of Thrivent Financial, its members and its employees. Is my gift matched 100%? Eligible gifts of $25 or more are matched 100%, doubling your gift to the nonprofit. What is my annual maximum match? • Starting in 2016, your annual maximum match will be $20,000 if you are a financial representative, corporate employee, or a retired member of the Thrivent Financial Board of Directors. • Starting in 2016, your annual maximum match will be $2,000 if you are a corporate or field retiree. If my employee status or position has changed, how does this affect my gift matching limits? Your gift matching limits are determined by your employee status on the date you request the match in the YourCause system. Employees’ annual match limit is reduced to $2,000 when they retire. If you are planning to retire and will use more than this in matching funds during that year, please make gifts and request a match before your retirement date. Can I designate only a portion of my gift for matching? Yes, you can choose the amount, up to the amount of your gift.
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Giving: Matching Do I need to enter a receipt when requesting a match for a donation I already made? No. Although there is a space to add it when entering your donation into YourCause, you do not need to add a receipt. How do I request a match for a recurring donation? If you have a recurring donation to an organization, you can enter it into YourCause as often as you give, or as little as one request per year. The organization can see that the donations are coming from you if they login to the YourCause nonprofit portal. If you’d like to enter the request in one time per year, wait until all of the recurring donations have been paid and do one request for the match total at the end of the year. In the past I've used a paper form to request my matches. Is that still available? No. In the past there was a way to send a letter to a nonprofit, letting them know my gift and a match will be coming soon. Is that still available? No, this is no longer necessary since the nonprofit does not need to verify your donation. Now, the nonprofit will just receive the funds about 6 weeks after the end of the quarter. If you would still like to inform the nonprofit of the upcoming match funds, print off or send a copy of the notification email after your match is requested, or approved by Thrivent administrators What details will show up on a check sent to a nonprofit? Each nonprofit that receives funding will either get a check in the mail or an email with an update on the amount added via ACH. Either way, this communication will include instructions on how the nonprofit can see details on the funds in the YourCause Nonprofit Portal. In this portal, the nonprofit admin will enter the check number to see all the details on the donor name, email, amounts and designations.
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Giving: Matching When will my gift be matched? Once approved, your match donation will be sent to the selected nonprofit organization about 6 weeks after the end of the quarter. If you gave your original gift via payroll, the actual donation will also go to the nonprofit organization on this timeline. If you gave your original gift via credit card, the actual donation will go to the nonprofit organization more quickly—send on the 15th of the month after the month that you made your donation. If it is necessary for the nonprofit to receive your personal donation earlier, then giving directly to the nonprofit is the best method. For example, let’s say you requested a match for your donation on Feb. 3. Sometime before March 31, your match will be approved. Then, by mid-May, funds will be sent to your nonprofit organization either via check or electronic fund transfer. The nonprofit is able to see details of who gave the gift when they log into the YourCause nonprofit portal (unless you made your gift anonymously). If these steps are completed:
By This Date:
Funds will be sent to the nonprofit around this date:
Donation made, match requested & match approved.
March 31
May 15
June 30
August 15
September 30
November 15
December 31
February 15
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Giving: Matching What gifts are eligible for a match? Your contribution must be a personal gift actually paid (not pledged) to an eligible recipient organization. It can be cash, securities having monetary values that are readily determined, or premiums paid on absolutely assigned AAL, LB or Thrivent Financial life or annuity contracts. Premiums should be made payable to the organization receiving the gift. The nonprofit organization will send the premiums to Thrivent Financial. You can then complete the match request. What gifts are not eligible to be matched? • Gifts made to certain non-profit or government organizations, including churches, political groups, and public schools that are not designated by the IRS as 501(c)(3) public charities. • Gifts for which Thrivent Financial or Thrivent Financial Foundation’s matching contribution will be used to discharge any obligation that you or any other person might have, or to make any payment on your behalf of the behalf of any other person, (including fees for a Thrivent Builds Worldwide trip). • Tuition fees, loan repayment, and payments in lieu of tuition. • Dues, membership fees, and subscription fees for service. • Gifts for which you or any nominee of yours will receive anything of value in return, such as advertising received in return for sponsorship of an event. • Contributions to or from a donor advised fund or family fund. • Philanthropic giving to non-religious organizations that have a written policy of discrimination. • Grouped or pooled donations (e.g. contributions made by a group of people and claimed as one gift from a single donor. • Donations made by your spouse, who is not part of the Thrivent workforce. • Tickets to nonprofit events or the cost of items you purchase from nonprofit auctions, unless the tax-deductible portion of those items exceeds $25. Only the tax-deductible amount can be matched.
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Giving: Matching Who decides if my nonprofit is eligible for a match? Thrivent Financial or Thrivent Financial Foundation will review all gift matching applications and approve or deny matches. Will the program match my gift to a school? Schools that are separately incorporated as 501(c)(3) public charities are eligible for matching. Will the program match a gift to my church? No. While we do match all other 501(c)(3) public charity religious organizations, such as synod offices, church camps and church foundations, we do NOT match donations to churches and other houses of worship. Donations to churches for tithing, programs, ministries or a capital campaign are all ineligible for a match. The only way that churches are eligible for a match is if the donation is actually to a private school that does not have its own EIN (it’s considered under the church’s group exemption). Then, you can donate to the church and use the designation field to write-in a designation to the school. YourCause will distribute funds to the church to be redirected to the private school you designated. How do I request a match if I donated to a friend’s personal fundraising website, i.e. for a Relay for Life, 5K run, Thrivent Tour, etc.? Use the “Already Made a Donation” option, and then simply request a match. There is no need to upload a receipt. Please put the date you made the gift, not the date of the event, in the donation date field on the online request form. Note the name and date of event and name of person you are sponsoring, if applicable, (in support of John Smith, participant in August 31 Walk-a-thon, for example) in the optional designation field on the request form.
