Donor Advised Fund
St. George’s Lodge No. 15 Masonic Legacy Fund
Fund carries on 200-year legacy of community impact
Philanthropy has defined St. George’s Masonic Lodge No. 15 for nearly 200 years.
From early members such as William Hamilton Merritt and Bill Burgoyne, whose names are etched into Niagara’s landscape, to current members, that commitment to community has built an enduring legacy.
Guided by the values of brotherly love, charity and truth, lodge members are carrying that work forward with the launch of the St. George’s Lodge No. 15 Masonic Legacy Fund. The donoradvised fund managed by the Niagara Community Foundation underscores their commitment to serving their community for generations to come.
“The Lodge has been here in St. Catharines for 200 years, so it’s a nice piece for us and the community to put the money we have into a fund with NCF and put it to good use,” says lodge member Andrew Harwood. “Then it builds that legacy piece for us, which pays respect to former members and the community we live in.”
“The investment is secured long-term and can continue doing good work in the community for another 200 years.”
The fund continues the charitable acts the Lodge already quietly performs in the community. Using money collected from membership fees, and donated by members or estates, St. George’s has supported causes including the Rankin Cancer Run, MS Society and FEED Niagara. Members have also given time and skills to help charities with hands-on projects.
But because the Lodge isn’t a registered charity, most of the money collected has sat unused. Establishing a fund with NCF means those dollars can now be invested for long-term impact while providing donors with a tax receipt, Harwood explains.
Grants from the fund will reflect the Lodge’s existing charitable priorities with the option of supporting other causes identified by members or NCF. The fund can continue on, even without the Lodge.
“The investment is secured long-term and can continue doing good work in the community for another 200 years,” Harwood says.
Harwood suggested establishing a fund with NCF after his own experience with the Community Foundation of Waterloo Region, where his grandfather once served as a board president and established a family fund that Harwood now helps guide.
“I had such a good experience with the Waterloo Community Foundation, and that same experience has been here in Niagara,” he says. “ NCF is a small, nimble team that’s super impact-motivated — just an amazing crew of people.”