The Knights of Columbus in Quebec has launched the 50th edition of its annual charity campaign, aiming to raise $1.5 million for hospital foundations, food banks and other local charities. Behind the campaign sits one of North America’s largest fraternal life insurers.
The Catholic men’s organization, which has more than 70,000 members in Quebec, sells charity lottery tickets through its members until mid-March 2027, with the draw in Victoriaville in April. Money raised is split between provincial, regional and local levels, and the Quebec State Council is directing a significant portion this year to Réseau Solidarité Itinérance du Québec, a homelessness network. Since its launch, the campaign has raised more than $53 million.
“Every ticket sold helps support and advance the work being done in our communities,” said Jocelyn Ross, state deputy of the Knights of Columbus in Quebec.
The Knights of Columbus is a fraternal benefit society. It began in 1882 as a mutual aid society to protect the families of members who died, and it still sells insurance only to members and their families. Its products include life insurance, annuities, disability income and long-term care insurance, available to eligible members in the US and Canada.
The insurance business has grown significantly. The Order now reports more than $124 billion of life insurance in force and about 1.6 million policies, and its asset management subsidiary oversees more than $30 billion. The organization ranks on the Fortune 1000 list of America’s largest companies. In Quebec, its insurance program is run through three agencies: Le Bouthillier, Angy Dion and Duval.
Fraternal societies tie their insurance and charitable work together. The Knights say the insurance program helps fund their charitable activities, and members, agents and volunteers come from the same network. IB noted last year that all of the Order’s field agents must be members, which links its distribution directly to its community identity.
The Order’s distribution model has changed noticeably. When it passed $100 billion of life insurance in force, the Knights reported more than 1,500 agents across the US and Canada. In August 2026, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly told the 144th Supreme Convention that the Order had more than 900 agents, led by 68 general agents, and called on every council to make financial protection a top priority.
That means each agent now handles a larger share of a larger book. It also leaves the Order relying on fewer agents to reach new members, at a time when many Catholic parishes are seeing aging congregations.
The Order’s financial strength remains high. In November 2025, AM Best affirmed its A+ (Superior) financial strength rating and “aa” long-term issuer credit rating. That is AM Best’s second-highest rating. For about four decades, the Knights promoted their A++ rating from AM Best and described themselves as North America’s highest-rated insurer.
For independent life advisors in Quebec, the Knights are a closed-distribution competitor. Their products are sold only to members, through member agents. Their appeal combines faith-based identity, mutual ownership and visible charitable work, which advisors can’t replicate through standard product comparisons.
The broader fraternal model is also part of Canada’s life market through Foresters Financial, which sells through independent advisors. The Knights’ shrinking agent force and slightly lower rating suggest that even well-capitalized fraternals face the same distribution and recruitment pressures as the rest of the life industry.