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Giving: Matching
Is a match available for my Thrivent Builds Worldwide trip? Fees required to participate in a build trip are not eligible for matching. Contributions above and beyond a participant’s trip costs are eligible to be matched up to your annual limit. Please enter the GVT trip code in the designation field of your request. The matching funds will benefit the Habitat host affiliate, not the individual trip participant. Can I request a match for a donation for an upcoming fundraising event? Simply request the match after you make the donation. Use the date you made the gift, not the date of the event. Note the event and name of person you are sponsoring, if applicable, in the optional designation field on the request form. How can I find out if my gift has been matched? Please review the Thrivent YourCause site user guide: How to: View Donation History.
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Giving: Board Membership Double Matching How do I add my board role in my profile? Please review the Thrivent YourCause site user guide: How to: Setup a Profile. You can also add in the process flow whenever you make a donation to that organization. When asked “Are you a board member of the charity “XXX”?, reply Yes, then choose your board membership role (if you have already entered it) or Create New. Be sure to include the dates of when your board role started and your expected end date using the calendar feature. When you do this, your board role and term will be saved in your profile. I am a nonprofit board member. Will my donation be doubled? If you are a member of the governing board of an eligible nonprofit and you indicate that in your request for matching funds, your match will be doubled, subject to your annual gift matching maximum. This means that your personal gift of $100 to that nonprofit will become a $300 gift when the match is included in the total. Who is considered a board member for a nonprofit organization? A board member is anyone who is a member of the governing board as defined in the bylaws of the nonprofit organization. School board members for private schools that are 501(c)(3) public charities listed in the Thrivent YourCause site are eligible for the 2-for-1 match. Who is not considered a board member for a nonprofit organization? Members of committees or advisory councils are not board members and are ineligible for the 2-for-1 match. Public school board members and church council members are also ineligible for a 2-for-1 match because public schools and churches are not eligible for a match at all from the Thrivent Financial Foundation.
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Giving: Board Membership Double Matching
When my board term has ended, how do I indicate that in YourCause? • Go to My Profile, Board Membership, then “Edit”. • To edit the time period for your board membership, click on the calendar image, then move through the months of a year by using the arrows. To skip ahead to a different year, click on the blue month and you will see the calendar show all the months of the year. You can then move to a new year using the arrows. Select your best estimate of the day your board term will end. If my spouse (non-Thrivent Financial employee) is on the governing board of a nonprofit, is his/her gift eligible for the double match? No. The employee has to be a member of the board of the nonprofit in order to receive the double match.
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Volunteering: Overall
What is the Thrivent Volunteer program? It’s a tradition at Thrivent for employees to make a difference through volunteerism. This aligns with our mission of improving the quality of life in our communities. Led by the Employee Volunteer Teams, the program provides a variety of Thrivent Corporate volunteer events that are flexible and fun and that reflect employees’ passions. Can I search for Thrivent Corporate volunteer events? Yes, go to the ‘Volunteer’ tab and click on ‘Search Events.’ The search defaults to show events within 50 miles of your location, but you can reset that filter. You can narrow down your search by: keywords, date, Thrivent Corporate Events, virtual, ongoing, etc. What kinds of opportunities become Thrivent Corporate volunteer events? • High impact, high visibility, hands-on service activities in the community (i.e. Harbor House volunteer day, House of Charity lunch service, the Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity corporate build), drives that benefit nonprofit organizations (i.e. coats, school supplies) Note: Employees should no longer record an hour of volunteer time for donating an item or funds. We have discontinued this practice. • Employee-led fundraisers that benefit nonprofit organizations or employees (i.e. and/or immediate family members)
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Volunteering: Overall What is Thrivent Financial’s policy for volunteering during work hours? Thrivent Financial is pleased to offer Volunteer Time Off (VTO) and encourages employees to take part in community volunteerism. • Full-time employees may take 20 paid hours per year to volunteer during the work day. Part-time employees may take 10 paid hours per year during the work day. • The policy applies to employees of Thrivent Financial. Contractors and non-traditional employees are not eligible. • Volunteer activity does not have to be for a Thrivent Corporate volunteer event. • VTO can be used in any increments (for example, an employee may use 30 minutes at a time or eight hours at a time). VTO must be pre-approved by the manager and is granted at the manager's discretion. What if I have an idea for a Thrivent Corporate volunteer event? Submit a project idea to the Employee Volunteer Team. The teams meet on the second Wednesday of each month to discuss and vote on employee requests. If your idea is a fundraiser, please read the employee fundraising guidelines to see whether your idea qualifies. Who should I contact if I have questions about a Thrivent Corporate volunteer event? There should be a name listed under Contact Information on each event page, or you can contact any member Employee Volunteer Team.
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Volunteering: Overall
I want to publicize a volunteer or fundraising opportunity that’s not corporately sponsored. How do I do that? Any employee may share news about personal volunteer opportunities. Just click here to submit information to the Employee-Submitted Volunteer Classified Ads. What’s better to do at work— a project with the Employee Volunteer Team or a Thrivent Action Team? Employee Volunteer Team projects are primarily designed to give employees the opportunity to partner with their co-workers to volunteer at work. Thrivent Action Teams are for members to make a difference with their friends and family in their local communities. Can my family members and friends volunteer with me? Yes, however, if it’s not noted on the event page, please confirm with event contact that the event is appropriate for family members or friends to attend. They will need to sign any waivers and follow the guidelines for volunteering set by the nonprofit organization. To sign up friends and family, you will first need to sign up by clicking “Participate.” After you have completed information for your own participation, click “Add Family & Friends” and complete the required fields in the pop-up for your family member then “Add.” NOTE: Please do NOT use your own work email address for your family member’s contact information. Complete additional questions (if applicable), then Save. Repeat for each person. Then, click Submit for all of your participation to be saved.
