Knights, guilds and lay societies
Catholic Order of Foresters
COF · Catholic Foresters
Founded 1883Fraternal benefit society, meaning a member-owned life insurance organization rather than a devotional or service society. Licensed in 46 states and the District of Columbia, home office in Naperville, Illinois.83000
A letter or two
Email request. Unclear; the cost of membership is the premium on an individually underwritten insurance certificate or annuity.
Open their pageSubmit the Interested in becoming a member contact form or schedule a free consultation on the homepage, and an agent will write the policy that actually makes you a member.
Members have a portal to sign in to.
Catholic Order of Foresters began in Chicago in 1883 when 42 men each put a dollar on a wooden desk so that no Catholic immigrant family would be left destitute if the breadwinner died. That desk is still in the home office. Today it is a life insurance company with a membership structure: you become a member by buying a life insurance certificate or an annuity, and membership then carries extras such as scholarships, matching-funds charitable programs, and member benefits. Investments are screened against Catholic teaching. If you are looking for meetings and fellowship this is the thinnest commitment on the list, because the relationship is mostly with an agent and a policy.
What you promise
Hold an in-force life insurance certificate or annuity. The cost is the premium, individually underwritten, rather than dues. There are no required meetings, degrees, or service hours at the national level, though local courts and member gatherings exist and members logged 40,000 volunteer hours in 2025.
What the Church attaches
No chaplaincy, indulgences, or devotional obligations. What is on offer instead is Catholic-aligned investing, a fraternal legacy rider that directs a share of the death benefit to a Catholic charity the member names, and a stated commitment to supporting the wider Catholic community.
Enrollment checked 2026-10-22. Details change without notice and parish practice varies. Confirm before relying on this sheet.