Slicing The Pie
To relieve the distressed is a duty incumbent on all men, but particularly on Freemasons, who are linked together
by an indissoluble chain of sincere affection. To soothe the
unhappy, to sympathize with their misfortunes, to compassionate their miseries, and to restore peace to their troubled minds, is the great aim we have in view. On this basis we form our friendships and establish our connections.
Illustrations of Masonry, p. 72
William Preston, 1772
Grasping the subtle nuances of the interlocking relationships of Masonic organizations is a simple task compared to cataloging their expenditures. As Professor Lipson observed, "Masonic charity was secret unlike civic charity whose administration made the entire town privy to the needs of each recipient." Thus a researcher can only capture the data from formally organized and public Masonic activities, but even this doesn't tell the whole story.
For example, the Masonic Service Association of North America quietly oversees a Hospital Visitation Program with a goal that every Veterans Administration Hospital in the United States have a Masonic volunteer working with patients. How can a value be placed on the more than 500,000 hours a year spent on this work? It just can't be done!
The best that can be achieved, as in the pie chart below and the statistical tables that follow, is to catalog that fraction of Masonic philanthropy administered on a formal basis and to rest content in the knowledge that Masons today, as always, are seeking to provide relief for suffering humanity.
In 1995, major North American Masonic philanthropies contributed $750 million or over $2 million per day of which 70% went to the general American public.
Non-Profit Hospitals |
$476,512,844 |
63.5% |
Masonic Homes |
225,669,231 |
30% |
Medical Research |
31,472,909 |
4% |
Scholarships and Youth |
7,123,805 |
1% |
Community Services |
5,379,609 |
1% |
Museums and Buildings Open to the Public |
3,717,050 |
.5% |
TOTAL |
$749,875,448 |
100% |
Based on figures compiled by the Masonic Service Association of North America