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Volunteering: CauseCards Why should I record my volunteer hours? We encourage you to keep track of the hours you volunteer in your community, and we make it worth your while! Employees who log 25 volunteer hours in a calendar year receive a $250 CauseCard, which is a grant you can direct within the Thrivent YourCause site to an eligible nonprofit of your choice. Employees who log an additional 25 hours in a calendar year, for a total of 50 hours, will receive a second $250 CauseCard. Note: Each CauseCard can go to a different nonprofit agency. What information shows up on the volunteer My Events page? • Hours volunteered = cumulative total of volunteer hours you have recorded since we started using YourCause on September 14, 2015. These hours do not reset each year.
• Upcoming Hours = total hours you will volunteer, as listed under “Upcoming Volunteering” • Volunteer Goal = you set this personally by goal hours and by date. We suggest resetting it each year at 50 hours to see you progress toward earning the 2 CauseCards at 25 and 50 total hours recorded. If you pre-record repeat upcoming volunteer events, those will be included immediately. Who is eligible for CauseCards? All corporate employees can actively participate, including field leaders and deployed corporate employees. Your immediate family members are not eligible, nor are financial representatives, contractors, or members of the Thrivent Board of Directors. What kind of volunteer activity counts for a CauseCard? You may record hours for activity at any organization, church or school – including coaching. You’re encouraged to record ALL volunteer time you give to your community – whether corporately sponsored and given during the work day or personal time you give during your off hours.
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Volunteering: CauseCards I entered at least 25 or 50 volunteer hours. When do I get my CauseCard(s)? An administrator issues the CauseCards on a monthly basis, so there may be a delay. When the CauseCard is issued, you will receive a direct email with instructions to redeem the CauseCard and the expiration date. How do I direct the funds in a CauseCard? CauseCards are volunteer grants that you can direct to the eligible nonprofit organization of your choice. When you are ready to redeem your CauseCard, please visit the Thrivent YourCause site. Search for your favorite approved nonprofit organization, and then look for the blue “Redeem CauseCard” button to direct the funds. You have until March 31 of the following year to redeem your CauseCard, but the sooner you redeem the CauseCard, the sooner the nonprofit will receive the funds. The volunteer grant will be sent to the selected nonprofit organization about 6 weeks from the end of the quarter in which you redeemed the CauseCard. What is the deadline for recording hours to be eligible for a CauseCard? The deadline for recording 2015 hours to be eligible for a CauseCard is January 31, 2016. Any 2015 hours entered after January 31, 2016 will not qualify for a 2015 CauseCard but can be entered for your own records. All 2016 volunteer hours recorded will go towards earning 2016 CauseCards. What nonprofits are eligible for CauseCards? Although you can log hours for any nonprofit organization or even “Add Your Own,” the CauseCards can only go to organizations registered in YourCause. This does include churches. When you use the “Add Your Own” organization feature, your volunteer hours are added. The cause or organization you added on your own does not save to your favorite “My Organizations” because it is not officially added to the Thrivent YourCause database.
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Volunteering: CauseCards
Can I split the $250 CauseCard to support more than one organization? No, but we are exploring adding this option in the future.
If I earn two CauseCards, can I designate them to different nonprofits? Yes, you designate them separately, so they can go to the same or different nonprofit organizations. Will my family members and I still receive movie gift cards when we volunteer 25 hours or more? No, CauseCards have replaced movie gift cards. We understand that for many of you the gift cards were an important part of recognizing your children for their volunteer efforts. We hope you agree that CauseCards offer a greater benefit to nonprofits, and we hope that you will plan a little celebration of your family volunteerism and decide together which nonprofit will receive the benefit of your CauseCard grant.
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Privacy Do you have an option to make my information private? All employees are encouraged during registration to make their account public. If you do, your colleagues will be able to see you’ve signed up for a Thrivent Corporate volunteer event, find your name in the system to invite you to a volunteer event, or view your volunteering “My Events” page. To edit your privacy setting after registration, please go to your profile page, then click on Settings, then Global Privacy Settings, and check or uncheck the box that says “Private.” Note that your donations are always private, no matter what your privacy setting is. Is my information secure? Yes, all information and donations are safe and secure. What was the disclaimer I agreed to during registration to the Thrivent YourCause site? You are reminded that you must comply at all times with the Thrivent Financial Code of Conduct and all other Thrivent policies, standards, and guidelines including but not limited to the Thrivent Social Media Policy, information security and privacy policies, and relevant records management procedures. You should NEVER post or share any confidential information, including, but not limited to, financial or health information, cardholder data (credit card information), employee or customer information, business records, or information about Thrivent Financial products through this site. While you have the opportunity to share personal details in your profile, know that doing so is entirely optional. Thrivent is not collecting this information for, and will not use this information in, employment decisions. In addition, please review the Terms and Conditions of the YourCause Privacy Policy by clicking here.
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Feedback & Suggestions
I have a suggestion for the site. Where can I send it? Please e-mail [email protected] to send your feedback and suggestions.
Help! Something isn’t working. Report the issue at [email protected] or reach us by phone Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m.-7 p.m. (CST) at 1-866-751-6031 or Live Chat.
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General Site Information
Giving: Overall
Volunteering: Overall
Giving: Credit Cards
Volunteering: CauseCards
Giving: Payroll
Privacy
Giving: Matching
Feedback & Suggestions
Giving: Board Membership Double Matching
General Site Information What is YourCause? YourCause is Thrivent’s selected service provider to supply web-based tools that empower and connect individuals and companies with non-profit organizations. YourCause expands your outreach to positively impact the community. Learn more about YourCause solutions here. Can I edit the way my name is listed in my YourCause profile, e.g., to use a nickname? Unfortunately, no. The system doesn’t allow it. How is the location on the “My Profile” determined? Mine is incorrect. The location information on your “My Profile page is related to your main office location, which for some deployed corporate employees is NOT the sate that you live in. This is due to an internal HR file and cannot be changed. The only implication is for the Volunteer search. When you search volunteer events, the Thrivent YourCause will not list your own zip code. Please feel free to filter the events you see by your correct zip code. Can I log in to YourCause from my home computer? Active members of Thrivent’s workforce should sign in at http://give.thrivent.com from their Thrivent computer. This site automatically uses single sign-on technology to eliminate the need to set up an additional password. If members of the Thrivent workforce go to https://thrivent.yourcause.com, there’s one additional step: click on the “Sign in through SSO” button,. Retirees and members of Thrivent’s Board of Directors can sign in to the Thrivent YourCause site from any computer at https://thrivent.yourcause.com. They should use the basic login and will have to set-up a password.
