Masonic Charitable Foundation

The Masonic charities amalgamated in 2015 to create the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is now one of the largest grant-making charities in the UK.  Its Community Support programme offers two levels of grant support for registered charities in England and Wales:

A. Large Grants of over £5,000 can be awarded to charities for a specific purpose.

Reasons to apply for a Large Grant can include funding salary , project costs and/or refurbishment costs. PLEASE NOTE: new build or large scale capital development projects cannot be considered. Funding may be granted for up to three years, where there is evidence of an on-going need for funding. Charities must have an annual turnover of over £500,000 to apply for a Large Grant.

B. Small Grants of between £500 and £5,000.

These grants can be used for core expenditure such as general running or overhead costs of the charity. Charities with an annual turnover of under £500,000 can apply for a Small Grant.

Funding is available for the following areas:

1. Financial Hardship

For charities that relieve household or individual financial poverty. Charities may help people to recover from financial hardship or avoid getting into financial difficulty altogether. Grants support services such as:
o Debt counselling and advice;
o Financial education workshops for adults and young people; o Financial assistance for homeless people, care-leavers or those affected by cancer, long-term illness or disability'

2. Health and Disability

For charities that improve the lives of people with poor physical or mental health, physical or learning disabilities and chronic or life-limiting conditions. Other charities supported help carers and those in need of end-of-life or palliative care. Grants support services such as:
o The development and provision of equipment to assist those with a disability;
o Access to specialist advice, support or therapies; and
o Supporting care needs, including respite care.

3 .Education and Employability

For charities which help support disadvantaged children and young people by providing opportunities for those who are not in education, employment or training, affected by poor health or disability, and those at risk of further disadvantage. Grants support services such as:
o Apprenticeships, bursaries and training;
o The use of sport or alternative approaches to enable learning and development; and
o Learning opportunities for disabled children and young people.

4. Social Exclusion and Disadvantage

For charities which relieve isolation and loneliness for those experiencing family breakdown or crisis, rural or urban deprivation, homelessness, digital exclusion or social exclusion, as well as those with a disability or long-term illness which acts as a barrier to a fulfilling life. Grants support services such as:
o Mentoring and befriending schemes;
o Social activities encouraging inclusion; and
o Education and training programmes for ex-service personnel. 

Funding is not available for:

o Arts and heritage projects;
o Environmental projects;
o Animal welfare;
o Political or lobbying activities;
o Civil liberties and human rights;
o Routine delivery in schools;
o Contributions toward new build and/or large scale capital projects eg building a new hospice wing;
o Capital repairs and/or maintenance of existing buildings;
o Hospital equipment, such as MRI scanners;
o Projects which solely take place outside of England and Wales;
o Current active grant holders; or
o Umbrella organisations coordinating fundraising on behalf of others.

Small Grants applications are open on a rolling basis. Applications for a small grant should be submitted on or by the third Friday of each month.

There is a two-stage application process for the Large Grants programme for grants of more than £5,000.

The first step is to complete an Enquiry Form which will be reviewed. Those who are successful at this stage will be sent a formal application form.

The 2017 deadlines for Large Grants are:

o Thursday 13 April;
o Friday 14 July; and
o Friday 13 October.

An application form for the small and large grants programme can be downloaded from the Foundation’s website.

Contact details for the Foundation are:

Mr. L. Hutchinson BA (Hons), MBA, CMGRFCMI
Freemason’s Hall
60 Great Queen Street
London WC2B 5AZ
Tel: 020 3146 3333
Email: info@mcf.org.uk

(Source: GRIN)