Important News from GMCA
There was much of particular interest in this year’s GMCA Associates’ Annual General Meeting which was well attended by representatives of the lodges.
What is the GMCA?
Gloucestershire Masonic Charity Action is the charitable fund of Gloucestershire Freemasonry. Through careful investment the fund has increased over its lifetime from the original £498,000 to £1,279.000, the return on that lump sum (together with donations from the lodges) funding the grants each year.
How does it relate to other funds?
MCF (Masonic Charitable Foundation) is run by professional staff based in Freemasons’ Hall in Great Queen Street and typically makes larger grants to charities with higher funding. For example, MCF earlier in 2024 gave £75,000 over three years to The Music Works, a Gloucester charity bringing music to children with special needs (See the news article on the Provincial website for more detail).
GCF (the Masonic fund within Gloucestershire Charitable Foundation) was set up using match funding from the Government. Gloucestershire Freemasonry provides members of the grant applications evaluation panel. The Masonic Fund, Lord Lieutenant’s Fund and the General Fund is run by professional staff.
Why is it different?
The GMCA is run entirely by members of Gloucestershire Freemasonry on a voluntary basis. The administration costs are accordingly less than 0.25% which no charity with paid staff could match. In other words nearly all the money raised by Gloucestershire Freemasons for the GMCA goes to local charities, representing fantastic value for money for the Province.
