Grand Lodge, Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio

What Grand Lodge, Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio does

The Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio is a private non-profit fraternal organization founded in 1808 and headquartered in Springfield, Ohio. It governs Freemasonry across the state of Ohio, with roots tracing to American Union Lodge No. 1 chartered in 1776 and relocated to Marietta, Ohio in 1789. The organization oversees approximately 60,000 to 65,000 members distributed across more than 400 lodges organized into 25 Masonic districts, led by Grand Master Shawn A. Johnson (installed 2025) under the theme 'Committed to the Craft.' It is governed by elected Grand Master officers who serve one-year terms, with a lean administrative staff of around 32 employees.

The core product is a fraternal membership program structured around three degrees of Masonic initiation (Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason). Surrounding this core are several charitable and ancillary programs: the Masonic Relief Fund, Veterans and First Responders Fund, Scholarships Program, Masonic Model Student Assistance Program, Ohio Masonic Communities (senior living), and a Museum and Library. The digital platform supporting these services includes a content website (freemason.com), an online member portal, a Lodge Locator tool, and recently digitized museum collections. Distribution combines a self-serve online membership funnel (background check and petition) with lodge-based field recruitment and outreach campaigns such as Mason Monday and 'This is Ohio Freemasonry.'

The revenue model is not publicly disclosed. Membership dues are assessed at the lodge level but the structure is not published. Ancillary revenue streams likely include senior living operations at Ohio Masonic Communities, charitable donations, and fundraising events. The organization is independent, self-governing, and not venture-backed or publicly traded, with no parent company and no disclosed funding rounds. Notable historical claim: four U.S. Presidents (Garfield, McKinley, Harding, Taft) were Ohio Masons.

Name

Grand Lodge, Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio

Legal name

Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ohio

Website

https://freemason.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1808

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio is a private non-profit fraternal organization founded in 1808, governing approximately 60,000 members across more than 400 lodges in Ohio through three degrees of Masonic initiation, charitable programs, and senior living services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fraternal Membership Organization

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Professional Organizations (81392), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)

Keywords

• Fraternal membership
• Masonic brotherhood
• Community service
• Charitable giving
• Masonic education

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Grand Lodge, Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio is a private non-profit fraternal organization that governs Freemasonry across the state of Ohio. It offers membership through a three-degree progression (Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason), supports over 60,000 members across more than 400 lodges in 25 districts, and operates charitable programs including the Masonic Relief Fund, Veterans and First Responders Fund, scholarship programs, and the Masonic Model Student Assistance Program. Additional offerings include the Ohio Masonic Communities senior living facility, an online-accessible Museum and Library, and a Member Portal for membership services.

Product overview

The Grand Lodge of Ohio is a fraternal organization governing Freemasonry in Ohio, serving over 60,000 members across more than 400 lodges. The organization offers Masonic membership programs through a three-degree progression (Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason), supported by charitable initiatives including the Masonic Relief Fund, Veterans and First Responders Fund, and scholarship programs. Additional services include the Ohio Masonic Home (senior living), Museum and Library (online research), Member Portal, Lodge Locator, and the Mason Monday outreach campaign. The organization is led by Grand Master Shawn A. Johnson under the 2026 theme 'Committed to the Craft.'

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400 lodges serving communities across Ohio
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE): National fraternal organization operating lodge-style membership clubs across the U.S. Comparable as a fraternal membership organization with charitable programs (Elks National Foundation), community service focus, and lodge-based structure.
• Knights of Columbus: The largest Catholic fraternal service organization in the world. Comparable as a large fraternal membership organization offering brotherhood, charitable giving, insurance, and community programs — broader in scope than Ohio Freemasonry but operating a similar membership-driven mission model.
• Shriners International: Masonic-affiliated fraternal organization connected to Shriner hospitals and children's healthcare. Comparable as a fraternal order with embedded charitable healthcare mission that ties into the broader Masonic ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Rotary International: Global service-oriented fraternal organization with local club chapters. Comparable in its focus on community service, brotherhood/networking, scholarship programs, and structured membership model — though operating with different membership selectivity.
• Lions Clubs International: International service fraternal organization with local club chapters focused on community impact, youth programs, and charitable giving. Comparable in its scholarship, youth, and community-service programming portfolio.

Direct peers

• Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF): One of the oldest fraternal organizations in the U.S. with lodge-based membership structure. Comparable as a traditional fraternal order emphasizing brotherhood, charitable relief, and lodge governance similar to Freemasonry.
• Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania's state-level Masonic grand lodge governing Freemasonry in Pennsylvania. Directly comparable as a state grand lodge with similar fraternal membership, charitable programs, and lodge network model.
• Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York: New York's state grand lodge governing Freemasonry across New York. Comparable as a peer state grand lodge operating the same fraternal three-degree membership structure and charitable programs.
• Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of California: California's state grand lodge governing Freemasonry in California. Comparable as a large-state Masonic grand lodge with similar charitable, educational, and fraternal programs at scale.
• Grand Lodge of Massachusetts: Massachusetts's Masonic grand lodge, notably tied to the historical Provincial Grand Lodge lineage that chartered American Union Lodge No. 1 (predecessor to Ohio Freemasonry). Direct state grand lodge peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GrandLodgeOhio
• Facebookfacebook.com/grandlodgeohio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-grand-lodge-of-free-and-accepted-masons-of-ohio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Grand Lodge, Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio