Charity Advice Notes

We know that our Province has an excellent track record when it comes to raising funds to support charities and good causes in our communities, notwithstanding the fact that it is becoming increasingly difficult to raise funds. However, in the light of this, how we spend our money is becoming increasingly important in terms of ensuring that our donations actually make a difference to those organisations that we choose to support.

Whilst it will always be up to each Lodge and Chapter to decide how it wishes to spend its charitable funds, the following 5 Tips may be useful in deciding how best to prioritise your scarce and valuable resources. This approach acknowledges best practice.

Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between some charities in terms of their importance. Often money will be donated to well-known national charities with a lot of money in the bank and without knowing what the money will be used for. At the same time, there may be many charities in your community that are struggling to survive due to the lack of funds, where your donation could make a real difference. We would therefore urge you to make supporting local charities and good causes in your community a priority. This approach would be in line with the Third Pillar Review, led by UGLE, which seeks to promote Freemasonry through more local engagement.

When it comes to making a donation, it is important to know how that money will be spent and to ensure that it doesn’t just go into an already big bank account that is only going to get bigger and bigger. To avoid this, you could focus on requests that seek support for equipment or works that at critical to the organisation in question, and favour those that have already raised funds to go towards those costs. It is much easier to link the contribution of your Lodges and Chapters for such things and to see the actual benefits of your donations.

Consider whether you can increase the donation made to the charity and good cause in question by petitioning FCYNER, our Provincial Charity, on their behalf. Familiarise yourself with their grant scheme and register for an account on their website: fcyner.org.uk Following (1) and (2) above will put you on the right road.

Don’t always approach things in isolation. Often Lodges/Chapters that share a building or are situated in relatively close proximity to each other, often share the same community, so why not work together? This not only helps share the financial commitment, but can lead to a bigger donation than going it alone, which could make a real difference, especially if a joint petition is made to FCYNER (see (3) above).

Make sure you promote your work not only to your Lodge/Chapter members, but to the community itself through Facebook and/or local social media, including the platforms of the charities and good causes you support. This is a vital part of raising your profile in your community so that people can see the great work you do.

If you need any help and advice to your charity giving work, please don’t hesitate to contact me or your Area Charity Lead, the details of which are set out below.

NORTH – Ben Doree. E-mail: bendoree@yahoo.co.uk Mob: [mobile number omitted on this public concept page]

CENTRAL – George Simpson. E-mail: georgesimpson_6@hotmail.com Mob: [mobile number omitted on this public concept page]

SOUTH – Malcolm Forbes. E-mail: ladycairns@aol.com Mob: [mobile number omitted on this public concept page]

Holding raffles at Lodge/Chapter festive boards is a long established and successful way in Freemasonry of rasing money for particular causes, and especially to support charity work. However, if you wish to run a raffle, you need to bear in mind that they are governed by certain rules and conventions, which are designed to protect both the Lodge/Chapter running the raffle and those taking part in it.

Section 6.0 of the Province’s newly published Guidance for Charity Stewards covers this subject in detail, and whilst it is important that all of this guidance is followed, if you do your best to comply with the below five key principles, there is a greater chance that those who buy tickets will be satisfied with the outcome, regardless of whether they win a prize or not.

Always be clear on the purpose of the raffle before a single ticket is sold. This can be done by the Worshipful Master or Charity Steward making an announcement at the start, or by providing such details on the summons. It is important that people know up front what the proceeds of the raffle will go towards so that they can make an informed decision on whether or not to buy a ticket. Don’t assume that a Brother will be happy to buy a raffle ticket for any cause, or without knowing what the cause is.

Whilst it is perfectly acceptable to sell raffle tickets in strips of five, it must be borne in mind that not everyone will want to buy a full strip and may just buy one or two tickets in order to support the chosen cause, whilst staying within their means. However, what is important is that when it comes to selecting the winning tickets, each ticket sold must be put into the hat or drum individually. This means that for each strip of five tickets sold, each ticket within the retained stub must be separated and added individually. The reason for this is that if a strip of five tickets is just folded as one bit of paper, then despite the extra outlay, people who buy a strip have no greater chance of winning than someone who purchased just one ticket, which is unfair. Also, with purchasing a strip of five tickets, there is a reasonable expectation that they will have several chances of winning, so remember to detach all tickets sold before making the draw and don’t just fold up a strip of 5 tickets because it is easier.

