Charity is one of the primary features of Freemasonry. Every year Freemasons raise millions of pounds for the four main Masonic Charities. This money is used not only to support distressed Masons or their families but also to fund worthy projects in the community, either by direct grant or by donations to other charities. The four Masonic Charities are:
The Freemasons' Grand Charity carries on a tradition of charitable support for both Freemasons and the
wider community which has been maintained since 1727. The Freemasons' Grand Charity is a grant-making charity.
In 2006 it gave grants totalling over £4.6 million to support people in need. Full lists of the donations given
since 1981 are available for inspection on the charities website.
The Grand Charity makes grants to:
Under its current guidelines for support for national charities, the Freemasons' Grand Charity
makes grants for three main purposes:
Care for the most vulnerable people in society,
Opportunities for young people, and
Medical research.
Hospices also receive grants as part of a national programme.
In total, over £30 million has been donated to non-Masonic charities of all sizes. This includes over £6 million
for Hospice services as part of a special programme of support that began in 1984 and over £1.5 million for
emergency relief work worldwide.
For more information please email info@the-grand-charity.org
The Institution's challenge is to provide a comprehensive range of services to meet
the needs of an increasingly large number of older Freemasons and their dependants.
This is done in two ways:
Provision of sheltered accommodation, residential and nursing care in RMBI Homes, for those
finding difficulty managing on their own;
Provision of annuities, care and support to those who are in financial difficulty, but wish
to remain in their own homes.
Regular practical and financial help, advice, home improvement loans and holidays are other
important ingredients in the help the Institution provides.
The Institution is committed to ensuring the individuals' right to dignity, respect, choice and control
over their own lives. It strives to offer the highest standards of residential and nursing care.
Professional staff balance the need for business-like efficiency with a commitment to the spirit,
and to the letter, of the aims of Freemasonry as a caring organisation
For more information please email enquiries@rmbi.org.uk
Established in 1990 with the active support of United Grand Lodge of England, the Masonic
Samaritan Fund is an independent charity, which provides support for sick and infirm Freemasons,
their families and dependants who are in need. The Fund gives relief to those applicants who
cannot afford the full cost of private healthcare and who are unable to obtain their treatment
on the UK's National Health Service without undue delay or hardship.
The Masonic Samaritan Fund provides support at the hospital it considers to be most
appropriate to the interests and needs of the applicant and since 1991, the Fund has helped over
6500 to receive treatment at over 400 different hospitals at an average cost of £5,900 per patient
and a total expenditure of over £30 million. Conditions range from major heart surgery, to
child ailments and many of the problems associated with old age such as:
For more information, please email mail@msfund.org.uk
The RMTGB's Mission Statement is:
" To continue to relieve poverty and provide an education and preparation for life for
the children of the family of a Freemason and, where funds permit, for any children,
as their fathers would have done, had they been able so to do."
During 2005 the Trust supported over 2,000 girls and boys at school, colleges and universities.
Assistance is provided in every practicable way to relieve poverty and advance education.
This includes:
For more information, please email info@lifelites.org