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General Site Information How do brightpeak financial employees login to the Thrivent YourCause site? • The first time, you’ll need to register at https://thrivent.yourcause.com . Complete this in a regular browser and do NOT use Citrix. • Click on “Continue to Basic Login,” then answer the questions. You will need to know your Employee ID (TSXXXXX), select English as your preferred language, and select Public as your privacy setting. You will also need to select a password between 8-15 characters. Lastly, please use your @thrivent.com email address. • In the future, to login, simply go to https://thrivent.yourcause.com, enter your login details, and you will get right to the Thrivent YourCause home page. • Note: the URL for the website and how you login is different for brightpeak employees, so follow the instructions above. This difference is hopefully for the short-term. In addition, all of your emails from this site will be sent to your @thrivent.com email address. What’s a ‘Charity Page’? It’s an informative page where supporters can view a nonprofit’s mission statement, contact information and more. A charity page is also where users come to make a credit card donation to the nonprofit of their choice. Do contractors, interns, FR’s office professionals, or external consultants have access to the Thrivent YourCause website? No, as they do not have a direct relationship with Thrivent. Field RFO employees, field leaders and FRs are all eligible – as they work directly for Thrivent or are directly contracted with Thrivent.
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General Site Information I can’t find a nonprofit I’m looking for. What do I do? There are a total of nearly 3 million organizations in the Thrivent YourCause site, all pulled directly from the organizations registered on Guidestar with the IRS. If you cannot find the one you’re looking for, try narrowing down your search. Click the magnifying button on the top right hand of the screen to go to the search page. Then, use advanced options to narrow down your search by tax identification number (EIN), category, keyword or state. You can also filter by organizations accepting donations, nonprofit page details, and locations served (vs. physical location). Be sure to remove all punctuation and abbreviations when you type in the name of the nonprofit you are looking for. • Some Habitat for Humanity affiliates are listed as “Habitat for Humanity International” rather than by their local affiliate name. Just search for “Habitat for Humanity,” then use the advanced search option and narrow by location. • If you do not find the organization by name, contact them to obtain their tax identification number (EIN) and search by EIN. This is the most accurate search method. All organizations in the YourCause system must have their EIN registered with Guidestar and be registered with the IRS. • If the organization is a sub-chapter or affiliate that falls under a larger entity’s group exemption and does not have its own EIN, you can donate to that larger organization and use the designation field to write-in a designation to the specific chapter, office or program where you’d like the funds directed. YourCause will distribute funds to the larger organization, so there may be a delay while funds are redirected to the sub-chapter or affiliate you designated. • If you still can’t find the nonprofit, contact YourCause and they will be happy to assist you. • Note: A limited number of nonprofit organizations are ineligible to receive funding from Thrivent Financial or the Thrivent Financial Foundation. These organizations will not be found in the Thrivent YourCause site.
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General Site Information
Are local Boy Scout, Girl Scout, and 4H troops included in the YourCause site? The council level is registered with the IRS and listed on the site, and you can write in a designation to a specific troop’s account. The funds are not passed directly to the troop, but held in an existing fundraising account held by the Council for the troop to draw out of for expenses. You can also log hours or direct CauseCards to the Council and designate the funds to the troop. This is assuming that the Council is listed in Guidestar. Are churches included in the YourCause site? Yes, churches are included, and you may direct credit card donations or payroll donations to churches. Donations to churches continue to be ineligible for a match from the Thrivent Financial Foundation or Thrivent Financial. When you answer the match application questions, please answer “Yes,” to the question, “Was this a donation to a church? These donations are not eligible for a match, unless the donation is actually to a private school under the church’s group exemption. This will stop the match application, but your donation to your church will still be saved. Are all organizations that are in the Thrivent Choice catalog in the Thrivent YourCause catalog? Most of them are, but the databases are separate and have different requirements for inclusion. A handful of organizations listed in the Thrivent Choice catalog (or that were in the previous gift matching system) are not currently in the Thrivent YourCause site. Organizations listed in the Thrivent YourCause site MUST be registered as a 501c3 public charity with the IRS through registration on Guidestar.com. We did send the organizations a letter in Sept. 2015 encouraging them to start the process to register with Guidestar and YourCause.
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General Site Information
The Thrivent YourCause website requests the organization's EIN when suggesting a new nonprofit. What is an EIN? The Employer Identification Number (EIN) is a nine-digit number assigned by the Internal Revenue Service. Every IRSdesignated, tax-exempt nonprofit organization has its own EIN. You can obtain an organization’s EIN by contacting them directly, visiting the organization’s website or checking Guidestar. Can I access the YourCause site if I’m on disability from work? If you have your Thrivent computer while on disability, you will be able to login to the YourCause site. That said, you will not be able to enter any match requests while you are on disability leave because your match cap will be reset to $0. Once you return to work, your match cap will return to $20,000 annually, and you’ll be able to enter your donation match requests for the full year. You will be able to enter volunteerism information while on disability.
