The Ladd James B Trust is heavily focused on supporting Masonic and fraternal organizations, primarily in Minnesota, despite being based in Las Vegas. Most grants are large, unrestricted operating or general support awards directed to state- and lodge-level Masonic bodies, indicating a preference for sustaining fraternal infrastructure and charitable work carried out by Masonic institutions.
Highly concentrated giving: few, very large grants with repeated funding to the same Masonic organizations; emphasis on general operating support rather than many small or one-off grants.
Ladd James B Trust directed $9.1 million in its latest listed grant to Minnesota Masonic Char Fd for general operating support, setting the tone for a grantmaking record centered on Masonic and fraternal institutions in Minnesota. The trust’s recent awards show repeated support for state-level Masonic bodies and local lodge activity, with Bloomington- and Sanborn-based recipients appearing across multiple years. This pattern suggests a preference for sustaining the infrastructure that carries out fraternal and charitable work rather than funding one-off projects. The largest awards are broad in purpose: general operating, charitable purpose, and other unrestricted support. Minnesota Masonic Char Fd received the dominant 2025 grant, while the Grand Lodge of Af & Am of Minnesota received multiple sizeable awards in both 2023 and 2024. Fides Lodge 246 Ancient Fr Act Mason in Sanborn also appears more than once, with grants covering both general operating and charitable purpose funding. Smaller awards extend to related fraternal organizations, reinforcing the trust’s emphasis on organizations with shared heritage and governance structures. Although the trust is headquartered in Las Vegas, its grant activity is concentrated elsewhere, especially in Minnesota.
A central theme in the trust’s giving is support for Masonic charitable infrastructure. Minnesota Masonic Char Fd received $9,101,200 for general operating support in 2025, pointing to a preference for core institutional funding. The Grand Lodge of Af & Am of Minnesota also appears repeatedly, with awards of $233,224 for charitable purpose in 2023, $194,825 for general operating in 2024, $184,277 for charitable purpose in 2024, and $48,000 for charitable purpose in 2025. Local lodge support is another visible thread. Fides Lodge 246 Ancient Fr-act Mason in Sanborn received $155,483 for charitable purpose in 2023, $129,883 for general operating in 2024, $122,851 for charitable purpose in 2024, and $32,000 for charitable purpose in 2025. The trust also made smaller awards to the National Society of the Sons and the Nat Soc Sons of American Revolution, both for general operating support.
The trust’s typical grant size is uneven: the 25th percentile is $1,008, the median is $122,851, and the 75th percentile is $169,880. That spread reflects a mix of very small awards and much larger institutional grants. The recent record also shows repeat recipients across multiple years, especially Minnesota Masonic Char Fd, the Grand Lodge of Af & Am of Minnesota, and Fides Lodge 246 Ancient Fr Act Mason. Grants are largely unrestricted or broadly designated as general operating or charitable purpose support. The trust does not fund individuals and is not listed as making program-related investments.
$9.2M
$505K
$275K
$9.3M
Most grants fall between $1K and $170K, with a median of $123K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$123K
75th Percentile
$170K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in MN.
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Notable grantees: Minnesota Masonic Charitable Foundation, Grand Lodge of AF & AM of Minnesota, Fides Lodge 246 (Ancient Free and Accepted Masons)
Grant activity is overwhelmingly domestic, with 24 grants, or 100%, going to U.S. recipients. Minnesota is the top state by grant count, and the named recipient cities cluster there, especially Bloomington and Sanborn. Bloomington appears on the larger Masonic awards, while Sanborn shows repeated lodge and cemetery support. Smaller grants also reach Louisville, Kentucky, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, but the pattern remains centered in Minnesota rather than the trust’s Las Vegas headquarters.
It funds Masonic and fraternal organizations most often, especially Minnesota-based institutions such as state-level Masonic bodies and local lodges. The recent record includes large awards for general operating support and charitable purpose funding tied to those organizations.
The trust mainly gives general operating and charitable purpose support. Recent awards include a $9,101,200 general operating grant, several six-figure operating and charitable-purpose grants, and a mix of much smaller awards to related fraternal groups.
Its recent grantmaking is concentrated in Minnesota, but it does make some out-of-state awards. In the recent grants list, Louisville, Kentucky appears once, while the rest of the named recipients are in Minnesota.
Yes. The recent grants list shows repeated support for Minnesota Masonic Char Fd, the Grand Lodge of Af & Am of Minnesota, and Fides Lodge 246 Ancient Fr Act Mason across 2023, 2024, and 2025.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MINNESOTA MASONIC CHAR FD | BLOOMINGTON, MN | $9,101,200 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| GRAND LODGE OF AF & AM OF MINNESOTA | BLOOMINGTON, MN | $48,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| FIDES LODGE 246 ANCIENT FR ACT MASON | SANBORN, MN | $32,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| SANBORN CEMETERY ASSN | SANBORN, MN | $50 | 2025 | CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| GRAND LODGE OF AF & AM OF MINNESOTA | BLOOMINGTON, MN | $194,825 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| GRAND LODGE OF AF & AM OF MINNESOTA | BLOOMINGTON, MN | $184,277 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| FIDES LODGE 246 ANCIENT FREE | SANBORN, MN | $129,883 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| FIDES LODGE 246 ANCIENT FR ACT MASON | SANBORN, MN | $122,851 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| NATIONAL SOCIETY OF THE SONS | LOUISVILLE, KY | $2,147 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| NAT SOC SONS OF AMERICAN REVOLUTION | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $1,965 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| SANBORN CEMETERY ASSN | SANBORN, MN | $50 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| SANBORN CEMETERY ASSN | SANBORN, MN | $50 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| GRAND LODGE OF AF & AM OF MINNESOTA | BLOOMINGTON, MN | $233,224 | 2023 | CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| FIDES LODGE 246 ANCIENT FR-ACT MASON | SANBORN, MN | $155,483 | 2023 | CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| SANBORN CEMETERY ASSN | SANBORN, MN | $50 | 2023 | CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
MINNESOTA MASONIC CHAR FD
$9,101,200GENERAL OPERATING
GRAND LODGE OF AF & AM OF MINNESOTA
$48,000CHARITABLE PURPOSE
FIDES LODGE 246 ANCIENT FR ACT MASON
$32,000CHARITABLE PURPOSE
SANBORN CEMETERY ASSN
$50CHARITABLE PURPOSE
GRAND LODGE OF AF & AM OF MINNESOTA
$194,825GENERAL OPERATING
GRAND LODGE OF AF & AM OF MINNESOTA
$184,277CHARITABLE PURPOSE
FIDES LODGE 246 ANCIENT FREE
$129,883GENERAL OPERATING
FIDES LODGE 246 ANCIENT FR ACT MASON
$122,851CHARITABLE PURPOSE
NATIONAL SOCIETY OF THE SONS
$2,147GENERAL OPERATING
NAT SOC SONS OF AMERICAN REVOLUTION
$1,965GENERAL OPERATING
SANBORN CEMETERY ASSN
$50CHARITABLE PURPOSE
SANBORN CEMETERY ASSN
$50GENERAL OPERATING
GRAND LODGE OF AF & AM OF MINNESOTA
$233,224CHARITABLE PURPOSE
FIDES LODGE 246 ANCIENT FR-ACT MASON
$155,483CHARITABLE PURPOSE
SANBORN CEMETERY ASSN
$50CHARITABLE PURPOSE