About the Foundation:

The Alexandria – Washington Lodge, No. 22, Foundation, Inc., has been established to support specific operations of the Lodge and preservation of our museum collection. This is an exciting first step toward elevating our museum collection to the level of scholarship and care worthy of the many important Washington, Early American, and Masonic artifacts that we possess. The Foundation provides an avenue for tax-deductible donations to the Lodge, establishes a 501(c)3 status that will allow us to apply for grants, and demonstrates our willingness to further invest in the health and future of the Lodge.

As a tax-exempt charitable foundation with purposes that include museum artifact preservation, education, and scholarship, the Foundation may compete with other like organizations for grants that fund specific projects. Preservation of certain types of artifacts, digitization of historical records, and educational programs are all causes supported by numerous national and international grant making organizations. Being able to compete and receive these funds increases our ability to not only safeguard our invaluable collection, but also to get it out into the world, raising awareness of Washington, Freemasonry, and Alexandria – Washington Lodge, No. 22.

The current Lodge endowment supports regular Lodge operations. However, the annual endowment draw is only one third of our yearly operational budget. Funds for projects like the restoration of the G over the Master’s chair, evaluation of art hanging in various spaces throughout the Memorial, and development of educational programs beyond our membership can be both significant in amount and outside of our normal budget. The establishment of the Foundation ensures that neither normal or special operations will have to suffer from lack of funding. The Lodge will be able to do more, engage more, and support more. We are at the beginning of an exciting new era at AW22.

Foundation Charter Member

Establishing the Foundation with a significant principal endowment will ensure its continued success. Those donors contributing $1,000 or more before the Foundation’s third birthday (April 2023) will be included among its charter members. Masons do not require recognition to give charitably but demonstrating the Lodge’s support of the Foundation will be inspirational for future supporters. Help lay the foundation for the magnificent temple we will build together as a charter member. Click here to Donate.

2023 Master’s Challenge

At Warden’s Night, Brother Bella challenged the Lodge to double the size of the Endowment in 2023. With a starting point of $50,000, the goal is total contributions to the Foundation of $100,000 by December 2023. Working together, we can meet this challenge and ensure that we have the funds necessary to do required preservation work on some of our most precious relics, including the William Williams portrait. Click here to Donate.

Foundation Leadership:

There is much work to be done, but it is work that is definitely worth doing. Please reach out to one of the Foundation’s Directors or Officers if you have any questions or would like to learn more. Foundation Directors are elected from the Lodge membership for five-year terms. Directors have voting rights and Officers support regular operations.