We know that some members are struggling financially and that attending Masonic events can be expensive, with festive board meals and drinks etc. We don’t know the financial background of everyone and sometimes members will choose not to buy a raffle ticket (or donate to a collection), which is perfectly acceptable. When this happens, the people selling the raffle tickets should not make a fuss about it and should discretely move on to the next person. Whilst making money for charity is important, it should not be at the expense of stripping any Brother of their dignity.

When there are multiple prizes on offer with a raffle, it is important to be clear on what order they will be awarded. It is the expected norm that the first drawn tickets will win the most expensive or appealing prizes, which will continue until all the prizes are claimed. When it is more difficult to distinguish between the value of prizes, the established norm is to display all prizes on a table and allow each winning ticket to select the prize they want, which continues until all prizes are claimed. Under no circumstances should prizes be handed out to winning tickets arbitrarily and out of sequence in terms of value. This practice can cause great frustration and resentment, which may even deter people from taking part in future raffles or even visiting your Lodge/Chapter in future.

Before the first raffle ticket is drawn, it is important that the total amount of money raised is announced. This sum should exclude the cost of any raffle prizes where they have been purchased and where it is intended to claim this expense back from the proceeds. The required approach is to bank all money collected from the raffle and the costs of raffle prizes subsequently claimed from the Treasurer on the production of receipts. Equally, any money raised should never be handed over as cash to the charity or anyone purporting to be the supporter/proposer of the charity. Payment should always be made directly to the charity or good cause by cheque or BACS. This approach helps add more transparency and accountability to the procedure.

If you need any help and advice to your charity giving work, please don’t hesitate to contact me or your Area Charity Lead, the details of which are set out below.

NORTH – Ben Doree. E-mail: bendoree@yahoo.co.uk Mob: [mobile number omitted on this public concept page]

CENTRAL – George Simpson. E-mail: georgesimpson_6@hotmail.com Mob: [mobile number omitted on this public concept page]

SOUTH – Malcolm Forbes. E-mail: ladycairns@aol.com Mob: [mobile number omitted on this public concept page]

Charity Advice Note No1/2026

The Handling Of Cash And Compliance With

Rule 153 Of The Book Of Constitutions

Most Lodges and Chapters will organise events to help raise funds to support a variety of activities, but mostly in connection with making financial donations to local charities and good causes in their community. These usually happen at Festive Boards and can include things like raffles, collections, (some with gift aid), auctions and tombola’s etc, but can also include other events sometimes held outside of the Lodge or Chapter for the same purpose. The one thing in common to them all is that cash will be collected, and not unreasonably, there will be an expectation by all who participate in these events that their donations will be properly handled, which principally involves ensuring that all of the money collected ends up being used for its intended purpose and will be handed to the Treasurer to be banked in the appropriate Lodge/Chapter account as soon as practicably possible.

This is not only good practice, but it is also a requirement under Rule 153 of the Book of Constitutions. This subject is addressed in more detail in Section 11 of the Provincial publication “Guidance for Charity Stewards,” accessible on the Provincial website. The clear advantages of following this guidance and being in compliance with Rule 153 are that it ensures there can be no question of where the money ended up, it provides a clear audit trail of how the money was collected and spent, and allows for the maintenance of accurate records for all charitable activities.

Notwithstanding the above, the Province is becoming increasingly aware that some Lodges and Chapters are not following this guidance and are hence failing to complying with requirements of Rule 153. What is also becoming clear is that the main reason for this due to the fact that the Lodge/Chapter Treasurer might not be in attendance at the event where funds were raised, which means someone may need to hold onto cash until it can be handed to the Treasurer. This in itself is not an issue and it is accepted that sometimes it is not always possible to hand cash over immediately to the Treasurer. However, when this happens, and whilst there is no question that any form of impropriety is likely to take place, it is vitally important to demonstrate how the cash was handled in his absence, should anyone happen to raise concerns. It is important to note that even unsubstantiated allegations could result in complaints being looked into.

We do not want Lodges and Chapters to be concerned about fundraising. However, we do need to adopt a common sense approach that introduces transparency and accountability to the process.

