The Knights of Columbus have played an active role in politics ever since its formation, and promote the Catholic view on public policy issues around the world.

The order also owns the Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors, a money management firm which invests in accordance with Catholic social teachings.

[6] As the order expanded outside of Connecticut, structural changes in the late 1880s and 1890s were instituted to give the Knights a federalist system with local, state, and national levels of government.

[15] To combat the animus targeted at racial and religious minorities, including Catholics, the Order formed a historical commission which published a series of books in the 1920s on their contributions, among other activities.

[16][17][18] The "Knights of Columbus Racial Contributions Series" of books included three titles: The Gift of Black Folk: The Negroes in the Making of America, by W. E. B.

[17][18] The Knights of Columbus "was the only American fraternal society which did not, by its constitution, prohibit Negro [sic] membership", according to historian Christopher Kauffman.

Emmett Jay Scott wrote, "Unlike the other social welfare organizations operating in the war, it never drew the color line.

Joseph Bertrand, who graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1954, was blackballed from joining a Chicago-area Knights council in 1963 after being nominated by Gene Liner.

By the end of the 1950s, KoC Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart was actively encouraging councils to accept black candidates.

[21] In 1963, Hart attended a special meeting at the White House hosted by President John F. Kennedy to discuss civil rights with other religious leaders.

[22][20][23][16] Around 1915, during the nadir of American race relations, the Ku Klux Klan began promoting a conspiracy theory claiming that Fourth Degree Knights swore an oath to exterminate Freemasons and Protestants.

[29] In 1923, the Knights of Columbus offered $25,000 to any person with proof that the fake oath attributed to the fourth-degree membership was part of any authentic ceremony.

[37] Bill Clinton sent a videotaped message to the 111th Supreme Convention saying the Order's "contributions to the Catholic Church and to your communities merit our applause.

"[37] Church historian Massimo Faggioli believes the scope of the Knights' philanthropy can "create influence through money, especially in important places like Rome or Washington, D.C."[38] The order is dedicated to the principles of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism.

[39] Membership is restricted to men, at least 18 years of age, who are practicing Catholics in union with the Holy See and are in good standing with the Church.

Between 2014 and 2018, the Knights gave more than $2 million to provide food, shelter, clothing, and medical care to persecuted Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East.

[128] At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Order established a $100 million fund to provide short-term loans to help dioceses weather the economic storm.

[130] As part of the effort, the order distributed pamphlets, and lecturers toured the country speaking on how Catholics could love and be loyal to America.

[132][133] In response to a defamatory "bogus oath" circulated by the KKK,[134] in 1914 the Knights set up a framework for a lecture series and educational programs to combat anti-Catholic sentiment.

[136] The CIS published a series on the new evangelization in 2011,[137] and donations to other Catholic mass communication services represent one of the Knights' major expenditures.

[140] The award "recognizes individuals for their exemplary contributions to the realization of the message of faith and service in the spirit of Christ as articulated in the document for which it is named".

Martin H. Carmody and Luke E. Hart were both political conservatives, but John J. Phelan was a Democratic politician prior to becoming Supreme Knight,[148] John Swift's "strong support for economic democracy and social-welfare legislation marks him as a fairly representative New Deal anti-communist,"[149] and Francis P. Matthews was a civil rights official and member of Harry Truman's cabinet.

Public policy activity is limited to issue-specific campaigns, typically dealing with Catholic family and sanctity of life issues.

[153][40] They state that In addition to performing charitable works, the Knights of Columbus encourages its members to meet their responsibilities as Catholic citizens and to become active in the political life of their local communities, to vote and to speak out on the public issues of the day. ...

The order supports and promotes the social doctrine of the Church, including a robust vision of religious liberty that embraces religion's proper role in the private and public spheres.

[157] It was also supportive of trade unionism, and published the works "of the broad array of intellectuals", including George Schuster, Samuel Flagg Bemis, Allan Nevins, and W. E. B.

[164] It holds mosaics on loan from the Vatican and gifts from Popes, the membership application from John F. Kennedy, and a number of other items related to the history of the Knights.

[170] Each year 64,000 pilgrims visit the shrine, which features video content, interactive displays, and personal effects from John Paul.

"[189][190] The anchor represents Christopher Columbus, admiral under the orders of the kings of Spain and patron of this partnership, here a symbol of the Catholic contribution to America.

These three items are also representative of the Blessed Trinity: The red, white and blue colors on the emblem are those of the flag of the United States, where the Knights of Columbus originated.