Independent Order Of Foresters

FORESTERS IS A FRATERNAL BENEFIT SOCIETY THAT PROVIDES FINANCIAL SERVICES PRODUCTS AND UNIQUE BENEFITS TO ITS MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES. THROUGH ITS MEMBER-GOVERNED BRANCH NETWORK, FORESTERS MEMBERS ARE PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES TO ORGANIZE AND PARTICIPATE IN LOCAL VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES AND FAMILY-FOCUSED EVENTS. WITHIN THIS MODEL OF COMMUNITY SERVICE, FORESTERS LIVES ITS PURPOSE OF ENHANCING THE WELL-BEING OF ITS MEMBERS, THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES.

INSURANCE BENEFITS: THE INDEPENDENT ORDER OF FORESTERS PROVIDED INSURANCE BENEFITS, INCLUDING LIFE, HEALTH AND ANNUITY BENEFITS FOR APPROXIMATELY 2,141,994 MEMBERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, CANADA AND UNITED KINGDOM. THE COST FOR PROVIDING SUCH MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS WAS APPROXIMATELY $656.7 MILLION EXCLUDING CHANGES IN ACTUARIAL RESERVES.

FRATERNAL BENEFITS AND GRANTS: FORESTERS PROVIDE ITS MEMBERS, AT NO ADDITIONAL COST, WITH A VARIETY OF FRATERNAL BENEFITS OUTSIDE OF THE TRADITIONAL INSURANCE BENEFITS DESCRIBED ABOVE. THESE BENEFITS DEMONSTRATE FORESTERS COMMITMENT TO THE PURPOSE OF ASSISTING MEMBERS, ENHANCING THEIR WELL-BEING, AND BENEFITING THEIR COMMUNITIES. THESE BENEFITS PROVIDE AID IN TIMES OF TROUBLE, ILLNESS OR NEED. THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS WERE FUNDED BY FORESTERS FOR ITS MEMBERS. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (U.S./CANADA/UK) - FORESTERS GRANTED 301 NEW SCHOLARSHIPS VALUED AT $2,000/YEAR IN LOCAL CURRENCY IN NORTH AMERICA AND £1,000/YEAR IN THE UK, TO MEMBERS, THEIR SPOUSES, CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN. THIS BENEFIT WAS AWARDED BASED UPON ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS AND PARTICIPATION IN CHARITABLE AND PHILANTHROPIC ACTIVITIES. FORESTERS PROVIDED APPROXIMATELY $1.88 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS IN 2018. LEGAL LINK AND EVERYDAYMONEY (U.S./CANADA/UK) - FORESTERS PROVIDED THESE TWO PERSONAL ASSISTANCE BENEFITS TO FORESTERS MEMBERS WHO NEED FINANCIAL COUNSELING OR LEGAL ADVICE. LEGAL LINK IS A TOLL-FREE PHONE SERVICE THAT PROVIDES OUR MEMBERS IN NORTH AMERICA ACCESS TO FREE AND DISCOUNTED LEGAL SERVICES FOR MATTERS SUCH AS THE PREPARATION OF A SIMPLE WILL, COUNSELING ON SELF REPRESENTATION IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT, LETTER WRITING, AND LEGAL REVIEW. IN 2018, IT COST $354,700 TO FUND THIS SERVICE. EVERYDAYMONEY ALLOWS FORESTERS MEMBERS TO ACCESS A FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT COUNSELING SERVICE AT NO COST, AS OFTEN AS THEY WISH, TO RECEIVE INFORMATION AND COUNSELING ON BUDGETING, SAVINGS, DEBT REDUCTION, AND OTHER FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICES. IT COST APPROXIMATELY $137,800 TO FUND THIS BENEFIT IN 2018. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE (U.S./CANADA) - FORESTERS AND ITS BRANCHES REACH OUT TO ITS MEMBERS AFFECTED BY PERSONAL HARDSHIP, DISASTER, OR LARGE-SCALE EMERGENCY, SUCH AS FLOODING, HURRICANE DAMAGE, AND HOUSE FIRES, TO PROVIDE SHORT-TERM, TEMPORARY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. THIS BENEFIT WAS FUNDED BY FORESTERS AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $1.35 MILLION IN 2018. RELATED TO THIS SERVICE, FORESTERS MEMBERS ARE ALSO ASSISTED WITH DISASTER CLEANUP ACTIVITIES IN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. CRITICAL/TERMINAL ILLNESS BENEFITS (U.S./CANADA) - IN 2018, 9 FORESTERS MEMBERS RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY $360,144 IN CRITICAL ILLNESS BENEFITS TO HELP DEFRAY THE COST OF HEALTH CARE. ORPHAN BENEFITS (U.S./CANADA) - IN 2018, FORESTERS PROVIDED APPROXIMATELY $102,000 TO LEGAL GUARDIANS FOR CARE AND SUPPORT OF ORPHANS. ADDITIONALLY, ORPHANS RECEIVED FOUR YEARS COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS. SENIOR MEMBER BENEFITS (U.S./CANADA) - FORESTERS PROVIDED COMPLETE RESIDENTIAL HOUSING AND/BOARD FOR 44 OF ITS MOST NEEDY MEMBERS AT TWO RETIREMENT HOMES. IN 2018, APPROXIMATELY $1.37 MILLION IN SERVICES WERE PROVIDED. FUNDING LOCAL COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES (U.S./CANADA/UK) - IN 2018, FORESTERS CONTRIBUTED APPROXIMATELY $3.85 MILLION TO THE BRANCH NETWORK VIA THREE SEPARATE DEPOSITS TO THE US, UK AND CANADIAN TRUST ACCOUNTS RESPECTIVELY. THESE FUNDS ARE HELD IN TRUST AND ADMINISTERED BY THE FORESTERS STAFF ON BEHALF OF FORESTERS BRANCHES IN THE US, UK AND CANADA. MEMBERS CAN APPLY FOR THESE FUNDS TO CARRY OUT FRATERNAL AND COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES. IN 2018, 1,784 ACTIVITIES TOOK PLACE ENGAGING 76,991 MEMBERS. THESE FUNDS WERE USED TO ORGANIZE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ACTIVITIES THAT RESPONDED TO A REAL NEED IN A MEMBER'S COMMUNITY SUPPORTING CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS, LOCAL BOYS AND GIRL CLUBS AND RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES. RELATED TO THIS INITIATIVE, FORESTERS ALSO SUPPORTS STRENGTHENING FAMILIES BY ALLOWING MEMBERS TO APPLY FOR FUNDING TO ORGANIZE FUN-FAMILY ACTIVITIES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE FUNDS HELD IN THE BRANCH NETWORK ARE USED TO SUPPORT THESE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES AS WELL.

