Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Masonic Foundation of Manitoba

The Masonic Foundation of Manitoba is a charitable foundation established in 1976 to support the charitable and benevolent works of the Freemasons of Manitoba. Operating as a registered charity under the legal name Masonic Foundation of Manitoba Inc., it channels donations, planned gifts and endowment income into community-focused projects across Manitoba and beyond. The foundation’s support allows Freemasons to undertake projects that individual lodges or volunteers could not easily finance on their own.

A central focus of the foundation’s financial support is the cancer patient transportation service operated in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society’s Wheels of Hope program. Over decades, the foundation has contributed funds to purchase and replace vans in Winnipeg and Brandon so that patients from more than 50 communities can access life-saving treatments without transportation being a barrier.

In addition to this ongoing partnership, the foundation runs targeted fundraising and funding streams such as the “100 Club of Masons Who Care” and “Special Projects”. These campaigns are designed to raise and deploy funds for specific needs, such as acquiring new vehicles for the Masons Care Transportation Program in a given Masonic year. The foundation also supports initiatives related to the International Peace Garden and other Masonic community projects, enabling maintenance and enhancements through financial contributions.

The Masonic Foundation of Manitoba has created a permanent Philanthropic Endowment Fund with The Winnipeg Foundation. Gifts to this endowment are pooled and invested, with the income distributed annually to the Masonic Foundation of Manitoba Inc. to support its programs at the board’s discretion. This structure provides stable, long-term financing for charitable work, ensuring that support for transportation services, special projects and other benevolent activities can continue “for good, forever”.

The foundation works closely with CanadaHelps.org to offer convenient one-time and monthly giving options, including donations of securities. It also promotes legacy giving through bequests and other planned giving vehicles such as life insurance, charitable trusts, RRSPs/RRIFs, mutual funds and named funds. Donors can direct their contributions to specific purposes like the Masons Care Transportation Program, Special Projects or the Masonic Foundation Endowment Fund.

While governed by the Masonic community, the foundation’s financial assistance primarily benefits the broader public. Cancer patients who require transportation to treatment, visitors to the International Peace Garden, and recipients of other charitable initiatives all benefit from the resources the foundation stewards. By combining volunteer service from Freemasons with dedicated funding streams, the Masonic Foundation of Manitoba helps reduce barriers to care, enhance community spaces and sustain charitable activities across the province.