Member Benefits
Founded in 1905, OSDIA is considered by many to be the premier community grassroots organization of Americans of Italian heritage. Now, almost 112 years later, OSDIA finds itself with generations of Americans of Italian descent, the grandchildren and great grandchildren of immigrants, many of whom want to hold membership in an organization firm in family values and cultural heritage.
OSDIA is for people of any gender, age, religion and profession. Whether you are of Italian heritage or simply have a love for things Italian, OSDIA welcomes you as a member. Membership in OSDIA can be a personally rewarding experience, for it allows the exploration of one’s leadership abilities and ethnic enhancement. Regardless of your choice of membership (regular, youth or social), be assured that OSDIA is one in purpose, goal and direction. Each type of membership provides the personal satisfaction of participating in one multi-faceted and, oftentimes, complex society in a social and fraternal channel OSDIA has proven it is an organization of the times from generation to generation since 1905. The Grand Lodge of Illinois and Wisconsin has 8 lodges in various communities throughout the 2 states.
Your Membership Helps OSIA:
Your Membership Helps OSIA:
Promote Italian language and culture nationally, statewide and locally. The Order was instrumental in having the College Board establish Advanced Placement Test in Italian.
Fight the stereotyping of Americans of Italian heritage by entertainment, advertising, and news media through the efforts of OSIA’s Commission for Social Justice.
Educate the general public about the U.S. historical achievements and contributions of Americans of Italian heritage.
Award scholarships to students at the national, state and local levels. Award scholarships to young ItalianAmericans at leading universities. (More than $36 million nationally awarded to date.
Donate funds to medical research, disaster relief efforts, education, cultural preservation and other important projects. (Nationally more than $80 million to date.)
Support the Italian government’s efforts on a wide range of cultural, educational, and humanitarian activities
Assist Italian American students and young professionals with their career plans through internship, mentoring, and youth programs.
Advocate for the Italian Americans pursuing federal and state appointments, and for important legislation affecting the Italian American Community.
Benefits of OSIA Membership:
Free subscription to Italian America, the most widely read cultural magazine in the U.S. for people of Italian heritage.
Free subscription to the online publications QUESTO MESE. Italian America magazine advertising discounts.
Eligibility for scholarships locally and nationally.
Discounts on Italian items and services such as genealogy research, travel, Italian Language instruction and more.
Access to OSIA.org, the National website, which provides information about issues, programs, reports and research important to Italian Americans, and other benefits available only online.
A host of discounts on Italian specialty items and services of interest to Italian Americans, including genealogy research, travel, Italian language instruction, and more available from the National website. osia.org
Participation in Italian and Italian American cultural events through lectures, films, book discussion groups, Italian language courses, issue summits and folk-life programs.
An outlet for volunteer energies and professional expertise to assist the Italian-American community in your area.
Types of OSIA Membership:
Individuals may hold regular or social membership in one of the many lodges located in Illinois & Wisconsin states.
Regular Membership**: A person of Italian descent, the spouse or the adopted child of a person of Italian descent, or the widow or widower or divorced spouse of a current or former member.
Youth Membership: Members Age 0-17.
Social Membership**: A person not of Italian descent. Although unable to hold office, a social member enjoys all other privileges and benefits of membership, including the right to vote in all matters.
**Annual dues are set by individual local lodges.
If you cannot find a lodge in your area and would be interested in learning how to form a lodge, contact the Grand Lodge of Illinois and Wisconsin office at:mariodantonio@mdworks72.onmicrosoft.com
Gold Membership: An elite membership program that costs $100 a year to join. These members are recognized in various OSIA publications throughout the year for their participation, as well as other benefits for their enrollment.
This campaign enables the Supreme Council to fund items that are important to the membership of OSIA nationally. Combined with regular membership dues from the grand lodges; this campaign serves to defray increasing costs in the print production & postage fees of the Italian America magazine. This ensures the magazine will remain free to all dues paying members. Additionally, and most promising for all OSIA lodges, is the complete re-design and implementation of the national OSIA website. What is being created even as I type this, is a new, highly efficient, more user friendly site that will be interactive with every filial and grand lodge throughout the country.
Please help us promote the Gold Membership Campaign. Those who enlist will receive their Gold membership card, the official certificate, its distinctive lapel pin, and as stated, each member is continually recognized in the various OSIA and SIF newsletters, blasts and published journals throughout their year of membership.
To renew or to join the Gold Membership Campaign just forward your check payable to
“OSIA Supreme Lodge” for $100 and mail it to OSIA National Office, 219 E Street NE,
Washington, DC 20002. Mark the envelope as “Gold Membership”. Or, if you prefer you can email Laura at lkelly@osia.org in the national office and she can process your request right over the phone with a credit card.
Please consider demonstrating your commitment to OSIA by elevating your membership to Gold status. This will assist the Order in providing the most modernized version OSIA as we move forward.