The Knights of Columbus were established by Father Michael J. McGivney in 1882 to provide financial security for Catholic families.
With more than 2 million members organized into more than 16,000 local councils in more than a dozen countries, the Knights of Columbus is the largest Catholic lay fraternity in the world.
We strive to help members become better husbands, better fathers, better Catholics, and better men by enabling them to protect their families, serve their Church, and serve their community.
In the last decade, the Knights of Columbus have donated more than $1.55 billion to charitable causes, and have performed 177.5 million hours of volunteer service.
Knights have led major charitable initiatives including Coats for Kids, the Ultrasound Initiative, and Christians at Risk, and have also sponsored with organizations such as The Special Olympics and the Global Wheelchair Mission.
The Knights of Columbus is also one of the largest life insurers in America, with more than $121 billion of life insurance in force, more than $27 billion of assets under management, and more than two million policies on the books.
The Knights of Columbus has been recognized as a "World's Most Ethical Company" by the Ethisphere Institute for the five consecutive years 2014 - 2018.