The Trowel Fund
Spreading the cement of brotherly love,
lodge to lodge.
of every foundation project, allocated automatically
Five percent of every foundation project we complete goes into this fund. No matter which lodge commissioned it. A portion of every project belongs to a lodge somewhere that needs it more.
What the Trowel Fund Is
The Trowel Fund is a relief program for Masonic lodges in financial difficulty that need a digital presence but cannot currently afford one. It is funded automatically from every foundation project Fraternal Media completes and supplemented by direct donations from lodges and individuals who want to help.
The name comes from the working tool the fraternity uses as a symbol of spreading brotherly love. The trowel smooths over the rough, binds things together, builds something that lasts. It felt like the right name for something that exists to spread resources across the craft, from lodges with the means to invest in their future to lodges that need help getting there.
No lodge that reaches out for help will be turned away without a conversation. That is not a promise made lightly. It is a founding commitment built into every project we deliver.
Two Sources. One Purpose.
Automatic Project Contribution
Every foundation project, every time
Direct Donations
Lodges and individuals, any amount
Give to the Fund or Receive From It
Donate to the Fund
If your lodge or a brother wants to contribute, the process is simple. Donations can be made on behalf of a specific lodge, with their name acknowledged in the annual impact report, or given anonymously to the general fund.
Online giving through the website is being set up. In the meantime, if your lodge or a brother would like to contribute, reach out and we will arrange it directly.
Apply for Relief
If your lodge is in financial difficulty and needs digital infrastructure it cannot currently afford, the application is simple and handled with complete discretion.
Tell us about your lodge, what you need, and the situation your lodge is in. Every application is reviewed personally. No application is declined without a first conversation about what options are available.
There is no shame in applying. The fund exists precisely for this situation. Your lodge’s information is handled with complete discretion.
Annual Impact Report
Each year, Fraternal Media publishes an annual Trowel Fund impact report covering how many lodges received support, the total dollars deployed in relief, and total donations received. Individual lodges that receive assistance are never identified in the report.
Transparency is how trust is built. Every lodge that invests with Fraternal Media and every donor to the fund deserves to know what their contribution accomplished. The report is published publicly on this page each year.
Annual Impact Report
The first annual Trowel Fund impact report will be published at the end of our first year of operations. Check back here for the report when it becomes available.
Publishing Year One
Lodges That Commit to Both Get More
Lodges that complete a Full Foundation Bundle and commit to a Full Growth Bundle retainer at signing receive, among other benefits, a Trowel Fund contribution made in their lodge’s name. Their investment in their own presence is acknowledged in the annual report as a contribution to the broader health of the craft.
Complete a Full Foundation Bundle and commit to a Growth Retainer, and your lodge is acknowledged by name in the annual Trowel Fund impact report, alongside the other benefits of committing at the start.
Every Project. Every Time.
The Trowel Fund is the most direct expression of what Fraternal Media was built to be. Not a commercial agency that incidentally serves the fraternal world, but an organization built from inside the craft and structured so that its success is tied to the craft’s survival.
Every foundation project that succeeds adds to the fund. Every donation adds to the fund. Every lodge that receives support becomes a lodge with a door the right man can find. That is the point of all of it.