Masonic Charitable Foundation partnership

We’re delighted to be working in partnership with the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) to provide critical management support to local charities.

Cranfield Trust volunteers and staff will be supporting 60 charities over the next two years, nominated by MCF charity representatives of each Provincial Grand Lodge, Metropolitan Grand Lodge and the MCF grants team.

Nominated charities will receive either management support and guidance tailored to the charity’s needs, or mentoring support for the charity’s Chief Executive.

Management consultancy

The free management consultancy service provided by this partnership offers tailored business advice and solutions exclusively for charities. Help can be provided with the charity’s business strategy, governance, marketing or financial processes.

Mentoring

Mentoring provides charity leaders with the opportunity to discuss their challenges with an experienced manager, a Cranfield Trust volunteer, who can help them to explore their options and rehearse their decisions. Cranfield Trust trains volunteers as mentors for charity Chief Executives and managers.

Helping people who are most in need

Smaller charities are often led by ‘service experts’, who are highly skilled in and knowledgeable about the communities they support, and the services they provide. But charities, particularly smaller ones, often lack the resources to invest in organisational change and development and they may not have the funds to ‘buy in’ commercial services in these areas. By providing this essential support to smaller charities, they can in turn better support their beneficiaries - the people who need help the most. 

 "Through the partnership smaller charities who would not usually have the funds, will benefit from intensive consultancy or leadership development support in areas such as business planning and strategy, governance, marketing or financial processes. This will be delivered through Cranfield Trust’s expert model of volunteering, with charity leaders and managers benefitting from the support of highly skilled volunteer consultants and mentors across England and Wales." Les Hutchinson, MCF CEO

Which charities/organisations are eligible for support through the partnership?

• The charity/not for profit organisation’s purpose must be addressing the welfare needs of people, including poverty, disability or social exclusion 

• The charity must be registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales (or equivalent Guernsey, Jersey and Isle of Man organisations) and ideally have employed staff or a strong volunteer group 

• The charity must have an annual income of between £50,000 and £500,000 

• The charity must have sufficient time available to work with the volunteers, who advise and facilitate, rather than taking the work away from the charity 

• There must be at least one or two people in the charity who have the time to work with Cranfield Trust 

• The charity must be based in the UK, even if supporting work overseas. Any project undertaken must be agreed by the charity’s trustees and CEO

• They must have a management problem, challenge or issue which they need help with or the charity’s Chief Executive must be keen to have a business mentor

How does this partnership work?

 1. The Provincial Charity Representative, on behalf of their Province, identifies a charity they think may need support; the Representative may also contact the MCF Charity Grants team for guidance if required 

2. The Province discusses the opportunity directly with their chosen charities 

3. The Provincial Representative submits one charity nominee to MCF Charity Grants team

4. The MCF Charity Grants team emails list of charities to Cranfield Trust for referral and review

5. Cranfield Trust Project Managers match a volunteer with the local charity to provide the tailored, personal and professional support

To nominate a charity, contact Louise Lear in the MCF Grants Team