For the above reason, we have created a template that should be used at all events where cash is collected as part of a fundraising event. The form (Record Of Handling Cash – ROHC1) is attached to this note. Also attached is a FAQ to provide further support and clarity in this area. Whilst some may feel that the use of the form is unnecessary and onerous, we feel that the safeguards it brings, which include protecting the reputation and standing of a Lodge/Chapter, the reputation of those involved in handling the cash, and the reputation of Freemasonry in general, far outweigh any inconvenience. We therefore urge you to give serious consideration to its use at all future fundraising events.

Should you require any further guidance and support, please don’t hesitate to contact: Des McKenzie, the Provincial Grand Charity Steward.

E-mail address: provchstwd@yorkshirenerfreemasons.org.uk

Frequently Asked Questions (Faq)

How can we be more transparent about the money collected at a fundraising event?

A – At the start of the event, make it clear what the money raised will be used for, and before conducting the draw, announce how much money was collected. This puts it on record and will make it easier for money to tally up.

Is it acceptable to hand cash to any charity or supporter of the charity in the belief that it will be handed on to the charity?

A – No. cash should never be handed over to a charity or supporter of a charity under any circumstances. All money must be banked and then the Treasurer can arrange for payment to the charity in question. This provides more certainty and an audit trail.

Is there any responsibility on the people collecting the cash to count it before it is handed to the Treasurer?

A – Yes. The Treasurer must be made aware of how much money has been collected. Best practice requires at least two people to be involved in this, one to count the money and the other to either check or witness. This not only helps protect those collecting the cash, but also the Treasurer.

If the Treasurer is not present how long can the money be held on to before it is eventually passed to the Treasurer?

A – All money collected should be banked as quickly as possible. In terms of how long it should be held on to, The Fundraising Regulators Code of Practice does not set a specific time limit. If there are no other options, it can be held until the next formal meeting as long as there is a record of how much was collected at the event. (See Form ROHC1).

For the sake of ease and speed, can money be banked into a personal account and then transferred electronically to the Lodge/Chapter bank account?

A – No. Under no circumstances can this happen. This could expose members to unnecessary scrutiny. If in doubt, and there are no other options, hold onto the cash with form ROHC1 completed until it can be handed to the Treasurer.

What other options are available for getting the money banked as quickly as possible?

A – If it is not practicable to wait till the next time the Treasurer is available in person at a Lodge/Chapter event to hand the cash over, you could consider either: a) dropping it off at the Treasurer’s home with Form ROHC1, or b) obtain the relevant bank account details of the Lodge/Chapter account from the Treasurer and call into the bank and make payment over the counter, ensuring that the record of payment or banking slip is posted or scanned and e-mailed to the Treasurer along with Form ROHC1.

Is there an alternative to collecting cash at fundraising events?

A – Yes. Lodges and Chapters may wish to use QR Codes exclusively for the collection, which takes away the problem of collecting and banking cash. Some Lodges are already using sum-up machines, which allows raffle tickets to be purchased by card directly into the relevant account. However, there may be additional charges for such devices.

Name and number of Lodge/Chapter: _________________________________

Details of Event: ___________________________________________________

Date of event: _______________

Names of those who collected the money (print): ________________ / ________________

Total money collected:

Name of person who counted the money:

Name (print)______________________ Signature ________________

Name of person who checked the money:

Name (print) _____________________ Signature _________________

If the Treasurer is present, this money must be handed to him at the event. However, if he is not present, please set out below what was done with the money in his absence and what arrangements have been made for its subsequent hand over:

Treasurer’s Acknowledgement of receipt:

I hereby confirm receipt of this sum of money.

Name of Treasurer: __________________ Date: __________ Signature: ________________

All signatories to this form are advised to take a photo of it, with a copy sent to your Charity Steward.

Charity Advice Note No2/2026

Social inclusion is a term often used to describe any act of kindness that helps individuals or groups to participate in society with activities that we often take for granted, ensuring that those in need have access to resources, opportunities and services. Offering financial support in such circumstances can empower people, regardless of background, identity or circumstances to live with dignity and can help them achieve their full potential.

