Our VisionThe Vision of Freemasons Foundation Victoria Limited is to
contribute to a better Victoria through thoughtful and purposeful charitable
support and community involvement.
Mission Statement
The Mission of Freemasons Foundation Victoria Limited is to
build stronger communities by supporting those who are disadvantaged, and
providing relief to their families and carers, by assisting needy members of
the Fraternity, their dependents, and by aiding the youth of Victoria to
achieve their education goals.
A New Direction, a New Structure
In 2014
Freemasons Victoria celebrated 125 years of existence, having been formed in
1889. In that year, when the United Grand Lodge of Victoria was established, a
fund was set up to look after Freemasons who had fallen on hard times. That
fund was called the "Benevolent Fund".
In early 2014 the Benevolent Fund, having accumulated over $30m in investments,
was, for the first time in 125 years, registered as a charity under the name of
"Freemasons Benevolent Fund".
In 1989, in order to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of
the United Grand Lodge of Victoria, a group of senior Freemasons established
"The Freemasons Public Charitable Foundation" which is a Public
Ancillary Fund registered as a Deductible Gift Recipient charity.
In a move designed to change the philanthropic direction of Freemasons
Victoria, and continue to serve it for another 125 years, both of these funds
were recently brought together under a common trustee, Freemasons Foundation
Victoria Limited.
The directors of Freemasons Foundation Victoria Limited now manage both
charities.
The Freemasons Public Charitable Foundation will continue to make grants only
to Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) charities; the Freemasons Benevolent Fund
will not only make substantial grants to non-DGR charities, it will also
continue to support the charitable activities of over 260 Freemasons Lodges
throughout Victoria which, collectively, raise about a quarter of a million
dollars each year for local causes and community organisations. It will also
continue to support Freemasons who require financial assistance and it will run
the very successful scholarship program which was established a number of years
ago and awards about $300,000 a year to qualified students.
The board of directors of Freemasons Foundation Victoria Limited consists of
nine Freemasons and two non-Freemasons who, between them, have a range of
skills, and experience in philanthropy, which will ensure the success of this
new philanthropic organisation.
The new board met for the first time in December 2014 and approved about
$85,000 in grants. This was the first step in a program of giving which, in the
next full year period, will make grants of about $1.2m. This, added to the
amounts raised by Victorian Freemasons Lodges, will ensure t
hat worthwhile
community causes in Victoria will benefit from about $1.5 million in grants per
year.
Applications for grants are invited from charitable and community organisations
which can demonstrate a specific need for funding.
The Foundation's web site is http://www.freemasonsfoundation.org/