Skip to main content
Back to top

Masonic Charitable Foundation

Masonic Charitable Foundation helping people with needs

The Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF), the Freemasons’ Charity, builds better lives by encouraging opportunity, promoting independence and improving wellbeing for people across society.

Funded entirely through the generosity of Freemasons, their families and friends, the MCF is one of the largest charities in the country, providing a range of grants for charitable projects that help local communities across England and Wales, in addition to supporting individuals in need.

The MCF’s vision is that everyone has the opportunity to lead positive, active and fulfilling lives, especially those who are in need, disadvantaged or marginalised.

Supporting communities

Through the work of the MCF, Freemasonry is helping to tackle some of society’s most important issues, in particular:

  • Tackling loneliness and social isolation in later life
  • Providing opportunities for disadvantaged children
  • Supporting bereavement projects in local hospices

To ensure Freemasonry’s funding has the greatest impact possible, the MCF awards grants to a range of local and national charities. To assist its funding, the MCF has formed partnerships with leading organisations in the charity sector, including Age UK, Hospice UK and Home-Start.

Founded in 2016, from the four long standing Freemasons’ Charities, during its first five years the MCF has awarded about £90m through more than 3,000 charitable grants – about £50,000 per day.

Find out about the MCF’s work in your area

Masonic Charitable Foundation supporting Farms for City Children
Masonic Charitable Foundation helping home cares

Responding to need

In addition, funding has been provided to 40 disaster relief appeals in England, Wales and overseas in response, to flooding, earthquakes and other natural disasters. 

Freemasonry, through the MCF’s work, has continued to champion groundbreaking research and the scientists of tomorrow, by funding PhD studentships in partnership with leading charities and organisations that are creating a brighter future for many people affected by degenerative diseases.

To commemorate 300 years of Freemasonry in 2017, the MCF awarded an additional £3m to local charities in addition to its main grant-making programmes, inviting members of the public to vote on the distribution of funds.

In response to Covid-19, the MCF has worked in partnership with UGLE and local Freemasons to allocate £3.6m to projects and charities that have responded to, or been affected by, the pandemic.

Read some of the remarkable stories from across the country of how our members came together during the Covid-19 pandemic to help their communities.

Did you know?

Supported by Freemasons

All of the MCF’s funding comes from donations from Freemasons past and present, with about £12m donated to support the MCF’s work each year.

The MCF’s Relief Chest Scheme, which allows Lodges and Freemasons to manage their charitable giving, has been used to make donations worth more than £13m to thousands of charities.

Teddies For Loving Care supported by the Masonic Charitable Foundation

Supported by the MCF, Teddies for Loving Care (TLC) provides cuddly bears to A&E departments for medical staff to give to young children. Teddies for Loving Care

The bears are often used by staff to calm children down, reward them for being brave, and – in some cases – demonstrate procedures. The TLC teddy has become a useful tool for medical professionals and a real comfort for children. Most of the money raised to purchase and distribute the teddies comes from Freemasons themselves through lodge donations and fundraising events.