Catholic Order of Foresters (COF) is a Catholic life insurance organization that has been protecting families and serving communities for more than 140 years.

Catholic Order of Foresters was founded in 1883 in Chicago to meet an urgent need in the Catholic community. At that time, impoverished immigrants were arriving in the United States in search of a better life. When a family lost its breadwinner, neighbors often passed the hat to provide financial help for survivors, and over time, these collections gave rise to associations, usually organized around shared faith ties, which quickly became anchors of community life.

Seeing this need for lasting security, 42 men came together with a simple but powerful idea: each placed one dollar on a wooden desk to create a fund that would protect any family in crisis. That very desk, still preserved today in the Memorabilia Room at our Home Office in Naperville, Illinois, is a symbol of their vision.

From those humble beginnings, Catholic Order of Foresters grew into a nationwide fraternal benefit society dedicated to protecting families and strengthening communities for more than a century. Our name reflects our mission: just as a forester tends to the forest and its creatures, we are called to care for our Catholic community.

Today

Each member holds an insurance certificate and eligibility for Catholic Order of Foresters’ member benefits, just one of many things that sets us apart from other life insurance companies. By offering members fraternal benefits, including scholarships, we bring Catholic values to life.

We have nearly 83,000 adult and youth members nationwide. Catholic Order of Foresters is licensed in 46 states and the District of Columbia. Our product portfolio includes Term Life, Whole Life, Universal Life, and Annuities.

Members can be confident in the ease and security of doing business with Catholic Order of Foresters. Our website allows members to view policy information in real time and pay bills securely online. All Catholic Order of Foresters agents are trained in e-App, our digital life insurance application. Members and those interested in learning more about Catholic Order of Foresters can communicate with us via phone, email, web form or text message, knowing we will be there when you need us most.

Our office is located in Naperville, Illinois.