Through Matching Funds, Catholic Order of Foresters matches a portion of the dollars raised at parish and community events. In 2025, the program raised tens of thousands of dollars for Catholic communities across the country, just like it has for decades.
Local Parishes See Big Results
Breakfasts, dinners, raffles, and concerts became opportunities for generosity. In Chippewa Falls, Wis., St. Peter 2034 hosted a dinner fundraiser that generated nearly $10,000 for St. Peter Catholic School. Meanwhile, parishioners in Stratford, Wisconsin, rallied at St. Joseph 1486, raising more than $6,000 toward a church remodeling and bathroom addition.
In Ohio, St. Paul 1416 of Doylestown turned a reverse raffle into nearly $8,700 for school playground and parking lot improvements. In Dell Rapids, South Dakota, St. Mary 1173 hosted a breakfast fundraiser to support renovations to their parish hall flooring, raising more than $3,500.
Supporting Families and Schools
Matching Funds also fueled generosity for Catholic education and families in need. St. Francis 774 of Rickardsville, Iowa, raised more than $15,000 through a Christmas cookie sale to support a Catholic Order of Foresters family whose child is battling cancer. In Brunswick, Nebraska, St. Ignatius 2503 hosted a fish fry that provided nearly $3,000 to St. Ludger Elementary School, while in Plainview, St. Paul 2500 raised over $5,600 for its parish religious education program.
In Wisconsin, Sacred Heart 1536 of Boyd/Edson organized a breakfast and bake sale that contributed more than $5,200 toward technology upgrades at St. Joseph Catholic School. And in Canby, Minnesota, St. Peter 1774 raised over $3,500 to support St. Peter Catholic School through its “Spring Fling” celebration.
New Purpose
Annual traditions also carried deeper meaning through Matching Funds. From Holy Trinity 1633’s Breakfast with Santa in Casco, Wisconsin, which helped finance a handicap ramp, to Holy Ghost 636’s parish fish fry in Dubuque, Iowa, which provided over $4,800 to Holy Spirit Catholic Church, each event showed how parish gatherings become vehicles for generosity.