What's New in CHIP

10/10/08 - Displays and Banners for chapters
Tabletop and floor displays that project the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans brand, along with logo banners that can be customized with a chapter name, are available for chapters to order online from a catalog or by faxing an order form.

8/14/08 - Thrivent Financial educational seminars/workshops
Description of who qualifies as presenters was added to this section.

05/13/08 - Policy on Grants and Gifts
Stance on matters of church politics, theology or doctrine; and its impact on grants and giving, including chapter fundraising.

04/28/08 - Inviting elected officials to chapter events
Guidelines for inviting active candidates running for office in an election year.

04/14/08 - National board of directors election — chapter responsibilities
Instructions and related tools for chapters to nominate candidates for the 2008 national board of directors election.

04/03/08 - Creating a chapter mission statement
How to create a chapter mission statement and why your chapter may want to have one.

03/25/08 - Donor checks — what to do when a check doesn't clear
Choices and tips for what to do when your chapter receives a check, as part of fund-raiser proceeds, that does not clear because there were insufficient funds in the donor's account or the checking account on which the check was issued has been closed.

02/01/08 - Church membership information – guidelines for submitting
Members can go to a secure page on thrivent.com to update their church membership and other personal information. A prewritten article now is available to help chapter leaders and congregational coordinators promote this feature to members.

02/01/08 - Calculating beginning-of-year balance for chapter operating funds
Before you can enter your chapter’s operating funds expenses online for the year, you must enter the beginning-of-year balance. See instructions for doing this.

01/30/08 - Leadership board – Past financial directors / past assistant financial directors
To help chapters more easily complete year-end tasks at the beginning of the next year, outgoing financial directors and assistant financial directors will have access to the Chapter Leadership Administration Menu until March 1 of the following year.

01/30/08 - Congregational coordinators – online training
The Fraternal Service Center offers one-on-one training to congregational coordinators on using the Web site for their role. Find out how to register.

01/23/08 - Gaming activities (bingo, poker, etc.) – guidelines
Important guidelines for chapters to be aware of when service teams want to raise funds via gaming activities.

01/04/08 - Mailing service for chapters – newsletters and postcards
New guidelines posted about the maximum number of mailings alloweed per year.

11/29/07 - Materials for chapters & congregations
A link to the new How to Order Supplies two-page step-by-step instruction guide added.

11/28/07 - Planning & appropriate uses for chapter operating funds
The link to the standard mileage rates on the Internal Revenue Service Web site has been updated for 2008.

11/14/07 - Web sites for chapters
Information added about a new "Chapter Leaders Display" content feed that allows you to automatically post all chapter leaders, Thrivent Builds chapters specialists, and advisors as well as their phone numbers and e-mail addresses on record with Thrivent Financial. This information is updated automatically when there are changes to chapter leaders or their contact information, so it's always up-to-date.

10/16/07 - Reporting operating funds expenses
Three examples were added instructing chapters how to report situations where money is deposited back into operating funds related to an expense paid previously (ticket reimbursement, meal reimbursement, seed money reimbursement).

8/30/07 - Thrivent Financial educational seminars/workshops and Operating funds: planning and appropriate uses
Looking for different ways to involve more of your members? Your chapter can consider supporting seminars—led by Thrivent Financial representatives—that educate participants about financial topics in the context of their values.

7/30/07 - Privacy Policy and Chapter elections: Nominating Committee and Recruiting Guidelines
These sections were updated to include that chapter leader contact information (name, phone and e-mail address) might be automatically posted on the public chaper Web sites on Lutherans Online, and that chapter leader candidates must be informed of this before being elected or appointed to a chapter leader elected or advisory position.

5/22/07 - Thrivent Financial logo & name — proper use and how to request
A new online Logo Request Form is available to request the Thrivent Financial logo. Use this form instead of sending an e-mail, which was the previous process.

4/26/07 - National board of directors election — chapter responsibilities
Information updated with 2007 dates and attachments.

4/19/07 - Endorsement stamps for chapter checks — proper wording
Information was added about using an endorsement stamp for a chapter's Thrivent Builds account.

3/02/07 - Liability Insurance Coverage
The selling, auctioning off or raffling off of firearms or fireworks of any sort were added as examples of high-risk activities. These are strongly discouraged and shouldn't be approved by chapter leaders.

2/26/07 - Volunteer Leader Eligibility (Conflicts of Interest)
Chart has been updated to reflect Congregational Relationship Manager role.

2/20/07 - Teleconferencing services
Your customer profile number changed to 193512.

