Grand Lodge of Virginia, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons

What Grand Lodge of Virginia, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons does

The Grand Lodge of Virginia, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons is a private non-profit fraternal organization founded on October 30, 1778, when nine chartered lodges came together in Williamsburg to form what is today the governing body of Virginia Freemasonry. Headquartered at 4115 Nine Mile Road in Richmond, Virginia, with only 6 employees at the Grand Lodge level, the organization supervises a network of more than 300 subordinate Masonic lodges and approximately 33,000 members throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, connected to a worldwide Freemasonry Fraternity of over 4.7 million members. Its current leader is the 180th Grand Master, Matthew Todd Szramoski (2025-2026 term).

The organization's core offerings span membership services, member education, charitable programs, and historical preservation. Member-facing products include the Grand View all-in-one portal (events, dues, member connections, virtual cards), the Virginia Masonic Academy (correspondence courses and leadership training), and the Virginia Masonic Herald triannual publication, with the Nine Mile Road Podcast extending reach via audio. The Grand Lodge operates or affiliates a broader service ecosystem: MAHOVA (Masonic Home of Virginia, established 1890), the Scholarship Program (up to $1,000 renewable for four years), the Masonic Relief Fund, the statewide Masonic Community Blood Program, the HIKE Fund for hearing-impaired children (over 3,000 children helped since 1985), and the Allen E. Roberts Masonic Library & Museum (~8,000 volumes). Its technology stack is essentially off-the-shelf digital infrastructure; no proprietary AI/ML or platform technology is disclosed.

The business model is a hybrid of recurring member dues paid annually at the lodge level (pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by lodge), charitable donations from members and the public (Virginia Freemasonry collectively raises more than $2.6 million daily for charitable causes), event-based fundraising (notably the annual Ian Shipley Golf Tournament for scholarships), and ancillary book/memorabilia sales through a partnership with Macoy Publishing supporting the upcoming 250th Anniversary in 2028. Go-to-market is community-led and word-of-mouth: the organization does not actively recruit, instead requiring prospective members to submit an inquiry and then progress through three degrees (Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, Master Mason). The customer base comprises adult men of good character in Virginia, with charitable beneficiaries (scholarship recipients, relief recipients, HIKE Fund children) as a secondary stakeholder segment.

Name

Grand Lodge of Virginia, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons

Legal name

The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge, A.F. & A.M., of the Commonwealth of Virginia

Website

https://grandlodgeofvirginia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1778

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Grand Lodge of Virginia is a 1778-founded non-profit fraternal organization governing 300+ Masonic lodges and 33,000+ members across Virginia. It provides membership services, charitable programs, member education, and residential care through affiliates like MAHOVA, funded primarily by annual member dues and charitable donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Lodge members pay annual dues to maintain membership in good standing. These dues support the operational costs of the Grand Lodge and subordinate lodges.
2. Book Sales and Memorabilia: The Grand Lodge of Virginia partnered with Macoy Publishing & Masonic Supply Co., Inc. to sell donated books from estates of deceased members, with proceeds supporting the 250th Anniversary celebration in 2028.
3. Golf Tournament Fundraiser: Annual Ian McLaurin Shipley, Jr. Memorial Golf Tournament raises funds for the Scholarship Program. The tournament accepts hole sponsorships, team registrations, and donations of golf equipment and items.
4. Charitable Donations: The organization raises more than $2.6 million daily through charitable activities and donations from members supporting various causes including scholarships, MAHOVA, and Masonic Relief Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Grand Lodge of Virginia, A.F. & A.M., is a fraternal Masonic organization that admits men of good character into membership through a structured three-degree process (Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason). It governs over 300 subordinate Masonic lodges across the Commonwealth of Virginia serving 33,000+ members, providing fellowship, Masonic education, charitable programs, and community service opportunities. The Grand Lodge oversees affiliated entities including MAHOVA residential care, scholarship and relief programs, the HIKE Fund, the Masonic Community Blood Program, and the Allen E. Roberts Masonic Library & Museum.

