The North Carolina Mason

January/February 2017

North Carolina Mason

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The Mason O!cial Publication of e Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina Volume 142 Number 1 Oxford, North Carolina January/February 2017 NORTH CAROLINA Cooperation, planning aid effort to better support charities, craft By Beth Grace e North Carolina Masonic Foundation has been a benevolent presence among Freemasons from Murphy to Manteo, from Beaufort to Boone since it was founded almost 90 years ago. You know you've heard the name. You know it raises money for our charities: the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford and WhiteS- tone, our Masonic and Eastern Star senior community. But while you have heard of the Foundation, most brothers would admit they have only a vague idea of what it is, and the good it does. at's about to change. e North Carolina Masonic Foundation, after exhaustive study, creative planning and strategic implementation, is becoming an invaluable partner to the Grand Lodge in ensuring nancial stability for our beloved charities, stepping up its own philanthropical work, reporting news of the Craft to you in a new and creative way, and sharing our story with those who might become brothers. Since last spring, a team of brothers led by the Foundation board with the support of past Grand Master Bryant Webster and current GM Gene Cobb, members of the Grand Line, the boards of WhiteStone and the Children's home, and others, launched an intentional strategic eort to build on the fundraising capacities of WhiteStone and MHCO and has assembled a team dedicated to raising funds for all three charities. Along with that, they created a plan to spread the word – via creative, compelling fundraising communications to potential donors and the outside world, and among the brethren through a revamped NC Mason, social media, video and special programs for lodges. ey didn't create the plan without extensive research. e Foundation board, led by then-chair Leonard Y. Safrit Jr., called in seasoned Philanthropy Consultant Jennifer King, who has been executive director of the Masonic Charity Foundation of Connecticut for more than 16 years. "I was struck by the underlying admiration and respect that all parties – administrators, board members, sta and members of Masonic leadership – expressed for North Carolina's Masonic charities and their strong desire to help these charities achieve fund- raising success," King wrote in her 136-page report. Her recom- mendation: Give the Foundation a strong team dedicated to raising funds and awareness – a team that will support the charities in more lasting ways, such as planned giving, which leaves a legacy that will impact our charities for generations to come. Her recommendations included many of the changes now in place at the Foundation. Jerey Hensley was hired as chief development o!cer in August, and Chris Richardson, MHCO's long- time, much respected development o!cer moved to the Foundation Jan. 1 to assist Hensley as eastern region director of development. at means Richardson will continue to work with donors to the home, as he has for many years with great success. But he will expand his work to benet WhiteStone and the Foundation as well, to secure a future for all of our Masonic charities. MHCO has taken steps to ensure that Rich- ardson's other duties there will be handled by members of the sta, so the transition will be seamless. e Foundation also is currently searching for one more fundraiser to cover the western side of the state. Rounding out the new team, Beth Grace became communica- tions director for the Foundation and editor of the NC Mason, now operating under the auspices of the Foundation and guidance of the Grand Lodge Board of Publica- tions, in November. Hensley and his team report to the ve-member Foundation board, chaired by Mike Faulkenbury, a member of St. Johns 1. Faulkenbury is excited about the work done so far and sees a bright future that honors the past. "Our brethren back in 1929 had the foresight to create a foundation and say we need to make sure our charities are taken Foundation restructures, expands Who are these people? Find out more about them on Page 13 ■ see FOUNDATION page 13

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