2/7/07 - Admitting new members requirement
Included detailed instructions on steps for admitting new members into a chapter.

2/2/07 - Glossary
Updated definitions for "Chapter Care programs" and "Recipient."

1/31/07 - Reporting requirements
Modified the guidelines for reporting chapter meetings due to expenses now being reported under "Manage Operating Funds," and added further explanation of what to report for volunteer hours.

1/09/07 - Chapter Summary Report - instructions for using
Added reference and link to the Managing Chapter Operating Funds quick reference guide (PDF, 302K).

1/09/07 - Operating funds
Section updated to reflect the new Manage Chapter Operating Funds screens that are available on the Chapter Leadership Administration section online, as well as the updated quick-reference guide (PDF, 302K) and online tutorial about chapter operating funds, located on the Tutorials/Quick References page online.

1/08/07 - Tax-deductible contributions - guidelines, disclosures, acknowledgement receipts
Updated guidelines and requirements about donations issued to Thrivent chapters or Thrivent Builds—specifically, the use of the Acknowledgement of Donation Received form.

12/20/06 - Teleconferencing services
Information has changed about Thrivent Financial's teleconferencing service provider as an option for chapter meetings.

12/19/06 - Mailing service for chapters — newsletters and postcards
A note about special mailing requests from LCS Teams has been added to the How to access/guidelines/instructions/questions section.

12/08/06 - Tax-deductible contributions - guidelines, disclosures, acknowledgement receipts
Updated to include information about new legislation, effective 1/1/07, regarding tax-deductible contributions. Chapters and chapter service teams are encouraged to provide a written receipt for all donations received at a chapter and/or Thrivent Builds activity.

12/06/06 - Church membership information - guidelines for submitting
A link to, and information about, the Church Membership Update form has been added.

12/05/06 - Requesting changes and correcting errors
New article added regarding making changes and correcting errors with Care program activities.

12/01/06 - Planning & appropriate uses
The link to the standard mileage rates on the Internal Revenue Service Web site has been updated for 2007.

11/07/06 - Important Dates
Chapter-related dates about deadlines and mailings for 2007 have been added.

11/02/06 - Chapter checking account — using the account/signature card & security questions form
Information has been added about the inclusion and usage of the Chapter Checking Account Security Questions Request with the Chapter Depository Authorization bank signature card.

11/01/06 - Community service teams
The description of a community service team has been clarified so that the team's role includes the planning, organizing, conducting and reporting results of chapter activities.

10/26/06 - Alcohol policy
Thrivent Financial's policy on serving alcoholic beverages at chapter activities has been revised.

10/03/06 - Reporting chapter election results
This section was updated to include information about appointing and re-appointing members to chapter advisory positions and Thrivent Builds chapter specialist positions.

9/24/06 - National board of directors election
A paragraph you can use to promote the national board of directors election and encourage benefit members to vote now is included in this section.

9/5/06 - Chapter checking account — using the account/signature card
Thanks to member feedback, Thrivent Financial Bank has removed the three-day hold policy on deposited nonlocal checks. Funds from both local and nonlocal deposited checks are now available the next business day.

8/23/06 - Leadership board: term limits — staggering terms
Updated the term limit requirements definition in regard to the effect switching chapters has on term limits.

8/15/06 - Chapter elections: requirements
Clarified that every position being filled for the next year must be voted on.

8/15/06 - Member lists - proper use of
Indicated restriction on sharing member lists with non-Lutheran nonaffiliates.

7/26/06 - Liability insurance coverage
Combined the general and professional liability insurance articles into one.

7/18/06 - Mailing service for chapters - newsletters and postcards
Added information about the new Thrivent Builds postcard, and how Thrivent Builds chapter specialists can access the Thrivent Builds mailings page.

7/18/06 - Privacy policy
The "IMPACTS OF PRIVACY ON CHAPTER LEADER AND CONGREGATIONAL VOLUNTEER (AND SERVICE TEAM LEADER) PERSONAL INFORMATION" section now includes the Thrivent Builds roles.

7/18/06 - Admitting new members requirement
Wording has been clarified for better understanding.

6/29/06 - Privacy Policy
The "Impacts of Privacy on Chapters" section was updated to better clarify eligible situations and third parties with which chapters can share information from member lists.

6/29/06 - Member lists — proper use of
Information updated to place more emphasis on reviewing Thrivent Financial's Privacy Policy before using member lists and also to reflect the new Thrivent Builds chapter specialist and congregational champion positions.

6/19/06 - Liability insurance coverage — general
"Children's inflatable bounce equipment" added as an example of high-risk activities that shouldn't be approved by chapters.