FORESTERS COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS: EVERY YEAR, FORESTERS OFFERS DIRECT SUPPORT TO CHARITIES THAT ENHANCE THE WELL-BEING OF FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES. PARTNERSHIPS WITH NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE KABOOM!, RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES(R), THE AMERICAN RED CROSS SOCIETIES AND CASH FOR KIDS (IN THE UK) MAKE THIS POSSIBLE AT A LOCAL LEVEL. MEMBERS WORK WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS, LENDING THEIR TIME TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND WELL-BEING OF LOCAL FAMILIES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES. KABOOM! TO SUPPORT HEALTHY FAMILY TIME, FORESTERS HAS PARTNERED WITH KABOOM! A NATIONAL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO BRINGING BALANCED ACTIVE PLAY INTO THE DAILY LIVES OF ALL KIDS. TOGETHER, WITH THE HELP OF OUR MEMBERS, WE ARE FUNDING AND BUILDING PLAYGROUNDS AND SIDE PROJECTS IN MANY COMMUNITIES. IN 2018, FORESTERS INVESTED OVER $1.18 MILLION TO SUPPORT BUILDING PLAYGROUNDS IN MEMBER COMMUNITIES IN THE U.S. AND CANADA. OVER 600 MEMBERS VOLUNTEERED TO BUILD 10 NEW PLAY SPACES, WHICH OVER THEIR LIFESPAN WILL SERVE ALMOST 272,175 CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. THESE BUILDS BROUGHT ENTIRE COMMUNITIES TOGETHER TO BUILD SLIDES, SET UP SWING SETS, AND PLANT FLOWERS. PLAYGROUNDS WERE BUILT IN: JACKSONVILLE, FL, RIVERSIDE COUNT, CA, HOUSTON, TX, CHICAGO, IL EDMONTON, AB, ALBANY, NY, DETROIT, MI, MINNEAPOLIS, MN, ASHEVILLE, NC, SACRAMENTO, CA, RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES FORESTERS BELIEVES IN SUPPORTING FAMILIES IN NEED. THAT'S WHY RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE ACTIVITIES CONTINUE TO BE POPULAR WITH FORESTERS MEMBERS. RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE PROVIDES FAMILIES WITH A "HOME-AWAY-FROM-HOME" SO THEY CAN STAY CLOSE BY THEIR HOSPITALIZED CHILD. IN 2018, FORESTERS HELD 42 LOCAL EVENTS AT RONALD MCDONALD HOUSES. FROM COOKING HOMEMADE DINNERS TO PLANNING ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITIES, MORE THAN 434 DEDICATED FORESTERS VOLUNTEERS GAVE THEIR TIME AND ENERGY TO HELP ENSURE FAMILIES CAN GIVE ALL OF THEMSELVES TO THEIR CHILD, SO THEY CAN HEAL FASTER. AMERICAN RED CROSS SOCIETIES AN IMPORTANT PART OF BUILDING STRONG COMMUNITIES INCLUDES ENSURING THAT THEY ARE PREPARED IN THE FACE OF A NATURAL DISASTER. STUDIES SHOW THAT FOR EVERY $1 SPENT IN PREPARATION, $4 IS SAVED IN RECOVERY EFFORTS . IN 2018, OVER 125 FORESTERS MEMBER VOLUNTEERS ATTENDED 9 EVENTS AND ASSEMBLED 1,148 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS KITS, HYGIENE KITS AND TEDDY BEARS TO HELP SUPPORT RED CROSS EFFORTS. CASH FOR KIDS (UK) CASH FOR KIDS IS AN UMBRELLA BRAND FOR BAUER RADIO'S NETWORK OF REGISTERED LOCAL CHARITIES. SINCE 2009, FORESTERS HAS BEEN WORKING WITH CASH FOR KIDS TO PROVIDE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR MEMBERS THAT SUPPORT CHILDREN AND FAMILY TIME. FORESTERS PROVIDED APPROXIMATELY $227,590 TO SPONSOR THE 2018 CASH FOR KIDS MISSION CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN. WITH THIS SUPPORT, THE CAMPAIGN RAISED OVER £15 MILLION IN CASH, GIFTS AND TOYS AND HELPED ALMOST 370,000 CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES TO HAVE A BETTER HOLIDAY SEASON. THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, MORE THAN 500 MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES VOLUNTEERED AT A CASH FOR KIDS ACTIVITY TO CREATE OVER 3,000 CARE PACKAGES FOR THESE DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN

OTHER EXPENSES.