Product overview

Grand Lodge of Virginia, A.F. & A.M. is a fraternal Masonic organization with over 33,000 members across 300+ lodges in Virginia. The organization offers Grand View as its member portal providing event management, dues payment, and member communications. The Virginia Masonic Academy delivers correspondence courses for Masonic education. The Virginia Masonic Herald serves as the official triannual publication, while the 9 Mile Road Podcast extends reach through audio content. The organization operates MAHOVA (Masonic Home of Virginia), the HIKE Fund for hearing assistance, scholarship programs, relief funds, and community blood programs. The Allen E. Roberts Masonic Library & Museum preserves Masonic heritage with approximately 8,000 volumes and historical artifacts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Grand View: All-in-one member portal for Virginia Freemasons to find lodge events, pay dues, connect with Brothers, and access Masonic resources
• Virginia Masonic Academy
• MAHOVA
• Virginia Masonic Herald
• 9 Mile Road Podcast
• Allen E. Roberts Masonic Library & Museum

Products and services

• Virginia Masonic Academy Educational platform offering Masonic Leadership & Correspondence Courses, including SLOT training, Area Mini-Conferences, and materials from District Educational Officers for member development. For Virginia Freemasons seeking structured Masonic education.
• Virginia Masonic Herald Official triannual publication of the Grand Lodge containing articles about Freemasonry in Virginia, appendant bodies (Eastern Star, Scottish Rite, York Rite), youth organizations, and Masonic principles.
• 9 Mile Road Podcast The Nine Mile Road Podcast from the Grand Lodge, A.F. & A.M., of Virginia, available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, featuring Masonic teachings, interviews, and updates.
• Masonic Home of Virginia (MAHOVA) Known as the Crown Jewel of Masonry, a residential care community established in 1890 providing assistance across the Commonwealth of Virginia for Masons and their families.
• Scholarship Program Charitable scholarship program providing scholarships up to $1,000 each, renewable for four years, for deserving men and women from Virginia based on merit and financial need.
• Masonic Relief Fund Fund providing financial assistance to Virginia Master Masons, their widows, and orphans where a bona fide need exists.
• Masonic Community Blood Program Statewide program strengthening lodge blood programs, coordinating blood drives, and encouraging donations to serve the community.
• HIKE Fund Hearing Improvement Kids Endowment providing hearing aids and assistive devices to children in need, supported by Job's Daughters International. Has helped over 3,000 children since 1985 with more than $6 million raised.
• Allen E. Roberts Masonic Library & Museum Preserves, collects, and restores Masonic records and artifacts of Virginia with approximately 8,000 volumes of Masonic works and historical artifacts including portraits, regalia, furniture, and documents.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $2.6 million raised daily for charitable causes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Macoy Publishing & Masonic Supply Co., Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Grand Lodge of Virginia has partnered with Macoy Publishing & Masonic Supply Co., Inc. (Virginia's own oldest Masonic publisher) for an exclusive book sale initiative supporting the 250th Anniversary in 2028. The partnership involves selling donated books from estates of deceased members, with proceeds supporting anniversary celebrations. Macoy hosts a dedicated landing page on macoy.com for Grand Lodge of Virginia book sales.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Rotary International: Global service-club organization with local chapters, membership dues, charitable programming, and leadership development - a broader-incumbent analog in the civic-membership space.
• United Grand Lodge of England: The oldest Grand Lodge in the world (est. 1717) and the international governing body that historically chartered many of America's earliest lodges, including Virginia's founding lodges. Provides the broader institutional and regulatory context for Virginia's operations.

Direct peers

• Shriners International: An appendant body of Freemasonry operating its own fraternal lodge network and charitable hospital system. Directly comparable in fraternal identity and charitable fundraising model, with members typically also being Master Masons.
• Independent Order of Odd Fellows: One of the largest non-Masonic fraternal service organizations in the U.S., operating a comparable lodge-based membership model with charitable giving, degree progressions, and community-led GTM.
• Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks: Major American fraternal organization with a similar lodge network, member dues model, charitable programs (Elks National Foundation), and community-service orientation.
• Knights of Columbus: Catholic fraternal service organization with comparable membership-dues model, insurance/financial products, local council structure, and large-scale charitable giving programs.
• Grand Lodge of Massachusetts: Massachusetts Grand Lodge of Masons - state-level Masonic governing body with analogous lodge network, member portal, education programs, and charitable arm.
• Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania: Another U.S. state-level Grand Lodge of Ancient Free & Accepted Masons operating an identical fraternal governance structure with subordinate lodges, membership dues, charitable programs, and annual communications. Most directly comparable in mission, model, and regulatory framework.
• Grand Lodge of New York: New York State Grand Lodge of F&AM, serving one of the largest Masonic jurisdictions in the U.S. with similar lodge hierarchy, degree progression, and charitable programming.
• Grand Lodge of Ohio: Ohio Grand Lodge, another large state-level Masonic body with comparable membership scale, subordinate lodge network, and community-driven GTM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GrandLodgeofVA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GrandLodgeofVirginia
• Facebookfacebook.com/GrandLodgeVirginia
• Instagraminstagram.com/glofva
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grandlodgeofvirginia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries4 records

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 Grand Lodge of Virginia, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons