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Amigos en Cristo receives
$100,000 grant to spur charitable gifts
Grant part of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation initiative

MINNEAPOLIS (May, 2008) – Amigos en Cristo, 106 S. 2nd Street, Immokalee, Florida, recently received a $100,000 grant from the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation, Appleton, Wis., designed to generate thousands more in financial gifts to the ministry. The grant will allow Amigos en Cristo, Inc. to hire a new Development Officer to help raise funds in support of a new multicultural Lutheran Church and Social Service Agency in Immokalee, Florida.

The grant is part of the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation Charitable Gifting Initiative designed to educate supporters of Lutheran institutions and ministries about the advantages of tax-wise charitable gifts.
“We are thrilled to receive this well timed and generous investment from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans,” said Rev. Robert V. Selle, Executive Director of Amigos en Cristo. “This will help us to carry out our vision of establishing a thriving Lutheran Word and sacrament ministry in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole in the Farmworker community of Immokalee, Florida.”

“It is our hope that this grant will strengthen Amigos en Cristo’s ability to inform potential donors of various options available to them to financially support the church’s work,” said Brad Hewitt, president of the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation. “As people come alongside Amigos en Cristo with charitable gifts, Amigos en Cristo will become increasingly effective in carrying out its mission.”

In 2007, the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation awarded 62 Charitable Gifting Initiative grants to Lutheran nonprofits ranging from $8,000 to $100,000.

Those grants are expected to generate more than $177.6 million in immediate or deferred monetary gifts to Lutheran institutions in the coming years.

The grant program goals are to:

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

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

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

 
The Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation is a private foundation funded by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. As a 501(c)(3) organization with its own board of trustees, the foundation is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious, scientific, literary and educational purposes and makes grants and gifts to 501(c)(3) exempt organizations. The foundation does not provide grants to individuals.

To learn more about the foundation and its Charitable Gifting Program, visit: http://www.thrivent.com/foundations/thrivent/charitable_gifting_initiative.html.

About Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

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

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