Thrivent Grants 2026: Choice Dollars and Action Teams

Thrivent grants open now: 6 routes checked November 10, 2026

Grantsights checked 6 Thrivent giving routes on November 10, 2026. Two are open all year, but in both a Thrivent member, not your organization, makes the move.

Recently closed: a Thrivent Choice 15-year anniversary promotion that entered organizations receiving Choice Dollars into a drawing for one of 15 grants of $15,000. Its page now lists the 15 winners, including First Lutheran Church in Conroy, Iowa, and Prescott Area Food Pantry in Wisconsin.

Our honest read: there's no Thrivent grant cycle to watch. The work is building a base of Thrivent members in your congregation or donor list who direct Choice Dollars to you every year.

How Thrivent Choice works for an organization

According to Thrivent's Choice fact sheet, checked November 10, 2026, the program has distributed more than $660 million since 2010, with 700,000+ members taking part and 50,000+ churches and nonprofits supported. The money comes from Thrivent, not from members' pockets: each member gets a Choice Dollars balance every January based on prior-year product activity, and each Choice Dollar directed becomes $1 of Thrivent grant funding.

Here's how that $660 million split by organization type, per the fact sheet:

What an enrolled organization gets: Thrivent's FAQs for enrolled organizations say deposits arrive by electronic transfer the month after a member directs Choice Dollars, labeled "Thrivent Grant," with an email between the 5th and 10th business day listing the names and contact details of the members who gave. The email shows the total, not each member's amount. Thrivent doesn't pay by check, and you shouldn't send tax receipts, because Choice Dollars aren't the member's money.

What you can spend it on: the money isn't designated. The Choice FAQ says members can't earmark Choice Dollars for a particular ministry or purpose, and the organization terms say funds must go to your religious, charitable or educational purposes, not to influencing law, policy, church doctrine or church practice.

What you owe in return: the terms for organizations require you to acknowledge Choice funding publicly at least once a year, keep records of receipt and use for 3 years, and cooperate with random or targeted audits.

The fine print that matters most: Choice runs on a set annual budget. Both the member terms and the organization terms say there may not be enough money to pay every Choice Dollar directed, and that Thrivent may set maximum funding limits per organization.

Who can enroll: 5 rules from Thrivent's terms for organizations

Thrivent's Terms and Conditions for organizations receiving Choice Dollars grant funds, a 3-page PDF revised in 2026, set 5 requirements. Every recipient must:

1. be an incorporated nonprofit exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3);
2. be domiciled and operating in the United States and providing services;
3. be approved by a local branch, meaning a Thrivent Member Network;
4. be an independent fiscal organization with its own bank account for electronic transfers;
5. agree to the terms and any program rules Thrivent adopts.

Two faith rules sit on top. Houses of worship must align with Thrivent's Christian calling. Other faith-based organizations that don't align with it may still be eligible if they focus on broad public benefit rather than religious promotion. Non-religious nonprofits can enroll, unless they have a discrimination policy on the grounds the terms list.

Churches and the 501(c)(3) rule: many congregations never applied for an IRS determination letter. IRS Publication 1828 (opens in a new tab), the tax guide for churches and religious organizations, says churches that meet section 501(c)(3) requirements are automatically considered tax exempt and aren't required to apply for recognition. The IRS page on 501(c)(3) exemption requirements (opens in a new tab) explains the organized-and-operated test every applicant has to meet.

A red flag: a ministry that runs through its church's bank account. The "independent fiscal organization" rule means a youth ministry or pantry that's part of a congregation is usually enrolled as the congregation, not as itself.

Thrivent Action Teams: $250 for a member-led project

Thrivent Action Teams launched in 2014, and Thrivent's program page, checked November 10, 2026, describes a simple deal: a Thrivent client with membership gathers volunteers for a fundraiser, educational event or service activity, and Thrivent sends a kit with T-shirts, thank-you cards and a Community Impact Card with up to $250.

The rules from the Action Teams page and FAQ:

• Who leads: only a Thrivent client with membership, at least 16 years old. Benefit members can lead up to 2 Action Teams a calendar year; associate members can lead 1.
• Timing: apply at least 14 days and no more than 120 days before the project starts. Thrivent's FAQ says an approval email comes within 5 business days.
• What the card can't buy: gift cards, alcohol, firearms, jewelry, direct cash donations, cash withdrawals, organizational operating funds, personal expenses, or purchases outside the U.S. and its territories.
• Who benefits: the project should help the community where the leader lives, works or worships. The FAQ says organizations eligible for Thrivent Choice may be eligible to benefit from an Action Team.
• The catch for organizations: the FAQ asks members to take action themselves "rather than directly giving or granting" the card to the organization they're supporting. A common mistake is asking a member to "get us a $250 Thrivent grant" for the light bill. That's not allowed.