Many of our Lodges and Chapters will have been contacted by individuals seeking financial support to enable them to take part in a range of activities linked to sport, education, leisure, art and culture etc, and particularly from school children and young adults who may often seek financial support to attend overseas events. As an organisation, Freemasonry wants to help the most in need in our communities, and especially children and young adults by enabling them to participate in enrichment activities where financial disadvantage might otherwise prevent this. At first glance such requests may appear as social inclusion, but might not necessarily meet any test of need or charitable purpose.

The Charities Act 2011 sets out the descriptions of charitable purposes that reasonably meet the test of need, and it is important that all Lodges and Chapters are mindful of this. These are more fully explained in our Guidance for Charity Stewards, which is available on the Provincial website (Para 5.0 and Appendix 2).

Given all of the effort and commitment that goes in to raising funds for charity and good causes by the members of our Lodges and Chapters, no matter how much a request related to social inclusion may appeal for sentimental reasons, it is important that you are satisfied that there is a bona-fide charitable purpose or need linked to that request. This means that it would be prudent to first check the financial position of the applicant (if an adult) or the applicant’s parents/guardians (if a child) before making any donation.

It has been known for a Lodge or Chapter to make a donation to a child in good faith to attend an overseas event, only later to discover that the child’s parents are both in full time employment on six figure incomes. Often, the organisations arranging such trips will ask attendees to raise funds towards the costs, and whilst that in itself is not a bad thing, it would not justify charitable support in the absence of a proven need.

Ultimately, it is up to each Lodge and Chapter to decide how it wants to spend its charitable funds, but given the increasing difficulty in raising such funds and a growing desire to make the greatest impact in our communities with our precious money, a charitable purpose must always be present and the need for that fully explained and justified to your members before reaching any decision.

Donations may be made where there is no charitable purpose, provided it comes from the Lodge or Chapter general funds and not its charitable funds, and provided it meets all other requirements.

Des McKenzie

Provincial Grand Charity Steward

Charity Advice Note No4/2026 – Full Version

Working with The Freemasons’ Charity to secure better outcomes for the charities we support in our communities

Introduction

Most of our Lodges and Chapters understand the purpose of Freemasonry and in particular, our duty to serve our community, and are active when it comes to fundraising and supporting local charities. This is vitally important to the future of Freemasonry as set out in our Pro-Grand Master’s 7 Year Plan, and several changes have been introduced under one of the three pillars of that Plan, known as “engaged in our communities” often referred to as the Third Pillar. In line with this we have produced a Provincial Community Engagement Strategy, which is designed to help Lodges and Chapters work together in a more consistent way to help deliver the Plan’s vision, which ultimately aims to help them make better use of their resources whilst securing better outcomes for both Freemasonry and the communities we serve.

A core theme of our Strategy is “working together” to maximise the benefits to the charities we support. Working together does not only relate to Lodges (and Chapters) working collaboratively, but also involves our Lodges and Chapters working with other Masonic Charities to help maximise funding opportunities, such as The Freemasons’ Charity (formerly the MCF).

So how can they help?

The Freemasons’ Charity (The Charity) can help in a number of ways. Firstly, it can be approached directly by the local charities you support as a result of you encouraging them to apply for funding across a range of schemes which may be eligible. Your Lodges and Chapters can also set up a dedicated Relief Chest with them as an alternative way to supporting your community, taking advantage of the benefits Relief Chests offer.

The current level of take up of this type of support is not as high as we would have hoped. In order to help strengthen this area, this Advice Note has been prepared with a number of objectives in mind. Firstly, it provides more information on The Charity so that you have a better understanding of the work it does, particularly in our Province, and the opportunities they present. Secondly, it provides guidance on how to make contact and explore potential opportunities.

We recognise that for more Lodges and Chapters to be able to tap into this resource, it will require a change of approach where they move away from silo thinking and working and start to see The Charity as a key partner that can significantly strengthen their relationships with their communities. Whilst some of our Lodges and Chapters do have Relief Chests with The Charity, we also want to expand the level of participation.

So what do you know about The Freemasons’ Charity?

I think it would be fair to say that although most of our members will have heard about the Masonic Charitable Foundation or MCF, the majority may not know a lot about their work, and especially the work they have done in our Province. The name change to “The Freemasons’ Charity” may also have slipped by un noticed.

