About Elks National Foundation
The mission of the Elks National Foundation is to help Elks build stronger communities by investing in communities where Elks live and work, helping youth develop lifelong skills, sending students to college, meeting the needs of veterans, supporting the charitable work of state Elks associations, and funding projects that improve the quality of life in local Elks communities.
Focus Areas
Youth developmentEducation and scholarshipsVeterans servicesCommunity developmentLocal philanthropySubstance abuse prevention
Who They Fund
state-chartered charities / state-based nonprofitscommunity organizationsnonprofit programs operating in local communities
Funding Style
programs support
About Elks National Foundation
Elks National Foundation Inc centers its grantmaking on Elks communities, with a mix of community investment, student aid, veterans support, and maintenance of the Elks National Memorial building. The largest recent award in the data is $11,087,179 to Elks Lodges for Community Investment Programs, showing how much of the foundation’s work flows through the Elks network rather than to outside institutions. Another major line of support goes to Elks state associations: $9,971,026 was granted to Elks State Associations for programs support, and other large awards in the recent-grants list went to state-level Elks charities in California, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and elsewhere. The foundation also funds national service infrastructure. In 2025, it gave $5,621,210 to the Elks National Veterans Service Commission for programs support, continuing a multiyear pattern of substantial veterans funding. Its mission statement emphasizes helping Elks build stronger communities, supporting youth development, college access, veterans’ needs, and local projects that improve quality of life. The recent grant record matches that structure, with repeated support for Elks affiliates that carry out programs at the lodge, state, and national levels.
What Elks National Foundation Funds
Community investment is the clearest programmatic lane. The foundation gave $11,087,179 to Elks Lodges for Community Investment Programs, and the program description says this work supports projects that improve quality of life in local Elks communities. State-chartered charitable work is another consistent theme: California-hawaii Elks Major Project Inc received $1,631,420 in 2025 for a state charitable grant, after similar support in 2024 and 2023. Veterans services also receive sustained backing. In 2025, the Elks National Veterans Service Commission received $5,621,210 for programs support, following a $5,041,240 grant in 2023 and a $4,441,380 grant in 2023. Education remains a core area through scholarship and emergency educational programs, including named scholarship offerings for students and family members of Elks members.
How Elks National Foundation Gives
Typical award size is tightly clustered: the 25th percentile is $8,000, the median is $8,500, and the 75th percentile is $9,000. The recent-grants list also shows some very large operating-style awards to Elks affiliates, while scholarship programs can be much smaller. Recurring support is a clear pattern: several recipients appear in multiple years, including California-hawaii Elks Major Project Inc, Florida Elks Charities Inc, New York Elks Major Projects Inc, Oregon State Elks Association Trust, and the Elks National Veterans Service Commission. The foundation is classified as a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals. Several named scholarship programs accept unsolicited applications, including Most Valuable Student and Legacy Awards.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$31.9M
Total Assets
$885M
Total Revenue
$61.6M
Total Expenses
$44.5M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $8K and $9K, with a median of $9K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$9K
75th Percentile
$9K
Geographic Reach
National51 states funded
About 4% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where Elks National Foundation Funds
Top 3 recipient countries by grant volume for Elks National Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 4,472 | $111.3M | 99.8% |
| 2 | Philippines |
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