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Giving: Overall
How can I view my past donations? You can view all your donations since September 14, 2015, when we transitioned to YourCause, by going to the ‘Give’ tab and clicking on ‘Donation History’. Please make sure to use the year drop down if you would like to view a previous year’s donation history. Donations will either be listed under ‘Scheduled,’ ‘In-Process,’ or ‘Donation History.’ The ‘Donation History’ area is for donations from the company (ex: matching donations). What’s the best way to see my donations at the end of the year? Click on http://give.thrivent.com, then go to the Give tab, then the Donation History page, and then look at the Donation History area on the bottom of the page. Click on “Export Summary” for a given year to export a summary, which may be helpful for tax purposes. What are the ways I can donate on the Thrivent YourCause site? You can make personal donations via credit card, payroll deduction, or you can simply request a match for a donation you already made (check/cash, life insurance, or stock). What does it mean if a charity’s page has a button that says “Unable to Donate” instead of “Donate Now”? Though the organization is in the Thrivent YourCause site and is listed on Guidestar, the organization does not currently meet the IRS criteria to process donations. The organization is still listed on the site for logging volunteer hours, if desired.
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Giving: Overall How do I give to an organization (or request a match) that isn’t listed in YourCause, especially schools that are affiliated with churches? • First confirm that the organization is a 501(c)(3) public charity. To do this, either check the organization’s website or contact the organization directly to verify that it is classified as a 501(c)(3) public charity by the Internal Revenue Service. Organizations that are, for example, other types of 501(c)(3)s, 501(c)(4)s or 501(c)(9)s, are ineligible to be added. • If the organization has its own EIN and is a 501(c)(3) public charity, it should register on Guidestar. Once the nonprofit has successfully registered with Guidestar, it will be available in YourCause assuming it then meets our processing criteria based on their IRS recognition. Other benefits of registering with Guidestar include insurance options and registration for AmazonSmile. It may take up to 2 months for this process to be complete. • If the organization is a sub-chapter or affiliate that falls under a larger entity’s group exemption and does not have its own EIN, you can donate to that larger organization and use the designation field to write-in a designation to the specific chapter, office or program where you’d to have the funds directed. YourCause will distribute funds to the larger organization. Neither YourCause nor Thrivent Financial nor the Thrivent Financial Foundation can guarantee that they will be directed to the sub-chapter or affiliate you designated. (continued on next page) • Similarly, if you are giving to a private school that does not have its own EIN (it’s considered under the church’s group exemption), you can donate to the church and use the designation field to write-in a designation to the school. YourCause will distribute funds to the church to be redirected to the private school you designated. Donations to private schools through churches are eligible to be matched.
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Giving: Credit Cards Is there a transaction fee when donating via credit card? YourCause works with Network for Good, an online fundraising platform for nonprofits, to process credit card donations. The processing costs for completing your transaction and disbursing the funds to your selected nonprofit is one of the many costs Network for Good incurs as part of their mission of supporting nonprofits in their fundraising efforts. You, the donor, will cover the processing and credit card fee of 4.75% of your donation, which will be deducted from your donation amount. If your donation is matched, it will be matched at the full donation amount. Will I receive a tax-deductible receipt once the donation has been made? Your credit card will be charged the day you make the gift and you will be emailed a receipt from Network for Good. Rather than the specific nonprofit organization name, your statement will read “Network for Good.” When you file your taxes, you will need to itemize your donations on Schedule A of the 1040 form. You can download this form and the instructions for how to fill it out from the IRS Web site. How long do credit card donations and the match take to get to the nonprofit? If the transaction is successful, credit card donations go to the nonprofit organization from Network for Good on the 15th of the month after the month that you made your donation. At that time, your donation history will read “Complete.” For example, if you made a donation anytime in the month of November, the donation would be sent on December 15. Once approved, your credit card donation match will be sent to the selected nonprofit organization about 6 weeks after the end of the quarter. Is my donation transaction secure? We use industry-leading Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology to keep your personal information as secure as possible. We protect your information by working with partners that provide a secure and safe environment for credit card donations. Can I make an anonymous donation? Yes – simply select the ‘anonymous’ box when completing your online donation.
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Giving: Payroll How does payroll deduction work? Unlike in the past, you can now add payroll deductions anytime throughout the year. You can either choose to do a onetime payroll deduction or a recurring payroll deduction. If you choose recurring, the deduction(s) you request will come out of your paycheck each pay period (every two weeks). This will automatically continue year after year, unless you log in to cancel or make changes to your deduction. Can I change my deduction amount at any time? Yes, by accessing the Thrivent YourCause site, you can change/start/stop your payroll deduction amount at any time. All changes will take affect for the following pay period, if you make them at least one week in advance. How many charitable organizations can I elect to contribute funds to? You are able to make as many payroll contributions as you wish. What if I want to make a one-time donation? Payroll deductions are usually used for continuous giving, but you are able to make a one-time payroll deduction on the Thrivent YourCause site. The minimum one-time donation is $25. Which nonprofit organizations can I select for payroll deductions? You can donate to any nonprofit that is listed on the Thrivent YourCause site. This does include churches, but know that donations to churches are not eligible for a match. When you answer the match application questions, please answer “Yes,” to the question, “Was this a donation to a church congregation for tithing/offering? These donations are not eligible for a match.” This will stop the match application, but your payroll deduction to your church will still be saved and set-up.
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Giving: Payroll
Who is eligible to participate in the payroll deduction program? All corporate employees can actively participate, including field leaders and deployed corporate employees. What if I leave the company? Your regularly-scheduled deductions will be included in your last paycheck. YourCause will match those contributions and automatically cancel future contributions. Will 100% of my deduction be sent to the nonprofit that I choose? Thrivent Financial is covering the check fee cost to ensure your donation is 100%. How will the YourCause system work for payroll with the special AIP payout? It’s not a regularly scheduled paycheck, so no deductions are taken on the AIP checks, other than 401(k). Can I use the Thrivent YourCause to enter my Employee Political Action Committee (EPAC) donations? No, EPAC donations are managed directly by Thrivent payroll, not through the Thrivent YourCause site. They will continue without any action on the part of employees.
