page_title: Charitable activities of the Knights of Columbus
section_title: The Catholic University of America
hierarchical_section_title: Charitable activities of the Knights of Columbus / Charitable activity / Education initiatives / The Catholic University of America
caption_attribution_description: English: The Knights of Columbus presented a check to The Catholic University of America on the steps of the University's McMahon Hall in 1904 to establish a Chair of American History.
context_page_description: The charitable activities of the Knights of Columbus include the money and time donated by the Order of the Knights of Columbus, state and local councils, and individual members, to charitable causes.
  According to the National Catholic Reporter, "there is hardly a corner of the Catholic world where the resources of this international force have not left an impression." This has allowed the Knights and its high-ranking officers to "become powerful and influential in ways unimaginable in 1882 ... and no other lay group can match the Knights' ability to leave its mark on the church" - raising serious concerns over its ability to distort the Catholic Church's broader governance and decision-making.
  At their 2019 convention, the CEO claimed that the organization had donated $185 million and 76 million volunteer hours toward charity projects in 2018.
  United in Charity, a general, unrestricted endowment fund, was introduced at the 2004 Supreme Council meeting to support and ensure the overall long-term charitable and philanthropic goals of the order. The fund is wholly managed, maintained, and operated by Knights of Columbus Charities, Inc., a 501 charitable organization.
context_section_description: In the early years of the Order, educational activities were limited to things like establishing scholarships to local institutions, placing books in libraries, holding public lectures, and similar activities.  In 1904, in the first national response to a call from the American Church, the Order presented a check for over $50,000 to The Catholic University of America to establish a chair of American history. In the years following this initial gift, an additional $500,000 was raised to establish 50 scholarships at the university.  Originally there was to be one fellowship for every $10,000, with preference going to Knights or their families.By 1922, 146 K. of C. Fellowships had been awarded.
caption: The Knights of Columbus presented a check to The Catholic University of America on the steps of the university's McMahon Hall in 1904 to establish a Chair of American History.
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