MASONIC CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

Registered charity 1164703 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as Freemasons' Charity, MCF, THE MASONIC FOUNDATION

To relieve and preserve health, advance education and prevent or relieve poverty or financial hardship, amongst such persons as the Trustees consider from time to time to be in need of assistance and to further such other purposes being exclusively charitable.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Overseas Aid/famine Relief · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£90.8m

Latest spending

£100.2m

Registered

2015

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the group reported a net deficit of £8.4 million for the year ended 31 March 2025, primarily due to a fall in investment values. Despite this deficit, the group maintains strong total net assets of £384.1 million, with unrestricted reserves of £99.2 million, which the trustees consider not to be excessive.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: £350.0 M to £450.0 M (held: £99.2m)

“The current level of reserves is within the range recommended by the Trustee Board of £350.0 M to £450.0 M”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: UGLE provides part of the lower ground floor of Freemasons’ Hall to the Charity to accommodate its staff and operations. The lease is rent free but allows for the recovery of an appropriate proportion of costs through a service charge.

“The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) co-ordinates the collection of the annual contribution made by its members for supporting the Charity. UGLE provides part of the lower ground floor of Freemasons’ Hall to the Charity to accommodate its staff and operations. The lease is rent free but allows for the recovery of an appropriate proportion of costs through a service charge.”

“The Charity has paid out grants on behalf of the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys, The Grand Charity and the Masonic Samaritan Fund during the year and has been reimbursed by these charities. Additionally, the Charity has borne all the administrative costs of supporting the above subsidiary charities. The Charity has recharged a proportion of these costs to its subsidiary charities based upon the relative number of grants processed.” — page 64

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: MCF recharges administrative costs to subsidiary charities (TGC, RMTGB, MSF) based on grants processed.

“The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) co-ordinates the collection of the annual contribution made by its members for supporting the Charity. UGLE provides part of the lower ground floor of Freemasons’ Hall to the Charity to accommodate its staff and operations. The lease is rent free but allows for the recovery of an appropriate proportion of costs through a service charge.”

“The Charity has paid out grants on behalf of the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys, The Grand Charity and the Masonic Samaritan Fund during the year and has been reimbursed by these charities. Additionally, the Charity has borne all the administrative costs of supporting the above subsidiary charities. The Charity has recharged a proportion of these costs to its subsidiary charities based upon the relative number of grants processed.” — page 64

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Knox Cropper LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Freemasons — “Funded entirely by Freemasons, we build better lives by encouraging opportunity, promoting independence and improving wellbeing.” (source page)

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (0 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income

£90.8m

Total spending

£100.2m

Cost of raising funds

£2.7m

Reserves (reported)

£99.2m

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~11.9 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 3.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (3.8%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (08/09/2026) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (20/08/2026) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (25/06/2026) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (23/03/2026) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (07/02/2026) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (19/12/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Bruce Walker
Clive Lewis Emerson · trustee of 2 other charities
David Glyn Trefor Hudd
David Walton Stockdale
Dr Simon Morris Fellerman
Edward Goodchild
HOWARD GERALD WILSON
James M Long
Luke Webster · trustee of 1 other charity
Marie Shenton
Timothy Robin Sherwood

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£90.8m	£100.2m
31/03/2024	£85.7m	£103.3m
31/03/2023	£79.3m	£97.1m
31/03/2022	£72.9m	£93.3m
31/03/2021	£67.8m	£91.1m

Common questions

Is MASONIC CHARITABLE FOUNDATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the group reported a net deficit of £8.4 million for the year ended 31 March 2025, primarily due to a fall in investment values. Despite this deficit, the group maintains strong total net assets of £384.1 million, with unrestricted reserves of £99.2 million, which the trustees consider not to be excessive. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Knox Cropper LLP.

Who funds MASONIC CHARITABLE FOUNDATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name MASONIC CHARITABLE FOUNDATION as a grant recipient include THE GRAND CHARITY, NORTHUMBERLAND MASONIC CHARITY ASSOCIATION, Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons' Charity (LRFC), THE WARWICKSHIRE MASONIC CHARITABLE ASSOCIATION LIMITED, THE HAPPY BABY COMMUNITY.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE GRAND CHARITY	FY2023	£11.6m	Relief Chest donations
THE GRAND CHARITY	FY2024	£11.3m	Masonic grants / Relief Chest
THE GRAND CHARITY	FY2022	£6.6m	Masonic grants
NORTHUMBERLAND MASONIC CHARITY ASSOCIATION	FY2025	£275k	Festival 2031
NORTHUMBERLAND MASONIC CHARITY ASSOCIATION	FY2023	£275k	Festival 2032
NORTHUMBERLAND MASONIC CHARITY ASSOCIATION	FY2024	£275k	Festival 2032
Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons' Charity (LRFC)	FY2023	£187k	Financial, health and family support
THE WARWICKSHIRE MASONIC CHARITABLE ASSOCIATION LIMITED	FY2024	£25k
THE HAPPY BABY COMMUNITY	FY2025	£20k	Every Child Can Thrive programme of activities.
THE WARWICKSHIRE MASONIC CHARITABLE ASSOCIATION LIMITED	FY2021	£15k	2023 Festival
ATTEND	FY2025	£10k
THE WARWICKSHIRE MASONIC CHARITABLE ASSOCIATION LIMITED	FY2023	£500

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with SUSSEX MASONIC CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, CIO.

SUSSEX MASONIC CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, CIO income £156k
OXFORDSHIRE MASONIC CHARITY income £88k
THE EAST LANCASHIRE MASONIC CHARITY income £1.1m
WARWICKSHIRE FREEMASONS' CHARITABLE FOUNDATION income £637k
THE BRIDGEND MASONIC LODGES CHARITABLE TRUST income £145k
PROVINCE OF CAMBRIDGESHIRE MASONIC BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION income £153k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
MASONIC CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	£90.8m	—	—	within	—	no doubt
SUSSEX MASONIC CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, CIO FY2025	£156k	—	0	within	—	no doubt
OXFORDSHIRE MASONIC CHARITY FY2026	£88k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
THE EAST LANCASHIRE MASONIC CHARITY FY2024	£1.1m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
WARWICKSHIRE FREEMASONS' CHARITABLE FOUNDATION FY2025	£637k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE BRIDGEND MASONIC LODGES CHARITABLE TRUST FY2024	£145k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.