Masonic Service Assn

What Masonic Service Assn does

The Masonic Service Association of North America (MSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1919 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that serves as the unified service agency for the approximately 49 Grand Lodges of Freemasonry across the United States and Canada. The organization was created because the U.S. War Department refused to coordinate with 49 separate Grand Lodges during World War I and agreed to work with only one agency. Today, MSA operates three core programs: disaster relief coordination (active since 1923, with cumulative contributions exceeding $10 million), a Hospital Visitation Program placing approximately 180 volunteer representatives at VA Medical Centers and state veterans hospitals, and educational publishing through the Masonic Information Center (a subsidiary founded in 1993) and the Short Talk Bulletin subscription series.

MSA's product portfolio includes monthly printed publications (Short Talk Bulletins at $12-$20/year subscriptions, individual booklets at $2 each), six collected reference volumes, two newsletters (Emessay Notes and Focus from the MIC), and curated pamphlets such as "Who Are the Masons?" and "A Response to Critics." Revenue is generated through two primary streams: publication sales via an online storefront (shopmsana.com), direct mail, and subscription services; and tax-deductible donations (minimum $25) routed to specific disaster relief appeals (California Wildfires, Kentucky Flooding, Venezuela Earthquake, Green Envelope). The organization is member-supported, with no venture capital, private equity, or parent company ownership.

The business reaches its audience through a community-led go-to-market motion combining its website (msana.com), email and direct mail, social media (Facebook), and an online storefront. Operational scale is modest — approximately 5 paid staff based in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, Iowa, supplemented by roughly 180 volunteer Hospital Representatives and hundreds more volunteers at VA facilities. The organization is governed by a board of commissioners representing regional divisions across North America.

Name

Masonic Service Assn

Legal name

Masonic Service Association of North America

Website

https://msana.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Masonic Service Association of North America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1919 that serves as the unified service agency for Grand Lodges across the US and Canada, providing disaster relief coordination, hospital visitation programs for veterans, and Masonic educational publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fraternal Nonprofit Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAN

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations

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

SECONDARYBPADADAI

Cash & Voucher Assistance (CVA) / Emergency Social Assistance

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Humanitarian Relief & Emergency Response

Keywords

• Fraternal services
• Educational publications
• Disaster relief coordination
• Veteran hospital visitation
• Masonic publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Cedar Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Publication Sales: MSA generates revenue through sales of publications including Short Talk Bulletins (individual $2 each, subscriptions $12/year), collected volumes, and specialty items. Products are sold via online store, mail orders, and direct sales.
2. Donations: The organization receives tax-deductible donations (501(c)(3)) for disaster relief appeals and general operations. Minimum donation of $25 with specific appeals for disasters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Masonic Service Association of North America (MSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fraternal service organization that serves Grand Lodges and individual Freemasons across North America. Its core offerings include monthly educational publications (Short Talk Bulletin, Emessay Notes, Focus from the MIC), coordinated disaster relief appeals distributed worldwide, and a Hospital Visitation Program placing approximately 180 volunteer representatives at VA Medical Centers and state veterans hospitals.

Product overview

The Masonic Service Association of North America offers a portfolio of publications and service programs for Freemasonry. The primary offerings include the Short Talk Bulletin subscription (monthly publications covering Masonic education across Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason degrees), the Emessay Notes and Focus from the MIC newsletters, and collected volume editions. Service programs include the Hospital Visitation Program supporting VA Medical Centers and the Disaster Relief program trusted by Grand Lodges. Publications are available through both the online store and mail order catalog.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Masonic Information Center (MIC): An arm of MSA founded in 1993 that provides information on Freemasonry to Masons and non-Masons alike and responds to critics of Freemasonry.
• Emessay Notes
• Short Talk Bulletin
• Focus from the MIC