Some of our members, through the work of their Lodge and Chapter Almoners, and working through the Provincial Grand Almoner, will know that every year the Freemasons’ Charity supports thousands of Freemasons and their families who may have hit difficult times, and that when each Province goes into Festival, this is the way the pot used to provide such support is replenished. However, The Charity does far more than this and is in fact one of the largest grant-making charities in the country, funded entirely through the generosity of Freemasons and their families, supporting hundreds of local charities in communities across England and Wales.

It is a concern that this lack of knowledge and awareness has created something of a disconnect between our Lodges and Chapters with The Charity, which has potentially resulted in missed opportunity with regard to the work they do in supporting their communities.

I was appointed by the PGM as the Province’s Charity Representative with The Charity, and as part of that role, I believe that it’s my duty to:

Help you understand more about the work they do,

Help make The Charity more accessible,

Promote its activities near you,

Create opportunities to be more involved in celebrating its successes, and

Help build a stronger working relationship with The Charity.

So where do we begin?

I can tell you that The Charity’s mission is to help build better lives by supporting communities in ways that make a positive impact to society, and that the Charity is currently working on a new strategy that will help it meet its goals up to 2030.

In 2025/26, The Freemasons’ Charity gave a staggering £7.6M to local and national charities. This took the form of a number of different grants and donations, which include: Large Grants, Small Grants, Community Fund Grants, Hospice UK Grants and Disaster Relief Donations, which are briefly explained below:

Large Grants:

This is where an award can be made of between £10,000 and £60,000 to charities with an annual income of more than £500,000 but less than £5,000,000. It is restricted to project funding and can be paid over 2 to 3 years.

Large Grants have been awarded to five charities in our Province, which are: Footprints in the Community (Redcar), Hull Women’s Aid, Hull FC Foundation, Age UK (Scarborough), and North Yorkshire Citizen’s Advice (Northallerton).

Small Grants:

This is where an award can be made of between £1,000 and £15,000 to charities with an annual income of more than £25,000 but less than £500,000. Such funding is unrestricted and can be used on core funding and paid over 3 years.

Small Grants have been awarded to four charities in our Province, which are: Home Start Hull, Shine 21 (York), Light Year Foundation (York), and WHISH (Whitby).

Hospice UK:

Over £400,000 are awarded each year in project grants, and £100,000 in bursaries, of which, over £4000 was spent on bursaries in our Province. Hospices apply directly Hospice UK, and Hospices supported in our Province include: Teesside Hospice, St Leonards Hospice, and Saint Catherine’s Hospice.

Disaster Relief:

Emergency grants are awarded overseas and at home to those in immediate need of relief following a natural disaster and other humanitarian crisis. Key partners include: District Grand Lodges, as well as Red Cross, UNICEF and Plan International. In addition to the on-going support for the effects of the war in Ukraine, other examples include support for the effects of the wild fires in Cyprus, the floods in Sri Lanka, the hurricanes in Jamaica, with support nearer to home last year in Monmouthshire following storm Claudia.

Awards in this Province

Since January 2020, a total of £1.04M was donated in our Province. There are also 9 charities currently being supported with large and small grants in our Province who will be awarded £297,596 in total over multiple years of funding. This includes the sum of £199,200 paid out to those charities in the Province in 2025/26 and large grants to Carers Plus Yorkshire and Teesside Hospice.

Target Groups

With such high demand for support, The Charity creates what is known as “Target Groups” as a way of prioritising the charities it would like to support. The core theme is disadvantaged children and young people, which is broken down into three sub groups: a) Early years children (0-5) living in the most disadvantaged circumstances, with a focus on those experiencing or at risk of poverty and neglect; b) Children and young people who have experienced domestic abuse, and c), SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities). It is important to know this so that you can target the charities in your community to apply to Freemasons’ Charity for funding whether you have supported them or not.

The Community Fund

Towards the end of last year, the MCF (as it was then), created a new fund to support the community engagement work of Provinces. There are two application cycles each year, during which Provinces are eligible to apply for funding to support charities that can help it meet its community engagement objectives. This Province was the first to produce a Community Engagement Strategy in anticipation of these changes, and was one of a small number of Provinces to have a £50,000 grant successfully awarded to its nominated charity, Carers Plus Yorkshire.

