Matt Buehrer, Thriving at Thrivent

Contributed by Matt Buehrer

Matt Buehrer is a thriving financial advisor with Thrivent’s Main Street Financial Group, located on Main St. in Tipp City, one of many Thrivent offices throughout the U.S. Yes, Matt is thriving, but in many more ways than you might think.

Thrivent is a Fortune 500 financial services organization offering advice, investments, insurance, banking, and generosity programs and solutions.  They are a member-owned, faith-based fraternal benefits organization, but most of their clients aren’t just members; they have become generous donors to charities and volunteers for service to charitable events. How does Thrivent do that? Thrivent is a 501©-8 designated organization, which means that the money they would typically pay in federal and state taxes must go towards charitable events and organizations, some directed by Thrivent and some directed by Thrivent members.

Matt says, “We’re inspiring our members to go out and do generous acts and providing them with resources through our fraternal program to make huge financial impacts in the communities we’re serving. Our Tipp City members have directed financial support, through Thrivent and its “Thrivent Choice” program, to organizations such as Tipp Monroe Community Services’ “Lunch on Us” program, Senior Citizens, Downtown Tipp City Partnership, Arts Council, and Needy Basket, to name just a few.  Since 2010, the ‘Thrivent Choice’ national program has donated over $585 million to 48,000 charities, such as St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

Thrivent’s members have different ways to share their time and Thrivent’s charitable funds: Thrivent Action Teams, which donate their time and some Thrivent funds on charitable projects; Thrivent Choice, which involves online giving and input on Thrivent charitable distributions; and Disaster Response, where members can provide assistance in person or through donations. Matt says, “I think the Action Team participants get almost as much joy out of giving as the person or organization which is receiving.”

As an example of a Thrivent Action Team, Matt recently, with the assistance Tipp business folks at a Rotary meeting, were able to support Operation Veteran and Caregiver Support, located in Piqua. The group assembled baskets, called “Welcome Back Home Kits”, full of cooking supplies. The baskets, which Matt had purchased using his Action Team funds, were for veterans coming home from serving or returning from a hospital stay. They contained almost everything they and their families would need to start a kitchen. And, said Matt, “The families really loved them.”

In 2023, Main Street Financial Group members organized and conducted 411 Thrivent Action Teams projects, 514 Thrivent members allocated their Choice Dollars and they logged over 22,664 volunteer hours with a total Financial Impact of $1,513,114 in one year here locally.       

Matt grew up in Archbold, in northwest Ohio, and moved to Tipp in 1986 while teaching at Vandalia (music and wrestling). He is married to Karmyn, has a son and daughter who attended Tipp schools and has been blessed with five grandchildren so far. Matt joined Thrivent in 1989 and has been there for 35 years. Over this time, he has built his practice and brought on his son Kyle Buehrer and daughter-in-law Kayla Buehrer in 2020. Later this fall, his son-in-law Rob Brown will be joining the Main Street Financial Group. He humbly mentioned that he had been named Citizen of the Year and Philanthropist of the Year since coming to Tipp City as well.  

Matt says his biggest challenge is finding enough time to do everything he wants to do and prioritizing the things that can really make an impact. He’s now building a garden in the Thrivent building’s back yard, which he wants to showcase for the community to help teach people how to be good stewards of their land. “It’s amazing what you can grow in a small spot,” he says. And he believes that since Covid, “People want to eat better, they want to have fresh produce”. He’s planting vegetables, fruits and some trees.

Matt’s also a photographer, and the instructor for Great Shot Photography, this class is sponsored by Tipp City Area Arts Council which he services as a board member. The classes are held in the fall, each year with the participants using their cell phones to take pictures.

He closed by saying how blessed he feels living in a strong, supportive community like Tipp City surrounded by his family and friends.