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Serving All of Washington
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Monthly News & Updates for
April 2016
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Please enjoy the WA Masonic Charities February newsletter - if you're a Lodge or Grand Lodge leader, we are counting on you to forward this to your Lodge email distribution lists!
In this Issue
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 Children's Programs - Youth Success
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WM Bob McNickel (Oriental Lodge) with three happy kids at MLK Jr. Family Outreach Center in Spokane
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Martin Luther King Jr. Family Outreach Center Receives Crucial Support from WA Masonic Charities.
On a recent visit to the Spokane area, PGM, and current WA Masonic Charities Treasurer, Dean Heinemann, Masonic Outreach Services Director, Byron Cregeur, and Executive Director, Ken Gibson, had the pleasure of presenting a check to the leaders at the Martin Luther King Jr. Family Outreach Center to help support their summer program.
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MWB Dean Heinemann (WAMC Treasurer), Miss "T" and WM Bob McNickel at MLK Family Outreach in Spokane
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Washington M
asonic Charities' support will help make more than 3,600 participation days available for this program. The summer program helps to assure that elementary school age kids in their community have stable adult suppo
rts, nutritious meals, and a safe place dur
ing the summer. This program and it s
ervices play an important role in the Spokane community by both helping kids have safe and stable places to play and learn, and by providing parents with important tools, supports, and education to help them to be the best parents that they can.
This support was only possible because of the generosity of Brother John Moffitt. Brother Moffitt was a 50 plus year Mason, who left a great portion of his estate to charity upon his passing in the 1990s. Every Freemason has the ability to make a difference, whether their gifts are large or small. We encourage you to consider ways you might make a difference when you are gone.
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Masonic Outreach Services
Community Impact Event This Month! Join Us in Partnership with Rebuilding Together!
Do you like to roll your sleeves up and do hands-on charitable work? Washington Masonic Charities is partnering with Rebuilding Together in Pierce County, Thurston County, Grays Harbor County, and Spokane. All events except for Spokane's will be on April 30th. Spokane's Rebuilding event is on April 23rd.
We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help with light home repair, yard clean up, and ramp-building projects on these days. Brethren who participated in October 2015 had a fantastic time doing this hands-on charitable work while experiencing fellowship. Don't miss out!
Masonic Outreach - Services Offered
Our goal is to help older Masons and their widows to be able to live their lives with meaning and dignity. Our case management staff are trained and available to assist, whether it is to help plan for the future, to address an urgent need. We help individuals and families directly, but can also assist Masonic Lodges to develop plans and programs for staying connected with their older Brethren and widows to make sure that they have the resources and information they need.
- Education Outreach Programs & Talks
- Information & Referral
- Financial Stabilization Planning
- Light Home Modification Coordination & Assistance
- Case Management
- Care Transition Planning & Assistance - both from skilled care to home, and from home to skilled care
- Ongoing Monitoring & Home or Facility Visits
Lodge leaders who are interested in collaborating with Masonic Outreach Services for training, or to develop ongoing programs and methods to support their older Brethren and widows may contact us below and we will work directly with you.
Many Masons have questions about Masonic Outreach Services and its work following the closure of the Masonic Retirement Center. We have updated our website with a Frequently Asked Questions Page. Please visit.
Please send an email to
byron@wa-masoniccharities.org or call (844) 288-3531 x 404 and we'll get you an answer to your questions, schedule a talk or training, or provide other assistance as needed.
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Masons Helping Neighbors
WAMC Program Partners with Lodges to Help Older Adults Age in Place
Does your Lodge have a Brother or widow who needs assistance? Is there a member of your local community who could benefit from some help? Washington Masonic Charities has funds available to assist your lodge in providing help.
Washington Masonic Charities has created the "Masons Helping Neighbors" program to encourage local Blue Lodges to find ways to help older Masons, widows, or others in the community who may not be able to obtain or afford assistance. This program is intended to
match or reimburse
Lodges for the cost of work, supplies, equipment, etc., that helps an older adult be able to live independently in their home. This can be for things like paint and supplies, grab bars or other light repair or modification, light landscape or yard care, etc.
Sign up online to enter the funding pool for your Lodge.
This program has an initial $30,000 available and will match or reimburse 60 Lodges that apply in advance (first-come, first-served) up to a maximum of $500 each between March 1, 2016 and April 30, 2017. These funds may match or reimburse Lodges for the cost of supplies, paint, tool rental, parts, etc.
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At Washington Masonic Charities, we are committed to being visible and present in the communities throughout Washington.
One of our goals is to be available to the Lodges, Districts, and appendant and concordant bodies to provide information and support. To do this we have been spending a lot of time on the road.
Over the past month staff of Washington Masonic Charities have logged upwards of 1500 travel miles within the Jurisdiction in an effort to get to know our communities and leadership better.
Washington Masonic Charities staff attended the Lodge Leadership Retreat in Pasco, worked along side the Scholarship Committee in Ellensburg, and visited Spokane. In addition to this, we have been at Lodge meetings, District meetings, and presented in front of both Amaranth and Eastern Star groups. And just this weekend we attended the Grand Lodge Team meeting for the 2016-17 year about to begin in June.
We are very excited to be opening a new office location to serve the Spokane, North East, and North Central Washington area sometime between May and the end of June. This will complement our Tri-Cities office, serving the Mid-Columbia Basin, Central Washington, and South East Washington.
