Seventy-five years ago, at the Grand Lodge Convention in Miami, the delegates voted to establish an Elks National Foundation. They were compelled to action by the words of then-GER John F. Malley, who described the Foundation as “an Elk temple of philanthropy, which, in time, will be the greatest monument to a noble purpose that has ever been built by a fraternal organization.”

The Elks National Foundation, our temple of philanthropy, will celebrate its diamond anniversary during the 2003-04 fiscal year. Accordingly, the ENF is planning a yearlong celebration that will allow us to promote the Foundation, share our pride in our accomplishments, and have fun in the process.

The idea of an Elks Charitable Trust was first introduced by Malley during a banquet at the Meriden, Conn., Lodge, on February 21, 1927. His plan called for the creation and maintenance of a permanent charitable and philanthropic fund, fueled completely by voluntary donations. During his GER-elect acceptance speech at the 1927 convention, Malley requested that a committee be established whose purpose was to travel the country and gather feedback about the charitable fund.

Over the course of the following year, Malley and the appointed committee met with Elks, Lodges and the general public to discuss the concept of the Elks National Foundation. They consulted with other charitable trusts for guidance. In the end, there was no doubt that Malley’s vision of “the most glorious achievement of Elkdom,” was something of which Elks would be proud.

And so the Elks National Foundation was created with an initial $100,000 grant from the Grand Lodge. The Order then embarked on a $1 million fundraising campaign during that first year by soliciting $1,000, or Honorary Founder, contributions from Lodges and members. In that first year, Elks, their families and friends raised a total of $52,500.

Since then, the ENF has relied on volunteers at the Lodge, district and state levels to help coordinate our fundraising strategy. These dedicated individuals, in conjunction with the national office, reach every Elk family by hosting fundraising events, promoting the Foundation throughout Elks publications and personally inviting members to pledge their support. With more than 183,000 active donors, the Foundation has raised a total of more than $147 million since inception.

In order to ensure that the Foundation serves as a vehicle to help those in need today, tomorrow and for years to come, all donations go into a permanent endowment fund, where each gift earns interest for lifetimes. Today, the value of this Endowment Fund is $320 million.

In February 1931, the Foundation Trustees felt that, based on the income earned from the Endowment Fund, the time had come to begin using that income to foster and further the Elks’ philanthropic causes. They had the foresight to recognize that it would be impossible to find any one humanitarian activity that would make an equally strong appeal to Elks across the country. They believed the fund should be designed to supplement the work being performed by the various Lodges and State Associations throughout Elkdom. (See the Side Bar, ENF’s First Distributions, for more information about initial distributions.)

Today, the Elks National Foundation has distributed more than $217 million in support of Elks charitable activities nationwide. During the 2002-03 fiscal year, the Elks National Foundation distributed more than $14.4 million through the following programs: (Unavailable at press time, 2003-04 distributions are now available online at www.elks.org/enf/appropriations.cfm.)

State Elks Association Grants $6.75 million

Scholarship Programs $3.16 million

Elks National Home $679,250

Elks Hoop Shoot Free Throw Contest $587,505

Elks Drug Awareness Program $570,000

Elks National Veterans Service Program $551,950

Elks Veterans Memorial Maintenance $493,485

Memorial Maintenance Reserve Fund $237,500

Elks Soccer Shoot Program $150,000

However, the work of the Elks National Foundation doesn’t stop here. The ENF must be prepared to meet the needs of tomorrow’s society. For the past year, the Foundation has been involved in a strategic-planning process, the goal of which was to develop a road map for the next three years. We asked ourselves difficult questions and began to formulate answers. Based upon this reflection, the Foundation has created a three-year strategic plan that defines who we are and where we are going.

The ENF’s landmark anniversary is a great opportunity to promote the Foundation and address some of the issues identified during the planning process. Through various Elks and ENF publications, the Foundation will talk to the membership about its principles, programs, and ideals. And once our final anniversary plans are in place, you’ll be the first to know. The Elks have a long-standing tradition of working toward a better future. With your help, the Elks National Foundation will be a source of hope in our communities for the next 75 years and more.

For more information about the ENF, visit our website at www.elks.org/enf, and sign up for Pulse, our email newsletter, to stay up to date on ENF news!

Side Bar: ENF’s First Distributions

In February 1931, the Board of Trustees appropriated the first ENF grants, which included:

$2,000 New York State Elks Association For work at the Reconstruction Home in Ithaca, NY.

$1,000 Massachusetts Elks Scholarship, Inc. To assist the scholarship work in Massachusetts.

$1,500 Elks State Association in New Jersey To assist them in their crippled children’s work.

$1,000 Welfare Activities Commission of the Illinois Elks Association For use in operating crippled children’s clinics.

In addition, at the GL Convention in Seattle later that year, the Trustees made a further distribution of $2,500 to the Arizona State Elks Association to help give relief to those suffering from tuberculosis.