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Giving: Matching Does Thrivent still offer gift matching for donations? The Giving program doubles your personal gifts of $25 or more to eligible nonprofit organizations. Gift matching is funded by, and at the discretion of, the Thrivent Financial Foundation for corporate employees, retirees and Thrivent’s board of directors, and Thrivent Financial for gifts from field employees and retirees. What is the Thrivent Financial Foundation? The Thrivent Financial Foundation is a private foundation supported by Thrivent Financial. The Foundation contributes to the health and vitality of the Lutheran community, as well as the Twin Cities in Minnesota and the Fox Cities in Wisconsin. Grants are provided for selected projects and missions that reflect the charitable interests of Thrivent Financial, its members and its employees. Is my gift matched 100%? Eligible gifts of $25 or more are matched 100%, doubling your gift to the nonprofit. What is my annual maximum match? • Starting in 2016, your annual maximum match will be $20,000 if you are a financial representative, corporate employee, or a retired member of the Thrivent Financial Board of Directors. • Starting in 2016, your annual maximum match will be $2,000 if you are a corporate or field retiree. If my employee status or position has changed, how does this affect my gift matching limits? Your gift matching limits are determined by your employee status on the date you request the match in the YourCause system. Employees’ annual match limit is reduced to $2,000 when they retire. If you are planning to retire and will use more than this in matching funds during that year, please make gifts and request a match before your retirement date. Can I designate only a portion of my gift for matching? Yes, you can choose the amount, up to the amount of your gift.
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Giving: Matching Do I need to enter a receipt when requesting a match for a donation I already made? No. Although there is a space to add it when entering your donation into YourCause, you do not need to add a receipt. How do I request a match for a recurring donation? If you have a recurring donation to an organization, you can enter it into YourCause as often as you give, or as little as one request per year. The organization can see that the donations are coming from you if they login to the YourCause nonprofit portal. If you’d like to enter the request in one time per year, wait until all of the recurring donations have been paid and do one request for the match total at the end of the year. In the past I've used a paper form to request my matches. Is that still available? No. In the past there was a way to send a letter to a nonprofit, letting them know my gift and a match will be coming soon. Is that still available? No, this is no longer necessary since the nonprofit does not need to verify your donation. Now, the nonprofit will just receive the funds about 6 weeks after the end of the quarter. If you would still like to inform the nonprofit of the upcoming match funds, print off or send a copy of the notification email after your match is requested, or approved by Thrivent administrators What details will show up on a check sent to a nonprofit? Each nonprofit that receives funding will either get a check in the mail or an email with an update on the amount added via ACH. Either way, this communication will include instructions on how the nonprofit can see details on the funds in the YourCause Nonprofit Portal. In this portal, the nonprofit admin will enter the check number to see all the details on the donor name, email, amounts and designations.
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Giving: Matching When will my gift be matched? Once approved, your match donation will be sent to the selected nonprofit organization about 6 weeks after the end of the quarter. If you gave your original gift via payroll, the actual donation will also go to the nonprofit organization on this timeline. If you gave your original gift via credit card, the actual donation will go to the nonprofit organization more quickly—send on the 15th of the month after the month that you made your donation. If it is necessary for the nonprofit to receive your personal donation earlier, then giving directly to the nonprofit is the best method. For example, let’s say you requested a match for your donation on Feb. 3. Sometime before March 31, your match will be approved. Then, by mid-May, funds will be sent to your nonprofit organization either via check or electronic fund transfer. The nonprofit is able to see details of who gave the gift when they log into the YourCause nonprofit portal (unless you made your gift anonymously). If these steps are completed:
By This Date:
Funds will be sent to the nonprofit around this date:
Donation made, match requested & match approved.
March 31
May 15
June 30
August 15
September 30
November 15
December 31
February 15
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Giving: Matching What gifts are eligible for a match? Your contribution must be a personal gift actually paid (not pledged) to an eligible recipient organization. It can be cash, securities having monetary values that are readily determined, or premiums paid on absolutely assigned AAL, LB or Thrivent Financial life or annuity contracts. Premiums should be made payable to the organization receiving the gift. The nonprofit organization will send the premiums to Thrivent Financial. You can then complete the match request. What gifts are not eligible to be matched? • Gifts made to certain non-profit or government organizations, including churches, political groups, and public schools that are not designated by the IRS as 501(c)(3) public charities. • Gifts for which Thrivent Financial or Thrivent Financial Foundation’s matching contribution will be used to discharge any obligation that you or any other person might have, or to make any payment on your behalf of the behalf of any other person, (including fees for a Thrivent Builds Worldwide trip). • Tuition fees, loan repayment, and payments in lieu of tuition. • Dues, membership fees, and subscription fees for service. • Gifts for which you or any nominee of yours will receive anything of value in return, such as advertising received in return for sponsorship of an event. • Contributions to or from a donor advised fund or family fund. • Philanthropic giving to non-religious organizations that have a written policy of discrimination. • Grouped or pooled donations (e.g. contributions made by a group of people and claimed as one gift from a single donor. • Donations made by your spouse, who is not part of the Thrivent workforce. • Tickets to nonprofit events or the cost of items you purchase from nonprofit auctions, unless the tax-deductible portion of those items exceeds $25. Only the tax-deductible amount can be matched.
