People have always been drawn together by common interests. Fraternal beneficiary societies are an organized form of “gathering together” of people who share interests and ideals. Gleaner Life Insurance Society is one of many such organizations throughout the United States.

As outlined by the National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA), a fraternal beneficiary society is described by the Internal Revenue Service under 501(c)(8) as a non-profit mutual aid organization that :

(a) Operates under the lodge system or for the exclusive benefit of the members of a fraternity itself operating under the lodge system; and,

(b) Providing for the payment of life, sick, accident, or other benefits of such society, order or association or their dependents.

Gleaner offers a comprehensive portfolio of life insurance and annuity products to its members. All members are eligible to participate in community service projects through their local arbor, which is a service club.

As a group, fraternal beneficiary societies have made generous contributions to their communities through more than 36,000 service clubs nationwide. These organizations provide service and funds to the elderly, impoverished, homeless and disabled, and offer volunteer support to help many community charitable projects succeed. During 2005, fraternal beneficiary societies donated approximately $389,780,140 in support of these activities.

Since 2000, fraternal beneficiaries have sponsored JOIN HANDS DAY (JHD), a day of national service that brings together youth and adults. Gleaner arbors participate in this annual event to unite youth and adults in local projects that build bridges between generations while improving the lives of millions of Americans. Visit the official JOIN HANDS DAY website for more information. [link to www.joinhandsday.org]

For more information on fraternal beneficiary societies, please visit www.nfcanet.org.