What an Action Team can do for you is pay the up-front costs of an event that raises money: supplies for a pancake breakfast, a car wash or a school supply drive, with the proceeds going to your organization. One example on Thrivent's disaster response page: a member in Huntington, New York formed an Action Team with a friend and ran a plant sale that raised nearly $2,000 for supplies for a Puerto Rico mission trip after Hurricane Maria.

Who actually gets Thrivent grants

Grantsights analysis of 1,436 itemized grants on Thrivent's 2024 Form 990 found $24,397,045 going to about 1,272 distinct organizations, with a median of $8,203. Every row lists the purpose as "General Support," which matches Choice's undesignated design. Remember these are only recipients over $5,000; the $35.7 million in smaller grants, likely where most congregations land, isn't itemized.

Congregations dominate the count. According to our analysis of the names on Schedule I, 522 itemized grants worth $4,765,476 went to recipients with church, parish, congregation or chapel in their names, with a median near $6,990. 499 of those names are Lutheran, which reflects Thrivent's roots as Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Names with school, academy, college, university or seminary account for 423 grants worth $4,758,224, and many of them are church-and-school combinations.

One organization in Wisconsin, Prescott Area Food Pantry, was among the 15 winners of the $15,000 anniversary drawing. On the 2024 return, St. Luke's Lutheran Church received $14,021, Concordia Lutheran Church & School received $6,010, and Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp received $28,278. Outdoor ministries show up often: Ingham Lake Bible Camp received $16,847 and Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp received $13,606.

The largest itemized recipients were national charities that many members pick: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital ($1,211,950), Habitat for Humanity International (two payments worth $1,185,249), Lutheran Disaster Response ($620,269), the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod ($475,577), Orphan Grain Train ($388,699 plus $21,300), Lutheran World Relief ($383,575) and Samaritan's Purse ($271,073).

Headquarters giving is visible too. The City of Appleton ($267,598), the Appleton Area School District ($267,594), Outagamie County ($109,432) and Fox Valley Technical College ($50,143) appear in Wisconsin, near Thrivent's operations center, while Walker Art Center ($217,063), NorthSide Achievement Zone ($185,615) and Project for Pride in Living ($152,592) appear in the Twin Cities. These match the corporate philanthropy Thrivent describes for its headquarter locations, not member-directed Choice grants, though the return doesn't label which is which.

The money to Thrivent Member Networks is the biggest single block. Per the 2024 Form 990, the 23 regional networks received $50.3 million, from $3,970,349 for Greater Iowa down to $552,746 for Pacific Cascade. Thrivent's Choice terms describe Choice as a program of Thrivent and its local branches, but the 990 doesn't show where the networks sent the money, so Grantsights doesn't count it as grants to outside organizations.

How to get your organization into Thrivent Choice, step by step

Thrivent's Choice page, brochure, terms and FAQs set out 6 steps, checked November 10, 2026.

1. Check the catalog. Ask a member to search the Thrivent Choice catalog by name or ZIP code. If you're already enrolled, skip to step 5.
2. Find your Thrivent members. In a congregation, ask who's a Thrivent client. Members are Christians, spouses of Christians or youth being raised in the Christian faith, per Thrivent's membership FAQ.
3. Ask one member to recommend you. The Choice page says members can recommend eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits and churches for consideration. Thrivent may share that member's name with you.
4. Complete the application and accept the terms. The brochure says recommended organizations must meet the eligibility rules, complete the application and agree to the terms. A Thrivent Member Network approves enrollment.
5. Set up your bank account for electronic transfer. For a bank change later, email thriventchoice@thrivent.com and Thrivent replies with a secure form; never email account numbers.
6. Remind members before December 31. Choice Dollars reset at year-end. Thrivent's resources page offers bulletin inserts, posters and promotional letters for enrolled organizations, and its FAQ notes that many organizations use the deposit email to send members a general thank-you.

Underestimate this step and you'll leave money on the table: the member decides, every year. An organization with 40 Thrivent households in its pews and no reminder can end up with less than one with 10 households who are asked each fall.

What Thrivent's Generosity Pages Don't Tell You

Grantsights checked Thrivent's program pages against its 2024 Form 990 and its own published totals, and 5 things stood out.