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Giving: Matching Who decides if my nonprofit is eligible for a match? Thrivent Financial or Thrivent Financial Foundation will review all gift matching applications and approve or deny matches. Will the program match my gift to a school? Schools that are separately incorporated as 501(c)(3) public charities are eligible for matching. Will the program match a gift to my church? No. While we do match all other 501(c)(3) public charity religious organizations, such as synod offices, church camps and church foundations, we do NOT match donations to churches and other houses of worship. Donations to churches for tithing, programs, ministries or a capital campaign are all ineligible for a match. The only way that churches are eligible for a match is if the donation is actually to a private school that does not have its own EIN (it’s considered under the church’s group exemption). Then, you can donate to the church and use the designation field to write-in a designation to the school. YourCause will distribute funds to the church to be redirected to the private school you designated. How do I request a match if I donated to a friend’s personal fundraising website, i.e. for a Relay for Life, 5K run, Thrivent Tour, etc.? Use the “Already Made a Donation” option, and then simply request a match. There is no need to upload a receipt. Please put the date you made the gift, not the date of the event, in the donation date field on the online request form. Note the name and date of event and name of person you are sponsoring, if applicable, (in support of John Smith, participant in August 31 Walk-a-thon, for example) in the optional designation field on the request form.
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Giving: Matching
Is a match available for my Thrivent Builds Worldwide trip? Fees required to participate in a build trip are not eligible for matching. Contributions above and beyond a participant’s trip costs are eligible to be matched up to your annual limit. Please enter the GVT trip code in the designation field of your request. The matching funds will benefit the Habitat host affiliate, not the individual trip participant. Can I request a match for a donation for an upcoming fundraising event? Simply request the match after you make the donation. Use the date you made the gift, not the date of the event. Note the event and name of person you are sponsoring, if applicable, in the optional designation field on the request form. How can I find out if my gift has been matched? Please review the Thrivent YourCause site user guide: How to: View Donation History.
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Giving: Board Membership Double Matching How do I add my board role in my profile? Please review the Thrivent YourCause site user guide: How to: Setup a Profile. You can also add in the process flow whenever you make a donation to that organization. When asked “Are you a board member of the charity “XXX”?, reply Yes, then choose your board membership role (if you have already entered it) or Create New. Be sure to include the dates of when your board role started and your expected end date using the calendar feature. When you do this, your board role and term will be saved in your profile. I am a nonprofit board member. Will my donation be doubled? If you are a member of the governing board of an eligible nonprofit and you indicate that in your request for matching funds, your match will be doubled, subject to your annual gift matching maximum. This means that your personal gift of $100 to that nonprofit will become a $300 gift when the match is included in the total. Who is considered a board member for a nonprofit organization? A board member is anyone who is a member of the governing board as defined in the bylaws of the nonprofit organization. School board members for private schools that are 501(c)(3) public charities listed in the Thrivent YourCause site are eligible for the 2-for-1 match. Who is not considered a board member for a nonprofit organization? Members of committees or advisory councils are not board members and are ineligible for the 2-for-1 match. Public school board members and church council members are also ineligible for a 2-for-1 match because public schools and churches are not eligible for a match at all from the Thrivent Financial Foundation.
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Giving: Board Membership Double Matching
When my board term has ended, how do I indicate that in YourCause? • Go to My Profile, Board Membership, then “Edit”. • To edit the time period for your board membership, click on the calendar image, then move through the months of a year by using the arrows. To skip ahead to a different year, click on the blue month and you will see the calendar show all the months of the year. You can then move to a new year using the arrows. Select your best estimate of the day your board term will end. If my spouse (non-Thrivent Financial employee) is on the governing board of a nonprofit, is his/her gift eligible for the double match? No. The employee has to be a member of the board of the nonprofit in order to receive the double match.
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Volunteering: Overall
What is the Thrivent Volunteer program? It’s a tradition at Thrivent for employees to make a difference through volunteerism. This aligns with our mission of improving the quality of life in our communities. Led by the Employee Volunteer Teams, the program provides a variety of Thrivent Corporate volunteer events that are flexible and fun and that reflect employees’ passions. Can I search for Thrivent Corporate volunteer events? Yes, go to the ‘Volunteer’ tab and click on ‘Search Events.’ The search defaults to show events within 50 miles of your location, but you can reset that filter. You can narrow down your search by: keywords, date, Thrivent Corporate Events, virtual, ongoing, etc. What kinds of opportunities become Thrivent Corporate volunteer events? • High impact, high visibility, hands-on service activities in the community (i.e. Harbor House volunteer day, House of Charity lunch service, the Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity corporate build), drives that benefit nonprofit organizations (i.e. coats, school supplies) Note: Employees should no longer record an hour of volunteer time for donating an item or funds. We have discontinued this practice. • Employee-led fundraisers that benefit nonprofit organizations or employees (i.e. and/or immediate family members)
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Volunteering: Overall What is Thrivent Financial’s policy for volunteering during work hours? Thrivent Financial is pleased to offer Volunteer Time Off (VTO) and encourages employees to take part in community volunteerism. • Full-time employees may take 20 paid hours per year to volunteer during the work day. Part-time employees may take 10 paid hours per year during the work day. • The policy applies to employees of Thrivent Financial. Contractors and non-traditional employees are not eligible. • Volunteer activity does not have to be for a Thrivent Corporate volunteer event. • VTO can be used in any increments (for example, an employee may use 30 minutes at a time or eight hours at a time). VTO must be pre-approved by the manager and is granted at the manager's discretion. What if I have an idea for a Thrivent Corporate volunteer event? Submit a project idea to the Employee Volunteer Team. The teams meet on the second Wednesday of each month to discuss and vote on employee requests. If your idea is a fundraiser, please read the employee fundraising guidelines to see whether your idea qualifies. Who should I contact if I have questions about a Thrivent Corporate volunteer event? There should be a name listed under Contact Information on each event page, or you can contact any member Employee Volunteer Team.
