MASONIC CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

Funded entirely through the generosity of Freemasons, their families and friends, the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) is one of the largest charitable foundations in the country.

The MCF builds better lives by encouraging opportunity, promoting independence and improving wellbeing by funding and working in partnership with national and local charities that help people, as well as providing direct support to families and individuals of all ages.

As well as its core charitable activities, the MCF funds vital services at hospices and life-saving medical research as well as contributing to worldwide humanitarian appeals such as the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria through partnerships with the British Red Cross, Unicef and Plan International UK.

The MCF has strategic partnerships with a number of national charities, including Age UK, Hospice UK, Home-Start, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and the Cranfield Trust.

The MCF also provides help to families and individuals in the form of financial grants to assist with daily living costs and a range of health and care needs, including via the RMBI Care Company, a subsidiary charity, which operates 17 residential and nursing Homes across England and Wales.

Since the MCF was formed in 2016, over 3,000 charities have received a grant to fund a new project or support core costs.  In total, the MCF’s charitable support during its first six years of operation amounts to over £120 million.

FREEMASONRY AND CHARITY

Charity has always been a core principle of Freemasonry with a 300-year history of helping those in need. Freemasons make an important contribution at a local, national and global level every year by giving both their time and money to make a real difference to a number of organisations and communities.

This is why Freemasonry is one of the largest charitable givers in the country, contributing £51.1m to deserving causes in 2020 alone. Freemasons do not only donate money – more than 18.5 million hours of volunteer work is undertaken by its members in their communities every year.

Freemasons engage in many activities including community fundraising and volunteering, as well as a varied programme of events where spouses, partners and families are welcome. In recent years Freemasonry has made substantial donations across the country to local air ambulances, blood bikes and provide a number of emergency response vehicles, including two super aerial platforms for the London Fire Brigade.

In addition Freemasonry and the MCF more specifically does a huge amount for medical research into treatments for cancer, diabetes, heart disease and a whole range of other conditions, including Alzheimer’s, by funding UK medical scientists to make ground breaking discoveries.

More recently, money raised has helped to support those affected by overseas disasters as well as those at home.