United Grand Lodge of England

What United Grand Lodge of England does

United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is the non-profit governing body of Freemasonry in England, Wales, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and Districts overseas, tracing its origins to 1717. The organisation serves approximately 170,000-180,000 members organised through 48 Provinces domestically and 32 Districts and 4 Groups overseas, with membership open to men over 18 from all backgrounds. The core product is Freemasonry membership — a ceremonial, tradition-based social and charitable experience organised around four values (Integrity, Friendship, Respect, Service) — and the underlying platform is centuries-old ritual and a hierarchical Provincial/District governance structure rather than modern technology. Group-level governance is led by the Grand Master, currently HRH The Duke of Kent, with Freemasons' Hall (60 Great Queen Street, London) serving as both headquarters and an Art Deco event venue.

Revenue is generated primarily through annual membership dues averaging approximately £200 per member, supplemented by Freemasons' Hall venue hire (the venue hosts 200,000+ visitors annually), donations channeled to the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF, ~£24m annually), and subsidiary income. UGLE operates four wholly-owned subsidiaries: the Masonic Charitable Foundation (national grant-giving, ~£27m in grants awarded in 2024/25); RMBI Care Company (17 care homes, 1,000+ residents); the Masonic Housing Association (189 flats across five schemes); and the Freemasons Fund for Surgical Research (£7m fund, ~£220,000 donated annually to the Royal College of Surgeons). The Masonic Charitable Foundation's grants in 2024/25 supported 466,000+ people across communities, with £14.3m given directly to individuals and families.

The go-to-market is community-led and direct-to-consumer: prospective members register interest online via a postcode-based self-serve lookup that routes them to their nearest local Lodge, with recruitment driven primarily by personal referrals, word-of-mouth, and a Universities Scheme targeting students. The organisation maintains a digital presence (website, blog, podcast, Twitter/X, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, email newsletter) and a network of physical touchpoints (Freemasons' Hall tours, Museum of Freemasonry, 48 Provinces, 32 Districts). No revenue figure is explicitly disclosed; the £52m cited in source materials represents annual charitable donations made by the organisation, not organisational revenue.

Name

United Grand Lodge of England

Legal name

United Grand Lodge of England

Website

https://ugle.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1717

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

United Grand Lodge of England is the non-profit governing body of Freemasonry in England, Wales, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and overseas Districts, serving approximately 170,000 members through 48 Provinces and 32 overseas Districts under traditions dating to 1717.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fraternal Membership Organization

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Fraternal membership organization
• Charitable grant making
• Residential care services
• Elderly housing services
• Heritage venue hire

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual dues from approximately 170,000-180,000 members in England, Wales, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and overseas Districts. Average annual dues and fees amount to approximately £200 per year.
2. Venue Hire: Freemasons' Hall, an Art Deco landmark in London's West End, welcomes over 200,000 visitors annually and is available for hire for events and filming.
3. Masonic Charitable Foundation Donations: Funded entirely through donations from Freemasons and their families, the MCF receives approximately £24 million annually in donations to support charitable work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is the governing body of Freemasonry in England, Wales, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and overseas Districts. Its core offering is membership in a traditional fraternal organisation built around four core values (Integrity, Friendship, Respect, Service), supported by charitable grant-making through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, residential care and housing services for the elderly, medical research funding, heritage venue hire, and a museum of Masonic history.