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Volunteering: Overall
I want to publicize a volunteer or fundraising opportunity that’s not corporately sponsored. How do I do that? Any employee may share news about personal volunteer opportunities. Just click here to submit information to the Employee-Submitted Volunteer Classified Ads. What’s better to do at work— a project with the Employee Volunteer Team or a Thrivent Action Team? Employee Volunteer Team projects are primarily designed to give employees the opportunity to partner with their co-workers to volunteer at work. Thrivent Action Teams are for members to make a difference with their friends and family in their local communities. Can my family members and friends volunteer with me? Yes, however, if it’s not noted on the event page, please confirm with event contact that the event is appropriate for family members or friends to attend. They will need to sign any waivers and follow the guidelines for volunteering set by the nonprofit organization. To sign up friends and family, you will first need to sign up by clicking “Participate.” After you have completed information for your own participation, click “Add Family & Friends” and complete the required fields in the pop-up for your family member then “Add.” NOTE: Please do NOT use your own work email address for your family member’s contact information. Complete additional questions (if applicable), then Save. Repeat for each person. Then, click Submit for all of your participation to be saved.
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Volunteering: CauseCards Why should I record my volunteer hours? We encourage you to keep track of the hours you volunteer in your community, and we make it worth your while! Employees who log 25 volunteer hours in a calendar year receive a $250 CauseCard, which is a grant you can direct within the Thrivent YourCause site to an eligible nonprofit of your choice. Employees who log an additional 25 hours in a calendar year, for a total of 50 hours, will receive a second $250 CauseCard. Note: Each CauseCard can go to a different nonprofit agency. What information shows up on the volunteer My Events page? • Hours volunteered = cumulative total of volunteer hours you have recorded since we started using YourCause on September 14, 2015. These hours do not reset each year.
• Upcoming Hours = total hours you will volunteer, as listed under “Upcoming Volunteering” • Volunteer Goal = you set this personally by goal hours and by date. We suggest resetting it each year at 50 hours to see you progress toward earning the 2 CauseCards at 25 and 50 total hours recorded. If you pre-record repeat upcoming volunteer events, those will be included immediately. Who is eligible for CauseCards? All corporate employees can actively participate, including field leaders and deployed corporate employees. Your immediate family members are not eligible, nor are financial representatives, contractors, or members of the Thrivent Board of Directors. What kind of volunteer activity counts for a CauseCard? You may record hours for activity at any organization, church or school – including coaching. You’re encouraged to record ALL volunteer time you give to your community – whether corporately sponsored and given during the work day or personal time you give during your off hours.
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Volunteering: CauseCards I entered at least 25 or 50 volunteer hours. When do I get my CauseCard(s)? An administrator issues the CauseCards on a monthly basis, so there may be a delay. When the CauseCard is issued, you will receive a direct email with instructions to redeem the CauseCard and the expiration date. How do I direct the funds in a CauseCard? CauseCards are volunteer grants that you can direct to the eligible nonprofit organization of your choice. When you are ready to redeem your CauseCard, please visit the Thrivent YourCause site. Search for your favorite approved nonprofit organization, and then look for the blue “Redeem CauseCard” button to direct the funds. You have until March 31 of the following year to redeem your CauseCard, but the sooner you redeem the CauseCard, the sooner the nonprofit will receive the funds. The volunteer grant will be sent to the selected nonprofit organization about 6 weeks from the end of the quarter in which you redeemed the CauseCard. What is the deadline for recording hours to be eligible for a CauseCard? The deadline for recording 2015 hours to be eligible for a CauseCard is January 31, 2016. Any 2015 hours entered after January 31, 2016 will not qualify for a 2015 CauseCard but can be entered for your own records. All 2016 volunteer hours recorded will go towards earning 2016 CauseCards. What nonprofits are eligible for CauseCards? Although you can log hours for any nonprofit organization or even “Add Your Own,” the CauseCards can only go to organizations registered in YourCause. This does include churches. When you use the “Add Your Own” organization feature, your volunteer hours are added. The cause or organization you added on your own does not save to your favorite “My Organizations” because it is not officially added to the Thrivent YourCause database.
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Volunteering: CauseCards
Can I split the $250 CauseCard to support more than one organization? No, but we are exploring adding this option in the future.
If I earn two CauseCards, can I designate them to different nonprofits? Yes, you designate them separately, so they can go to the same or different nonprofit organizations. Will my family members and I still receive movie gift cards when we volunteer 25 hours or more? No, CauseCards have replaced movie gift cards. We understand that for many of you the gift cards were an important part of recognizing your children for their volunteer efforts. We hope you agree that CauseCards offer a greater benefit to nonprofits, and we hope that you will plan a little celebration of your family volunteerism and decide together which nonprofit will receive the benefit of your CauseCard grant.
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Privacy Do you have an option to make my information private? All employees are encouraged during registration to make their account public. If you do, your colleagues will be able to see you’ve signed up for a Thrivent Corporate volunteer event, find your name in the system to invite you to a volunteer event, or view your volunteering “My Events” page. To edit your privacy setting after registration, please go to your profile page, then click on Settings, then Global Privacy Settings, and check or uncheck the box that says “Private.” Note that your donations are always private, no matter what your privacy setting is. Is my information secure? Yes, all information and donations are safe and secure. What was the disclaimer I agreed to during registration to the Thrivent YourCause site? You are reminded that you must comply at all times with the Thrivent Financial Code of Conduct and all other Thrivent policies, standards, and guidelines including but not limited to the Thrivent Social Media Policy, information security and privacy policies, and relevant records management procedures. You should NEVER post or share any confidential information, including, but not limited to, financial or health information, cardholder data (credit card information), employee or customer information, business records, or information about Thrivent Financial products through this site. While you have the opportunity to share personal details in your profile, know that doing so is entirely optional. Thrivent is not collecting this information for, and will not use this information in, employment decisions. In addition, please review the Terms and Conditions of the YourCause Privacy Policy by clicking here.
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Feedback & Suggestions
I have a suggestion for the site. Where can I send it? Please e-mail [email protected] to send your feedback and suggestions.
Help! Something isn’t working. Report the issue at [email protected] or reach us by phone Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m.-7 p.m. (CST) at 1-866-751-6031 or Live Chat.
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