Thrivent Financial for Lutherans invests $2 million in Carlson School Growth Fund MINNEAPOLIS — (July 1, 2008) —The Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota is pleased to announce that Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has invested $2 million into the Carlson Funds Enterprise’s Carlson Growth Fund. This is the second investment Thrivent Financial has made in the Carlson Funds Enterprise, and also the largest single initial investment into the Carlson Growth Fund. The Carlson Growth Fund, a small-cap growth fund, is one of two partnerships managed by students at the Carlson School as part of the Carlson Funds Enterprise, a program designed to give students real-world experience analyzing companies and investing in their securities. The Carlson Funds Enterprise has more than $25 million distributed between the two funds. With the Thrivent Financial investment, the Carlson Growth Fund will grow to approximately $13 million, a substantial increase from the $3.5 million invested at its inception in 1998 by four corporations. The Carlson Growth Fund formed the foundation of the first Carlson Funds Enterprise program. “The Carlson funds provide select graduate and undergraduate students with the opportunity to learn how financial markets work by analyzing and investing in the equity and debt securities of small and large companies,” explains Joe Barsky, program director of the Carlson Funds Enterprise. “This real world experience is made possible by our participants, such as Thrivent Financial, as well as by a network of professional investment analysts and portfolio managers who serve as mentors to the students.” Over the past 10 years, more than 200 students have participated in the Carlson Funds Enterprise. The Carlson Growth Fund has consistently outperformed the Russell 2000 Growth Index, and through May 2008, the Carlson Growth Fund has grown 170.48 percent since inception. Thrivent Financial has been instrumental in the success of the Carlson Funds Enterprise since the inception of the Carlson Fixed Income Fund in 2003. As a financial service organization, Thrivent Financial recognizes the economic importance of investing in the future supply of well-trained financial analysts. Thrivent Financial has hired close to 100 Carlson School graduates over the years. About Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a Fortune 500 financial services membership organization helping nearly 3 million 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. About the Carlson School of Management The Carlson School of Management is a world-class educational institution located at the University of Minnesota and in the heart of the Minneapolis/St. Paul business community, home to 20 Fortune 500 companies whose leaders engage regularly with the school. The mission of the Carlson School is to provide the highest quality education for present and future business and academic leaders and advance the understanding and practice of management through research and outreach. The Carlson School has more than 4,800 students, 10 degree programs, 108 tenure- and tenure-track faculty, and more than 50,000 alumni in a network that spans the globe. For more information, visit www.carlsonschool.umn.edu. ### |