The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania

What The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania does

The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, founded in 1731 and headquartered at the National Historic Landmark Pennsylvania Masonic Temple in Philadelphia, is a private nonprofit fraternal organization that governs more than 400 constituent Masonic lodges across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It administers the membership lifecycle — admission by petition, background check, interview and lodge vote — and operates the community-led outreach, education and charitable programs that historically define the fraternity's value to members. Service to members spans a ritual and education curriculum, a Widows' Guild supporting 75+ new widows per month, an Almoner's Fund for hardship relief, and prioritized access to five continuing-care retirement campuses regardless of ability to pay.

The organization's core technology is a member-facing digital ecosystem rather than a packaged product: a public website (pagrandlodge.org), the Grand View Member Portal (portal.pamasons.org) for dues, address management, travel commissions and lodge lookup, and a Moodle-based Grand Lodge Education Portal delivering online courses in Masonic Law, History, Appendant Bodies and Mentor Programs. Local lodges are guided toward consumer website builders (Squarespace, WordPress) with Google Calendar and Google Analytics integrations, and dues are accepted via PayPal and credit card. Ancillary channels include the Pennsylvania Freemason Magazine, social media, a Speakers' Bureau of 30+ presenters, regional officer training workshops, sectional schools of instruction, and an e-commerce gift shop at the Masonic Museum.

Revenue mechanics are dual-track: subscription-style annual member dues collected at the individual lodge level (rates vary and are not publicly disclosed), supplemented by charitable donations to programmatic funds including Help for Our Heroes (over $1 million raised since 2008), the Almoner's Fund, Widows' Guild, Masonic Children's Home, Masonic Villages, PA Masonic Youth Foundation, and the Masonic Blood+Organ Donor Program. Operating subsidiaries span senior living, residential child care, a museum and library, blood and organ donor awareness, and youth scholarships. Customer segments are non-commercial: adult men seeking fraternal fellowship, Masonic widows and families, military veterans, and Masonic youth — each served through dedicated program branches rather than paid contracts.

Name

The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania

Legal name

Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania

Website

https://pagrandlodge.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1731

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania is a 1731-founded nonprofit fraternal organization that governs 400+ Masonic lodges across Pennsylvania, providing ritual education, charitable outreach, and continuing-care retirement services through its Masonic Villages and other subsidiaries to members, widows, veterans and youth.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fraternal Membership Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAB

Community Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

Keywords

• Fraternal membership organization
• Masonic lodge services
• Charitable community programs
• Senior retirement living
• Member education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Dues: Each lodge collects annual dues from members. Individual lodges are responsible for dues collection, with some using online payment systems.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization receives donations supporting various Masonic charities including the Almoner's Fund, Help for Our Heroes program (over $1 million raised since 2008), and other charitable initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania governs more than 400 Masonic lodges across Pennsylvania, delivering fraternal membership services, Masonic education and leadership training, charitable outreach (widows' support, veterans' programs, blood/organ donation, youth scholarships), continuing care retirement living across five Masonic Villages, residential care at the Masonic Children's Home, and cultural preservation through the Masonic Library and Museum housed in the National Historic Landmark Pennsylvania Masonic Temple in Philadelphia.

