Trade Group for Tax-Exempt Fraternal US Life Insurers Changes Name to Reflect Mission

The trade association of fraternal benefit societies formed in 1886 has changed its name to the American Fraternal Alliance.

The new name for the association, formerly known as the National Fraternal Congress of America, is changing its identity -- including logo and tagline -- to better reflect its mission, membership and value, it said.

The new brand "gives the association a one-of-a-kind opportunity to enhance the awareness of fraternal life insurers with some of our most important audiences -- state and federal legislators, state regulators, agents and brokers, and opinion leaders in the news media," said Joseph Annotti, president and chief executive officer of the Fraternal Alliance.

The alliance is a nonprofit trade association with 70 members, each of which is a fraternal benefit society. The societies provide, among others, life insurance and disability insurance for members, and offer benefits, such as scholarships and vocational opportunities.

At a time when both state and federal governments are strapped for cash, repealing the tax-exempt status of fraternals and other nonprofit organizations "can be very appealing to lawmakers," Annotti said. "Our mission is to make sure they understand the value that our members, other nonprofit organizations and American taxpayers get from the fraternal exemption."

The societies are not-for-profit, mutual aid organizations under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)8. Their members have a common bond, such as religious beliefs, gender, occupation, ethnicity, physical condition or value system.

The new tagline is "United in service and financial security." Revenues from the sale of life insurance and benefits fund volunteer efforts such as food banks, disaster relief, military veteran assistance and educational scholarships.

In the last year, the alliance said its members contributed $400 million to charitable programs supporting community service projects.

The societies operate in 50 states, the District of Columbia and Canada and represent nearly 9 million individuals who participate in 31,500 local chapters. They are among the largest member-volunteer networks in the United States.

The American Fraternal Alliance had to modernize its brand to "better reflect the valuable social and economic contributions that member societies such as Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, the Knights of Columbus, and dozens of others make every day in communities across the country," Annotti said.

The three stars in the new logo represent the three cornerstones of the fraternal system -- the individual, the local community, and the American society, he added.

Fraternal benefit societies have "a more-relevant role today than ever, and a bright future in helping families and individuals," said Mark Theisen, executive vice president of finance and treasurer of the Woodmen of the World/Omaha Woodmen Life Insurance Society and chairman of the Fraternals' board of directors, in a statement.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Knights of Columbus each have a Best's Financial Strength Ratings of A++ (Superior). Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society has a Best's Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior).

(By Fran Matso Lysiak, senior associate editor, BestWeek: fran.lysiak@ambest.com)