Products and services

• Short Talk Bulletin Subscription Annual subscription to a monthly Masonic educational publication covering leadership, degree topics (Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, Master Mason), history, philosophy, and symbols, distributed to individual Freemasons and Grand Lodge libraries.
• Charitable Donation Appeals Tax-deductible online donations (minimum $25) supporting designated appeals including the Green Envelope general fund, California Wildfires, Kentucky Flooding, and Venezuela Earthquake relief efforts.
• Emessay Notes Newsletter Monthly newsletter published by MSA containing information about MSA activities and other topics of Masonic interest, available free via the website with archives dating back to 2015.
• Focus from the MIC Newsletter Periodic newsletter from the Masonic Information Center presenting activities, Annual Report, and news about Masonic image to the public, distributed to Masons and non-Masons.
• Short Talk Bulletin Collected Volumes Collected hardbound volumes of Short Talk Bulletins spanning 1923 to 2017, organized by time periods and Master Mason/Grand Master editions, sold as complete collection sets or individual volumes.
• Charts and Photos Visual materials including Masonic charts, photographs, and reference images related to Masonic history and education, sold individually through the online store.
• Hospital Visitation Program Volunteer service program deploying approximately 180 Hospital Representatives and State Coordinators plus hundreds of additional volunteers at VA Medical Centers and state veterans hospitals across the United States.
• Disaster Relief Coordination Services Disaster relief appeal issuance and distribution services trusted by all North American Grand Lodges to collect and forward aid worldwide when disasters strike, having distributed over $10 million since 1923.
• Masonic Information Center Educational Publications Educational pamphlets and booklets including 'Who Are the Masons?', 'What's a Mason?', 'Get a Life', 'A Response to Critics', 'There is No Sin in Symbols', and 'What Freemasonry Has Done for the World', with over 3 million distributed in the past 20 years.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $10 million in disaster relief contributions distributed since 1923
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Grand Lodges of North AmericacoreOthers · 1 January 1918MSA was formed by Grand Masters gathering in Cedar Rapids in 1918-1919 specifically because the War Department (now Defense Department) agreed to work with only one agency instead of 49 separate Grand Lodges. MSA provides services to Grand Lodges they cannot perform individually.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW): VFW is a major veterans service organization operating VA hospital volunteer and community relief programs analogous to MSA's Hospital Visitation and disaster relief services, serving a similar veteran-beneficiary base.
• Knights of Columbus: Knights of Columbus is a large fraternal benefit society that combines member insurance programs, charitable giving, and volunteer community service — directly paralleling MSA's combination of membership services, disaster relief, and volunteer-driven veteran/community programs.
• Shriners International: Shriners International is a Masonic-affiliated fraternal service organization that, like MSA, was founded to coordinate member services (including a network of Shriners Children's hospitals) that individual lodges could not run individually. It is the closest direct comparable in mission and Masonic-service model.
• Lions Clubs International: Lions Clubs International is a large service-club fraternal network that, like MSA, depends on membership dues, donations, and local volunteer chapters to deliver community service programs — providing a comparable membership-fraternal operating model.
• Rotary International: Rotary International is a global service-club organization funded by member dues and donations that delivers disaster relief and community programs through local chapters — directly comparable to MSA's chapter-driven disaster relief and member-funded service model.
• American Legion: The American Legion is a congressionally chartered veterans service organization delivering volunteer programs at VA Medical Centers and community disaster relief appeals — directly comparable to MSA's Hospital Visitation Program and disaster relief franchise.
• Kiwanis International: Kiwanis is a community service club organization that, like MSA, relies on member subscriptions/donations and local volunteer chapters to deliver charitable programs — a structural analog in fraternal/membership-based service delivery.
• Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks: The BPO Elks is a U.S. fraternal organization that operates local lodge-based community service, charitable donations, and veteran support programs — a structural analog to MSA's Grand-Lodge-based service delivery and hospital/community outreach model.
• Independent Order of Odd Fellows: The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is one of the oldest fraternal service organizations in North America, providing member benefit programs, charitable giving, and community service — closely matching MSA's fraternal mission and member-services orientation.
• Royal Order of Moose: The Loyal Order of Moose is a fraternal service organization running member-funded charitable programs (including Mooseheart child care and Moosehaven senior living) through local lodges — directly paralleling MSA's lodge-coordinated charitable service model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MasonicServicesAssociationOfNorthAmerica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/masonic-service-assn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Masonic Service Assn