1. Most of the itemized money goes to Thrivent's own networks. $50.3 million of the $74.7 million on Schedule I went to 23 Thrivent Member Networks. Outside groups' itemized total was $24.4 million. The 990 doesn't say how much of the network money ended up with churches and nonprofits.

2. Thrivent's own totals don't line up. The Choice page and fact sheet say more than $660 million since 2010, the 15-year anniversary page says more than $620 million, and the 2024 Form 990 says $619 million. The newer pages are probably counting more recent payments, but none dates its figure precisely.

3. A $464 million headline isn't grant money. Thrivent's About Us page says $464 million was "raised and donated by Thrivent, clients and others" in 2025, up 40% from 2024. That includes members' own gifts and fundraising. Thrivent's grants on its 2024 return were $110.6 million.

4. The old Thrivent foundation is gone. The Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation (EIN 41-1449680) filed a final 990-PF for a period ending November 23, 2020, according to the return on ProPublica. Older grant lists that point to that foundation are out of date.

5. Member Network grant pages are stale. The regional board advised grant recommendation page says the process is being updated "for 2023" with details "coming soon." On November 10, 2026 it still offered no form. Don't count on a regional grant unless a network contact confirms one.

Is Thrivent worth your time? A 4-question check

1. Are you a 501(c)(3) (or a church that qualifies automatically) with your own bank account?
2. If you're a house of worship, are you Christian? Other faith groups qualify only for broad-public-benefit work.
3. Do at least a few Thrivent members already support you? Choice money follows members.
4. Is your case for funding about influencing law, policy or church doctrine? If so, you're ineligible.

Plausible fit: a Lutheran Bible camp with 200 supporters, a dozen of them Thrivent members, enrolled in Choice and reminding members every October. Poor fit: a new advocacy nonprofit with no Thrivent members in its network.

Where to look beyond Thrivent

Thrivent's itemized grants had a median of $8,203, and smaller Choice payments aren't even listed, so plan Thrivent as one steady stream among several. For churches, start with grants for churches, grants for small churches, how to apply for church grants and foundations that give grants to churches. Faith-based nonprofits should read the best grants for faith-based nonprofits in 2026 and grants for faith-based organizations. Schools and camps can use grants for Christian schools and grants for summer camps, and congregations running pantries can see church food pantry grants.

Other funders with a church angle: the Lilly Endowment is the big religion funder, but its open initiatives take concept papers from denominational agencies, church networks and colleges rather than single congregations, so a synod or seminary is the likelier applicant. Chick-fil-A's local giving runs through restaurant Operators, which makes it a neighborhood ask much like recruiting Thrivent members in your pews. Corporate grants for nonprofits covers company programs that take applications directly.

Grantsights tools: Grantsights' community funder lists group private foundations by cause and state using the grants on their own 990-PF filings, including foundations that fund congregations, and you can preview your state free.

How Grantsights Checked This Guide

Grantsights checked 14 Thrivent pages and documents and 2 returns on November 10, 2026. ProPublica lists Thrivent Financial for Lutherans in Minneapolis under EIN 39-0123480 as a 501(c)(8) organization.

Thrivent files Form 990 as a fraternal benefit society, not a 990-PF, so its grant list sits on Schedule I and covers only recipients over $5,000. The IRS keeps its filing and exemption rules for congregations on its churches and religious organizations (opens in a new tab) page.

Sources

• Thrivent: Thrivent Choice (opens in a new tab)
• Thrivent: Thrivent Choice FAQs (opens in a new tab)
• Thrivent Choice: Terms and Conditions for organizations (PDF, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
• Thrivent Choice: Terms and Conditions for clients with membership (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
• Thrivent Choice: FAQs for enrolled organizations (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
• Thrivent Choice: By the numbers fact sheet (PDF, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
• Thrivent Choice brochure (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
• Thrivent: 15 Years of Generosity promotion (opens in a new tab)
• Thrivent: Thrivent Action Teams (opens in a new tab)
• Thrivent: Thrivent Action Teams FAQs (opens in a new tab)
• Thrivent: How We Give Back (opens in a new tab)
• Thrivent: About Us (opens in a new tab)
• Thrivent: Membership FAQ (opens in a new tab)
• Thrivent: Disaster response (opens in a new tab)
• Thrivent: Member Network regional board advised grant recommendation (opens in a new tab)
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: Thrivent Financial for Lutherans filings (opens in a new tab)
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation filings (opens in a new tab)
• IRS: Publication 1828, Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
• IRS: Exemption Requirements, 501(c)(3) Organizations (opens in a new tab)
• IRS: Churches and Religious Organizations (opens in a new tab)