At the time, due to a very short window to apply, and it being a completely new process, the charity was nominated by the then PGM. However, our new PGM has stated that in future, he wants all Lodges and Chapters in our Province to have a voice in the process. The next submission window for this Province is in November, and towards the end of the summer we will nominate a number of potential eligible charities across the Province and then create an on-line voting system for our members to help decide which one we eventually submit an application on behalf of. It should be noted that no funding is guaranteed as the final decision rests with The Charity, but rest assured we have a highly skilled team working hard on your behalf who will work with the chosen charity and do everything in its powers to maximise the chances of success.

Relief Chests

It is acknowledged that some Lodges and Chapters do most of their charitable donations through a Relief Chest held by The Charity. A Relief Chest is a charitable account owned by a Lodge or Chapter, which is funded by its members through continuous giving. In 2025, the total donations made to charities by Lodges and Chapters in this Province was in excess of £15,000. The advantages of using Relief Chests include: ease of making a donation, added value through 25% Gift Aid, full compliance with relevant regulations, reduced admin and reporting duties, on-line fundraising platforms, and the service is provided free of charge.

How to set up a Relief Chest

Information is available on how to set up a Relief Chest on the relevant part of the Freemasons’ Charity website: mcf.org.uk/relief-chest

You can also write to the Relief Chest team: reliefchest@mcf.org.uk

Or telephone them on: [mobile number omitted on this public concept page]

Publicity

The Charity has a dedicated team that deals with communications, and they are keen to promote all successful grants awarded in our Province. They are also keen to help build relationships with successful recipients and the Province and joint publicity is usually arranged. Going forward, and to help build relationships between our Lodges and Chapters with both the Province and The Freemasons’ Charity, we will invite all Lodges and Chapters in the locality of where an award has been made, to be involved in any publicity.

How to refer local charities to The Freemason’s Charity

It is important that you are aware of The Charity and how it can potentially support your local charity and community engagement work. Although The Charity is an independent body, it is also a vibrant and successful Charity that makes a real difference to the quality of people’s lives and can potentially support your own charity giving work through closer working.

You can therefore help make a difference by building a strong working relationship with The Charity, which can begin by promoting it to the charities you support in your community as potential extra sources of funding, where the sums involved could make a real difference to the work of the charity.

As a starting point, you should encourage the Charity to access the Freemasons’ Charity website:

freemasonscharity.org.uk

From there they will be able to start the process of applying for a grant by submitting an expression of interest, which will highlight eligibility and priorities. The Charity will then notify applicants if their submission is eligible for consideration and will be invited to make a formal submission. Whilst it’s appreciated that this takes the grant process beyond your control, you will have played your part by encouraging the Charity to apply for funding in a scheme which is currently operating at an average of a 40% success rate throughout the year for those that reach the final stage.

If you would like to contact The Freemasons’ Charity to discuss a proposal or just seek more information, you can e-mail them: charitygrants@freemasonscharity.org.uk

Or telephone them on: [mobile number omitted on this public concept page].

Alternatively, you can simply provide these contact details to the Charity in question.

Conclusion

These really are exciting times for Freemasonry in terms of the way we support our community. There is a wealth of guidance on our Provincial website to help you raise funds and get the most out of the valuable funds you raise to support local charities. There are also additional funding streams to tap into, which, if successful, can bolster the financial support given to your chosen charities. However, to make the most of these opportunities, it really does require a change of approach from the way we have done things in the past. The Provincial Community Engagement Strategy highlights that “joint working” is a key theme that can lead to better outcomes for the charities and good causes you choose to support. This isn’t just about Lodges/Chapters working together, but Lodges and Chapters working with dedicated external bodies such as The Freemasons’ Charity, which can provide vital additional resources to support the charities that are important to you. In order to do this, you need to know more about The Charity, how they can support you, and how to initiate contact, and that is what this Advice Note is all about.

For those that are unaware, this Province also has its own charity known as Freemasons Charity Yorkshire North and East Ridings Charitable Incorporated Organisation, more commonly known as FCYNER. It too plays an important role in supporting the charity work of Lodges and Chapters. The next Charity Advice Note (CAN) will focus on FCYNER in the same way that this CAN focusses on The Freemasons’ Charity.

If you need any further information, advice or support, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Des McKenzie

Provincial Grand Charity Steward

E-mail: provchstwd@yorkshirenerfreemasons.org.uk

Mobile: [mobile number omitted on this public concept page]