Slovenska Narodna Podporna Jednota (Slovene National Benefit Society) (Chicago, Ill.)

The Slovenska Narodna Podporna Jednota (Slovene National Benefit Society) was established in Chicago, Illinois, in 1904. Representatives of nine independent regional Slovenian societies met to create a national fraternal and insurance organization which would serve the needs of Slovenian immigrants. The organization was secular and progressive. Originally restricted to Slovenian men, by 1912 it was open to Slovenian women and Croats and, eventually, to all Slavic Americans.

In 1912, the SNPJ organized a loose federation of Slovenian benefit societies to avoid needless competition adversely affecting services being rendered to Slovenian people, and to coordinate the activities of various organizations. The SNPJ absorbed many other Slovenian fraternal associations, most notably the Zveza "Lilija" Wisconsin and Slovenska Delavska Podporna Zveza. The organization publishes the newspaper Prosveta (formerly Glasilo-SNPJ), prior to which its official organ was Glas Svoboda.

From the description of Records, 1904-1952. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 62435444