Product overview

United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is a membership organization governing Freemasonry in England, Wales, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and overseas Districts. The organization offers its core Freemasonry membership product alongside several charitable and care service subsidiaries: the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) handles national grant-making; RMBI Care Company operates 17 residential care homes; the Masonic Housing Association provides independent living accommodation; and the Freemasons Fund for Surgical Research supports medical research at the Royal College of Surgeons. Additional offerings include venue hire and museum services at Freemasons' Hall, research through Quatuor Coronati Lodge, and the Lifelites charity for children's hospices. The organization has approximately 170,000 members and donates nearly £1 million weekly to charitable causes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Freemasonry Membership The core membership of the United Grand Lodge of England, governing Freemasonry in England, Wales, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and Districts overseas. Open to men over 18 from all backgrounds, races, religions and cultures, with ceremonial traditions and four core values: Integrity, Friendship, Respect and Service. Members meet at local Lodges for fellowship, self-improvement, charitable activities and ceremonial practices.
• Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF)
• RMBI Care Company (Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution) Provides residential care, nursing care and residential dementia support to older Freemasons, their families and people in the wider community. Operates 17 care homes across England and Wales supporting over 1,000 residents.
• Masonic Housing Association (MHA) Provides rented accommodation for those over 55 living an independent lifestyle. Has 189 flats across five schemes in England at Prebendal Close, Palmer Court, Hamilton Court, Reading Court and Wilson Keys Court.
• Freemasons Fund for Surgical Research (FFSR) Provides Research Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of England with grants each year to pursue cutting edge research work. Has a current fund value of £7 million with approximately £220,000 donated annually.
• Freemasons' Hall Venue Hire Freemasons' Hall, an Art Deco masterpiece in London's West End, welcomes more than 200,000 visitors annually and is available for hire for events, filming and tours, including visits to the Museum of Freemasonry.
• Museum of Freemasonry
• Quatuor Coronati Lodge and Research Centre The world's premier Masonic research Lodge, pioneering an evidence-based approach to Masonic history. Publishes Ars Quatuor Coronatorum (AQC), the oldest continuously-running Masonic research journal, and operates the QC Correspondence Circle.
• Lifelites Charity providing fun and educational technology packages for children in hospices across the British Isles. Currently serves around 9,000 children and their families through 50 children's hospices.
• Freemasons' COVID-19 Community Fund Emergency fund established by UGLE and the Masonic Charitable Foundation to support local and national charities during the COVID-19 pandemic, distributing £3 million in total.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately £1 million donated per week to charitable causes
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Royal College of Surgeons of EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1967The Freemasons Fund for Surgical Research provides Research Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons with grants each year to pursue cutting edge research work. During its more than 50 years of history, the FFSR has supported groundbreaking research.
• Hospice UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCF has formed partnerships with leading organisations in the charity sector including Hospice UK to provide funding for hospice care services.
• Home-Start UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCF partners with Home-Start UK to support families and early years programmes.
• Cranfield TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCF partners with the Cranfield Trust for management support and capacity building.
• Age UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCF partners with Age UK to improve the health and wellbeing of older people with dementia and their carers.
• The Duke of Edinburgh's AwardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCF partners with The Duke of Edinburgh's Award to support youth development programmes.
• Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution (RMBI)coreOthersRMBI provides residential care, nursing care and residential dementia support to older Freemasons, their families and people in the wider community, supporting more than 1,000 residents across 17 care homes.
• Masonic Housing AssociationminorOthersThe MHA was formed as an exempt charity to provide housing schemes for the elderly who can generally lead an independent existence. 189 flats across five schemes in England.
• Quatuor Coronati LodgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQC is the world's premier Masonic research Lodge established under UGLE in 1884. It publishes Ars Quatuor Coronatorum (AQC), the oldest continuously-running Masonic research journal in the world.
• Freemasonry for Women (HFAF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the two leading women's Grand Lodges with close relationship with UGLE. Both women's organisations and UGLE prefer to practice Freemasonry in single sex environments.
• Order of Women FreemasonsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the two leading women's Grand Lodges with close relationship with UGLE. UGLE regularly hires its facilities out for meetings of the two women's Lodges due to mutual respect and close relations.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Grand Lodge of Scotland: The Grand Lodge of Scotland is the sister Masonic governing body for Scotland, sharing the same fraternal structure, ceremonial traditions, charitable model, and Provincial/District hierarchy as UGLE. It is the most directly comparable peer in terms of product, customer base (adult male members), and operating model.
• Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland: The Grand Lodge of Ireland is one of the four home Grand Lodges in the British Isles and operates an essentially identical fraternal model to UGLE. It is a direct competitor in the British and Irish Masonic market and shares UGLE's revenue mix of membership dues, venue assets, and charitable giving.
• The Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons: HFAF is one of two leading women's Masonic Grand Lodges in the UK and operates a near-identical fraternal product to UGLE but for women. UGLE regularly hires its Freemasons' Hall facilities to HFAF, making it both a direct product peer and a B2B customer.
• Order of Women Freemasons: The Order of Women Freemasons is the other principal women's Masonic Grand Lodge in the UK, providing a near-equivalent of UGLE's product for female members. OWF has a close working relationship with UGLE and uses its Freemasons' Hall facilities, functioning as a direct peer and venue customer.
• Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite (Southern Jurisdiction): The Scottish Rite is a major Masonic appendant body with millions of members in the Americas, sharing the fraternal membership, ceremonial tradition, and charitable activity model of UGLE. It is a meaningful structural peer in the wider Masonic category.
• Independent Order of Odd Fellows: The Odd Fellows is a fraternal benefit society with a centuries-old tradition of charitable giving, lodge-based meetings, and graded membership. It is a direct historical peer to UGLE within the broader fraternal order category, sharing similar membership, ceremony, and welfare models.

Broad incumbents

• Rotary International: Rotary is a global service-club organization that competes with Freemasonry for adult member mindshare and charitable involvement, but operates a less ceremonial, more project-driven model. It is comparable in scale, dues-based revenue, and community-service positioning.
• Lions Clubs International: Lions Clubs is a large international service-club network with a comparable membership dues model, charitable giving focus, and local chapter structure to UGLE. It addresses a similar customer segment (adults seeking fellowship and community service) but without the Masonic ritual tradition.
• National Trust: The National Trust is one of the UK's largest membership-based heritage and conservation organizations, with millions of members paying annual dues. It is comparable to UGLE in its use of historic London real estate, membership subscription model, charitable purpose, and volunteer-led local chapter network.
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI): The RNLI is a major UK charity with a long history, large volunteer base, heritage coastal stations, and significant annual donations. While not a membership organization in the fraternal sense, it is comparable to UGLE in scale of charitable impact, governance model, and reliance on a historic institution brand.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UGLE_GrandLodge
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UGLEchannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/UnitedGrandLodgeofEngland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-grand-lodge-of-england
• Instagraminstagram.com/unitedgrandlodgeofengland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about United Grand Lodge of England