I have asked staff to reach out to the District and Lodge leadership in their areas to get to know the communities and to be available visit Lodges or Districts to provide information or to assist older brothers or widow in need.
Please don't hesitate to invite them to your Lodge or District meeting to provide information about Masonic Outreach Services or other programs we have available. Each can be reached by calling (844) 288-3531 toll free. You can also click on their information below to send an email.
BREAKING NEWS:
Washington Masonic Charities Relies on Generous Donors to do Good Work
Creates Program to Make Monthly Giving Simple!
None of the work we do at Washington Masonic Charities would be possible, without generous donations. Our services are available to those who need them, without cost to them, but we do need the help and support of Freemasons to keep our services available and free. Consider making a monthly donation - if we had just 10% of our Fraternity making a gift of just $10 a month our impact could be even greater. You can either sign up for
Electronic Funds Transfer, or a recurring online donation
here. Please consider a gift today to help the children and older adults in our Jurisdiction.
- Br. Ken Gibson, MNPL, Executive Director
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Committee Chairman Darrick Hayman Supervising the Team
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We had a fantastic turn out on March 26th to rate 63 scholarship applications forwarded to the WA Masonic Charities Scholarship Committee. From these, seven scholarship winners and one outstanding educator have been identified.
Thank you to the Brethren who participated in the work to review these applications, and a very heartfelt thank you to the Brethren of Ellensburg Masonic Lodge #39 for letting the committee use its space to review the applications.
The applicants came from all over the state, were extremely well qualified, and came from a range of diverse backgrounds. All of this made the task of reviewing the applications very challenging for those who participated.
In the end, the individuals who applied and their families should all be very proud of the hard work and accomplishments that led to this point.
Later this month we will be informing the winners and making announcements about the awards. Thank you to everyone who participated. It was a wonderful experience!
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Working Together - Fiscal Sponsorship
How Lodges and WA Masonic Charities Can Work Together
One of our goals is to help Blue Lodges be successful in their charitable activity in the community. Washington Masonic Charities (WAMC) accomplishes this is by acting in the capacity of a fiscal sponsor for Lodges and projects. Examples of fiscal sponsorship include receiving and holding donations for programs, such as Bikes for Books.
Fiscal sponsorship is a mechanism whereby WAMC, as a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit corporation may provide a variety of services and supports to a sponsored project without requiring that the group, such as a Lodge, start a separate 501
(c) 3.
To assure that WAMC is in compliance with IRS rules and regulations, WAMC requires that any entity wishing to work through WAMC enter into a fiscal sponsorship agreement.
Examples of services provided through a fiscal sponsorship agreement include:
- Finance and Accounting.
- Receiving and managing Project Funds and provide accounting services for the project.
- Maintaining project funds in a bank account.
- Providing accounting reports to the sponsored organization.
- Making sure project funds and assets are properly managed and included in the WA Masonic Charities annual audit process.
- Securely maintain hard and/or electronic copies of official financial records.
- Send all required acknowledgments to donors of tax-deductible contributions and submit all required grant reports.
- Resource Development
- Review project solicitations.
- Maintain database and donor records for donors to the Project.
- Issue acknowledgement letters for the donors to the Project.
- Additional Services - Additional services may be provided by agreement.
Fiscal sponsorship agreements typically require the sponsored organization to adhere to certain rules and requirements related to the purpose of the funds, as well as solicitation and the use of the charity organization's good name. In addition, fiscal sponsorship with WAMC will involve an administrative fee to cover the costs related to management & reporting, banking, and audit, plus any out of pocket expenses related to the project.
Lodges that currently have funds held by WAMC will be asked to complete Fiscal Sponsorship agreements prior to April 15
th to help WAMC assure that it is compliant.
Click here for a sample financial sponsorship agreement: http://www.wa-masoniccharities.org/documents/WAMC%20FSA%20Sample.pdf
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Library & Museum Update
The Library & Museum is alive and active with many volunteers helping with curatorial and research activities.
We are looking for individuals who are willing to commit to a few hours of volunteer time to help us open the doors for longer hours. Being a Mason is not a requirement to volunteer, and ladies are more than welcome. Volunteering with the Library & Museum is a great way to contribute to keeping the Fraternity's heritage alive and visible, and it's also an opportunity to get out and be with a very friendly group of volunteers.
The Washington Masonic Library & Museum is open Mon-Wed from 9 AM - Noon, and by appointment.
You can visit the Washington Masonic Library & Museum online by going to the following link:
Please call Library & Museum Committee Chairman, Todd Johnstone at
(253) 625-7895 for more information.
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Leave a Legacy
For generations, Freemasons have generously shared with others. We are called to be charitable. What better way to leave a legacy than to consider an estate or planned gift. We feel strongly that anyone who leaves an estate gift to WA Masonic Charities should have the expectation that those dollars will continue to good well into the future, which is why our focus is on creating endowments to support older adults, our young people, and to preserve the Masonic heritage of Washington.
If you are thinking about leaving a legacy to a charitable organization or would like more information, WA Masonic Charities can help you to learn where to find estate planning attorneys and financial planners who can help. If you are considering leaving a gift to WA Masonic Charities, please let us know!
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Charity - Our M
ost Important Virtue
If you would like to support WA Masonic Charities you may also send a check to:
Washington Masonic Charities
PO Box 65830
University Place, WA 98464
Attn: Ken Gibson
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