Fraternal, Community and Member Programs

Fraternal Programs > It's as Easy as ABC 1•2•3 > A. Getting Things Started
A. Getting Things Started

Identify recipient of funds.

Most likely, you have a person or an organization in mind that you want to help. However, there are times when you may want to make a difference in your community, but you're not sure who needs help or what needs meet your interests or the interests of others who will be involved. If the latter is true, you will want to do step 2 first - form your community service team. Then, together with those making up the service team, you can determine who the recipient will be.

Tip: Social service and social ministry organizations and local volunteer centers (if one is located in your community) can be very helpful resources to identify needs in your community.

Form your community service team.

Find at least six Thrivent Financial members from different households who want to participate in planning, organizing and conducting the activity. They can help you plan and organize your activity, as well as recruit additional volunteers for the activity. After this requirement is met, nonmembers also may and are encouraged to participate in the activity. If you're not sure how to find five other Thrivent Financial members from different households, contact chapter leaders or your regional Lutheran Community Service (LCS) Team.

Explore your capabilities; select your activity..

There are many fun and worthwhile ways to improve the life of an individual or improve life in your neighborhood or community. Before selecting a specific activity, your service team should agree on the type and size of activity that feels right.

What to do

In selecting the right activity, choose an undertaking that is:

Big enough to be worthwhile and challenging.
Small enough to be done with the time and effort available.
A reasonable fit with everyone's talents, experiences and resources.

As a team, discuss each of the following questions. When finished, decide what type of activity you want to pursue.

How much experience do we have in working on volunteer projects?
A little Some A lot
How much time do we have to invest in selecting and planning what to do?
A little Some A lot
To what extent do we have strong and experienced leaders to guide and organize the work?
A little Some A lot
How much time and energy do we have or want to commit to this activity?
A little Some A lot
How many people can we recruit to help with this effort?
A little Some A lot

Based on your response to these questions, choose the type of activity that fits the experience of the group:

If the majority of your answers are "a little," you will want to keep your activity simple. Don't overextend yourself or take on more than you can handle. (i.e., a bake sale or selling refreshments at a community event.)
If the majority of your answers are "some," you can likely take on a more challenging activity. You may be ready to consider an activity that involves many volunteers with a variety of responsibilities. (i.e, a car wash, community book sale or lawn care and clean up for the elderly in the community.)
If the majority of your answers are "a lot," you may be ready to take on a large-scale activity involving a larger number of volunteers with a variety of responsibilities. Most often, these larger activities are required to raise large amounts of money (e.g., benefit dance) or to accomplish a larger service activity (e.g., building wheel chair ramps or a storage building at a community park).

Still not sure what you want to do?

Decide what interests you and your group most and what person, population or cause you would like to help. If you don't have an activity or recipient in mind, here are some ideas for determining whom you want to help:

Think about the issues facing your community. Select one that most interests you and your group.
Ask people in the community to cite their greatest concerns.
Watch the news. Clip articles or stories in the news.
Ask your chapter leadership board if they have heard of needs in the community.
Contact a local Volunteer Center to find out what community needs exist.

Select your activity.
While determining your activity, ask yourselves the following questions:

First, do you want to raise funds or do a hands-on service activity?

If you answered you want to raise funds,

How much money do you want to raise?
$50-$500
$500-$1000
$1000-$2500
$2500-$5000
more than $5000

How many volunteers do you think you will need?
6-10
10-20
20-50
50-100
more than 100

How quickly do you need the funds raised?
1 month
2 months
3 months
more than 3 months

If you answered you want to do a service activity:

How many volunteers do you think will get involved?
6-10
10-20
20-50
more than 50

When do you want to do this service activity?
within 1 month
within 2 months
within 3 months
more than 3 months

Be sure to select an activity based on your answers to these questions. If you are looking to raise a large amount of funds, you will likely need more time to plan it, more volunteers involved and a larger type of activity.

Here's a list of activity ideas that may help you in selecting your activity.

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A community service team made up of both youth and adults, helped a couple with disabilities that needed work done at their home. Activities included washing walls, shampooing carpet, installing air conditioner, cleaning blinds, washing windows, trimming bushes and trees and more.