Knights of Columbus Charity Rises to Recent Challenges

Record-setting donations in '17 keep pace with major needs

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Jun 11, 2018, 01:14 ET

NEW HAVEN, Conn., June 11, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 2017 was a record-setting year for Knights of Columbus charitable work with an unprecedented $185.6 million in donations and 75.6 million hours of service provided worldwide.

The monetary value of K of C's service hours is valued at $1.9 billion based on an estimate by Independent Sector, a network for nonprofit foundations that values a 2017 volunteer hour at $24.69.

By the Numbers: Knights of Columbus giving in 2017.

The K of C's 2017 survey of charitable giving also showed that monetary donations increased $12 million from 2016 (+4.5 percent) and service hours grew by 500,000 (+0.7 percent). Year-over-year annual growth in both categories has been consistent over the past two decades.

"Once again, the Knights of Columbus showed the enormous difference we can make in the lives of others by putting our faith in action," said K of C CEO Carl Anderson. "The needs of many of our communities were particularly great in 2017, especially in the wake of historic hurricanes in Houston, South Florida, Puerto Rico and much of the Caribbean. The Knights did not hesitate to provide assistance after these humanitarian crises and in Mexico where two cities were badly damaged by earthquakes."

K of C in the Community
In addition to disaster relief, K of C also continued to support local communities through programs like:

Disaster Relief $7.5M
Christian Refugee Relief $6.3M
Coats for Kids $2.5M
Food Drives $7.6M
Special Olympics $14.7M
Habitat for Humanity $0.6M
Global Wheelchair Mission $1.6M

K of C Internationally
Works of spiritual formation and assisting vocations were priorities carried out by Knights worldwide.

Since 2014, the Knights' Christian Refugee Relief Fund has donated more than $17 million for humanitarian assistance to Christians and other religious minorities primarily in Iraq, Syria and the surrounding region.

"Along with what we do in our own communities, the reach of the Knights is global," Anderson said. "We were able to pledge $2 million to save Karamles, a predominantly Christian town on Iraq's Nineveh Plain liberated from ISIS in 2017. Christian churches and graves were desecrated, and many homes were looted, damaged or destroyed."

About the Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization whose nearly 2 million members and 15,000 councils support a broad spectrum of charitable causes locally, as well as internationally.

Founded in 1882 as a fraternal benefit society to render financial aid to members and their families, the K of C continues to be true to its founding principles of charity, unity and fraternity by offering support to its membership, as well an almost infinite variety of local, national and international charitable projects. These projects also include Warriors to Lourdes, the March for Life; the Saint John Paul II National Shrine; Building the Domestic Church; and many more.

To learn more about the Knights of Columbus charitable initiatives, membership, insurance and the legacy of its founder, Venerable Father Michael McGivney, visit www.kofc.org.

SOURCE Knights of Columbus