What Masonic Charitable Foundation does

The Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF), registered UK charity number 1164703 and company number 09751836, is the national charity of Freemasonry operating under the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), the governing body of Freemasonry in England, Wales, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and a number of Districts overseas. Headquartered in London and staffed by 51–100 employees, MCF delivers charitable services across two principal fronts: (1) direct welfare support to Freemasons and their families covering daily living costs, health/care/wellbeing, mental health, and children/young people/education, delivered via an Advice and Support Team and a network of Visiting Volunteers; and (2) grant-making to external charitable organisations aligned with MCF's priorities, supported by structured application, eligibility, and post-award processes. The organisation is currently transitioning its working name to 'the Freemasons' Charity' with an updated visual identity.

The foundation runs a digital service stack built around an online donation portal (donate.mcf.org.uk), the Relief Chest Scheme with an online management system, and an E-Voucher service that distributes funds electronically to beneficiaries. Operational infrastructure also includes an eligibility checker, an application portal for Freemason family support, a grants-to-charities workflow, and an impact framework that publishes 360Giving open data, impact reports, and a Theory of Change. Distribution combines digital self-service channels with in-person outreach through trained lodge-level Visiting Volunteers.

MCF is funded entirely by Freemason contributions flowing through the UGLE network and augmented by Relief Chest donations, legacy giving (wills, in-memory donations), and periodic Festival appeals. The organisation does not sell products or services; all programmes are provided free of charge to eligible beneficiaries and grant recipients. Marketing and donor engagement are conducted through the foundation's website, an annual magazine ('Better Lives'), email newsletters, and a multi-platform social presence on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp. The strategic lead is Chief Executive Officer Les Hutchinson.

Name

Masonic Charitable Foundation

Legal name

Masonic Charitable Foundation

Website

https://mcf.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Masonic Charitable Foundation is the national charity of Freemasonry in England, Wales, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and overseas districts, funded entirely by Freemasons and delivering welfare support to members and their families while awarding grants to aligned external charities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Charitable foundation services
• Freemason community support
• Grant funding programs
• Health and wellbeing services
• Legacy giving programs

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Freemason Contributions: Funded entirely by Freemasons through the United Grand Lodge of England network. Individual Freemasons contribute to the foundation as part of their charitable obligations.
2. Relief Chest Scheme: Charitable donations collected through a structured relief chest mechanism, managed online through the Relief Chest Online system.
3. Legacy Giving and Bequests: Donations received through wills and legacies, including in-memory donations and planned giving programs.
4. Festival Appeals: Periodic fundraising campaigns and festivals to support specific charitable initiatives and programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Masonic Charitable Foundation (operating as the Freemasons' Charity) is the national charity of Freemasonry under the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE). It provides financial assistance, health and wellbeing support, mental health services, and educational support to Freemasons and their families, alongside grants to external charities. Funding comes entirely from Freemason contributions through the UGLE network, structured via the Relief Chest Scheme, donations, legacy giving, and periodic festival appeals.

Product overview

The Masonic Charitable Foundation operates as a unified charitable services organization offering multiple interconnected support programs. The core offerings include grants to charities, direct support services for Freemasons and their families (covering financial, health, mental health, and education needs), the Relief Chest Scheme for coordinated fundraising, legacy giving programs, and an online donations platform. These services are funded entirely by Freemasons and operate under the United Grand Lodge of England.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grants to Charities
• Support for Freemasons and Families
• Relief Chest Scheme
• Legacy Giving
• Online Donations Platform

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUGLE is the governing body of Freemasonry in England, Wales, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and a number of Districts overseas. The Masonic Charitable Foundation operates as the national charity of Freemasonry under UGLE, creating a fundamental partnership in the Masonic charitable ecosystem.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution Care Company: Provides residential and nursing care specifically for older Freemasons and their dependents. Directly comparable as a Masonic-affiliated charity serving the same closed beneficiary community with overlapping service categories.
• RAF Benevolent Fund: Provides welfare support to current and former RAF personnel and their families, including financial assistance, mental health, and care services. Closely comparable as a closed-service-community charity delivering multi-domain welfare grants.
• Lloyd's Patriotic Fund: Long-standing UK grant-making charity supporting armed forces families, veterans, and related charitable causes. Comparable as a closed-membership-affiliated grantmaking body with a similar operating model of pooling member contributions and redistributing as grants.
• Army Benevolent Fund (ABF The Soldiers' Charity): The national charity of the British Army, providing financial, mental health, housing and education support to soldiers, veterans and their families. Directly comparable as a closed-community national charity with similar multi-domain welfare services and grant-making.
• Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys: Provides educational grants and welfare support to the children and dependents of Freemasons in England and Wales. Highly comparable as a sibling Masonic charity operating under UGLE with an overlapping education/youth mission.
• Royal Alfred Seafarers' Society: Provides residential care and welfare support to retired seafarers and their dependants. Comparable as a small-to-mid-size closed-community UK charity delivering welfare and care services to a defined membership group.

Broad incumbents

• Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI): Large UK national charity funded by voluntary donations, operating a national service network. Comparable in operating model (national, donation-funded, multi-channel fundraising, large volunteer base) but with a much broader public beneficiary remit.
• The Royal British Legion: UK's largest Armed Forces charity, providing financial, employment, housing, and wellbeing support to the wider ex-Service community. Comparable in scale and multi-domain welfare offering, but serves a much larger and broader beneficiary population.
• British Red Cross: Major UK humanitarian charity providing crisis response, health, and social support services. Comparable as a large national charity with diversified donation income, multiple service programmes, and a published impact/evaluation framework.

Emerging players

• Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland: UK community foundation that pools donations and distributes grants to local charitable causes. Comparable as a grantmaking foundation using structured donation schemes (funds/chests) to redistribute contributions to aligned charitable causes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thefreemasonscharity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/freemasons-charity
• Instagraminstagram.com/freemasonscharity
• Xx.com/Masonic_Charity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Masonic Charitable Foundation