Product overview

The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania operates a unified member-facing digital ecosystem centered around its main website (pagrandlodge.org) and integrated member portal system. The core platform provides access to membership management, online education via a Moodle-based LMS, lodge locator services, and communications. Supporting this are numerous service offerings including Masonic Villages (senior living communities), Masonic Children's Home, Masonic Library and Museum, Masonic Outreach Program, Widows' Guild, Help for Our Heroes (veterans support), Blood+Organ Donor Program, and PA Masonic Youth Foundation. The organization also provides lodge website building tools recommending Squarespace and WordPress, with Google Calendar and Google Analytics integrations for member lodges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Freemasonry Membership in Pennsylvania Lodges Governing body and membership offering for Freemasonry in Pennsylvania, providing structured membership across 400+ lodges, including brotherhood, ritual, mentorship, and a lifetime fraternal network for adult men of good character.
• Masonic Villages of Pennsylvania Continuing care retirement communities providing retirement living, personal care, and nursing services at five locations (Elizabethtown, Lafayette Hill, Sewickley, Warminster, and Dallas), with priority access for Masons and their families without regard to ability to pay.
• Masonic Children's Home Residential care for school-aged children being raised by aging grandparents or from challenging social/economic backgrounds, providing a secure environment for healthy growth and development.
• Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania Cultural and research institution in the National Historic Landmark Pennsylvania Masonic Temple, housing 30,000+ artifacts (including relics from the nation's founding), offering tours, genealogical research, and the John Wanamaker Resource Center.
• Masonic Outreach Program Free information, direction, and education on healthcare, benefits, and programs for Masons, widows, and families. Includes dementia caregiver support, loan closet for medical equipment, and legal/financial counsel referrals, staffed by Outreach personnel across Masonic Villages campuses.
• Widows' Guild Program Program recognizing and assisting widows of Pennsylvania Masons, providing Masonic Blue Slipper Pin, membership card, newsletter (Blue Slipper Stories), financial assistance, legal support, medical equipment loans, and community events.
• Help for Our Heroes Charitable program providing assistance for Pennsylvania service members, veterans, and their families facing homelessness, PTSD, and health/financial issues; over $1 million in donations raised since 2008.
• Masonic Blood+Organ Donor Program Statewide program promoting blood drives, raising awareness, and providing education and support for blood and organ donation.
• PA Masonic Youth Foundation Foundation dedicated to youth leadership and character development, providing scholarships, training, and resources to educational institutions and youth organizations across Pennsylvania since 1982.
• Almoner's Fund Lodge-level fund dedicated to the relief of worthy distressed members and their families; at least 50% of the fund is paid yearly to qualified applicants who have experienced hardship.
• Grand Lodge Education Portal Moodle-based online education system offering courses on Masonic Law, History, Appendant Bodies, and the Mentor Program, including online mentoring connecting experienced members with new Masons.
• Officer Training Workshops Regional training seminars for lodge officers covering leadership, management, Masonic education, membership, and ritualistic work, held across seven regions throughout Pennsylvania.
• Sectional Schools of Instruction Schools for exemplification of ritualistic work, open to Master Masons for instruction in Masonic ceremonies and practices.
• Regional Mentor Workshops Training workshops for District Education Chairmen, District Mentor Chairmen, Lodge Mentor Chairmen, and lodge officers on mentoring new members and Masonic education.
• Speakers' Bureau Grand Lodge program offering Masonic speakers for lodge meetings, featuring over 30 speakers covering Masonic history, symbolism, leadership, ritual, and specialized subjects.
• Academy of Masonic Knowledge Learning opportunities for Masons including dialogues with scholars, presentations on Masonic topics, and home study through recommended publications.
• Pennsylvania Lodge of Research Lodge constituted under warrant from Grand Lodge for Masonic study, meeting twice yearly for presentations on Masonic history, philosophy, and symbolism.
• Masonic Temple Gift Shop Online gift shop operated by the Masonic Library and Museum, offering Masonic merchandise, souvenirs, and collectibles.
• Grand View Member Portal Online membership management system providing members access to dues payments, address updates, member ID information, travel commission requests, and integration with the Grand Lodge Education System for online courses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1 million in donations raised for Help for Our Heroes since 2008
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Tun Legacy FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to reconstructing The Tun in colonial Philadelphia. The Right Worshipful Grand Master Robert D. Brink serves as founding Chairman of the Board. Both he and his wife Allison remain active on the Board. The Tun will serve as a place to learn about and celebrate the founding of the country, with all net proceeds donated to charities supported by founding organizations.
• Alzheimer's AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Dementia Caregiver Support & Education Group is affiliated with the Alzheimer's Association, providing monthly meetings for caregivers to share experiences and learn about resources at the Masonic Village at Elizabethtown.
• Project HERO at HorshamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide adaptive bikes for soldiers with injuries or disabilities as part of the Help for Our Heroes program supporting veterans.
• Wreaths Across AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport for Wreaths Across America as part of the Help for Our Heroes charitable program.
• Masonic Charities Office of Mission Advancement and DevelopmentcoreOthersThe Masonic Charities serve men, women and children of all ages, means and circumstances across Pennsylvania, throughout the United States and beyond. Includes Masonic Children's Home, Masonic Library and Museum, Masonic Villages, and PA Masonic Youth Foundation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF): Historic fraternal order with a multi-state lodge footprint, charitable programs, and retirement/care communities; overlaps in fraternal membership, charitable giving, and senior care services.
• Knights of Columbus: Larger U.S. fraternal benefit society with insurance, charitable giving, and local council structure; overlaps in fraternal membership, community service, and member-benefit economics but operates nationally with an insurance product.
• Loyal Order of Moose: Fraternal service organization with local lodge 'chapters,' extensive charitable giving (Mooseheart child-care community, Moosehaven retirement community), and member services; a direct analog on the senior-care and children's-residential subsidiary structure.
• Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE): Major American fraternal organization running local lodges, charitable programs (Elks National Foundation), and member benefits; comparable mission and local-chapter delivery model.

Emerging players

• Shriners International: Appendant Masonic body running Shriners Children's hospital network; shares Masonic heritage and overlap with Pennsylvania Masons but specializes in pediatric specialty care rather than community-wide fraternal services.

Direct peers

• Grand Lodge of Virginia, F&AM: Virginia state Grand Lodge governing a large lodge network with similar fraternal, charitable, and educational programming; comparable in scope and operating model to the Pennsylvania body.
• Grand Lodge F&AM of Ohio: Ohio state Grand Lodge with a multi-county lodge structure, charitable arm, and youth programs; another state-level Masonic governing body directly comparable to Pennsylvania.
• Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York: State-level governing Grand Lodge for New York Masons with a comparable structure of constituent lodges, charitable programs, and historic Masonic headquarters; functionally the closest U.S. peer to the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.
• Grand Lodge of Massachusetts: Another historic U.S. state Grand Lodge running a parallel network of constituent lodges, charitable giving, and Masonic education; directly comparable on mission, governance, and member services.

Others

• Masonic Service Association of North America: Cross-jurisdiction Masonic service body supporting U.S. Grand Lodges; not a competitor but an adjacent enabling organization that operates within the same Masonic ecosystem as the Pennsylvania Grand Lodge.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pagrandlodge

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania