Employee Benefits
For Congregations and Faith-based Organizations

YOU NEED A BENEFITS PROVIDER THAT:
- Supports every stage of life
- Delivers value at an affordable price
- Frees you to focus on your mission
- Acts in your best interest
Your Life’s Work: Powered by Portico
We believe that wellness impacts your ability to serve. The good news is that you aren’t alone in this. As a nonprofit ministry of the ELCA, we were established to serve church-affiliated ministries like yours, and we have benefit packages to help you serve your staff.

Total Benefits Provider:

Buying Power:

Extension of Your Team:

Aligned in Faith and Service:



Working With Us Is Easy
Set up a discovery call so we can learn more about one another.
We will gather your information so we can create a custom solution.
Offer benefits through Portico and allow your organization to focus on its mission.
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How are you able to provide more stable rates?
At Portico, we’ve seen the positive results of this collective power. It’s just one of the reasons Portico has been able to keep annual baseline health rate increases at or below 5% over the past five-year period.
The Portico Benefit Services 5-year average rate increase is 4% as of January 1, 2022.
What are the advantages of your retirement plan?
Our 403(b)(9) retirement plan is a church plan, which is an employee benefit plan established and maintained for the employees of a church or church-associated organization. As a church plan, it is not subject to ERISA or DOL oversight, saving time, money, and effort. Clergy can benefit from significant tax savings when taking distributions from the plan by claiming the clergy housing allowance exclusion, only available through church plans — not banks, investment firms, or fraternal organizations. This plan also benefits from the large pool of assets we manage giving us access to industry leading investment managers and Fidelity recordkeeping services, often not available to smaller plans.
Learn more about our approach to financial health and investments on our product solutions page.
What kinds of benefits can we access?
Portico offers a holistic approach to benefits with a focus on financial, emotional, and physical wellness. We curate cost-effective benefit solutions that support total wellness for those who serve including:
- Retirement Plans
- Health Benefits
- Disability Benefits
- Life Insurance
For congregations we offer a bundled benefit package that includes health, retirement, disability, and life insurance. This bundled package protects members from a variety of financial risks and serves them throughout their lifetime.
What service/support can we expect when an employee needs to use their benefits?
- Portico Care Coordinators by Quantum Health to help employees navigate the often-complex health care system
- Condition-specific programs and coaching with personalized support for members’ wellness journey
- Financial planners and online tools that help guide members toward greater financial confidence
What impact will working with Portico have on our internal teams, like HR?
The Portico team will work in tandem with your HR administrator to provide extensive experience and support in onboarding, implementation, benefits education, member enrollment, and payroll integration.
We can provide a one-stop benefits administration experience, while you focus on your ministry. Learn more about the other ways we can serve as an extension of your team.
How do we know if we qualify to be part of the Portico pool?
If your organization is associated with a church and is exempt from tax under Internal Revenue Code Section 501, you may be eligible to participate in a church plan, which is an employee benefit plan established and maintained for the employees of a church or church associated organization. This could include congregations, skilled nursing facilities, schools, camps, colleges & universities, or social ministry organizations.
Portico Benefit Services can serve any organization associated with the ELCA or one of its full communion partners. As a nonprofit ministry of the ELCA, we were established to serve church-affiliated ministries like yours.
Church plans are not subject to reporting and disclosure requirements required in Title I of ERISA, including an annual Form 5500 filing requirement, and are not subject to an annual audit requirement — saving you costs.
Determination of eligibility to participate in a church plan is dependent on each organization’s unique facts and circumstances. Set up a call and we can help determine your eligibility. Learn more about church plan status.
We once thought we couldn’t afford Portico,
now we realize we can’t afford NOT to be with Portico!
President/CEO, Missouri Slope

Set up a call
Set up a call with us today to learn more about our plans and how you can take advantage of our pooled plan with rate stability and curated offerings.