Minnesota Masonic Charities Announces 2013 Scholarship Opportunities, Open to All

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Minnesota Masonic Charities (MMC), a nonprofit organization, whose grants and programs support health care, medical research, social services and education, announces its sixth consecutive year of providing generous scholarships for graduating Minnesota high school seniors.

For over 50 years, Minnesota Masonry has provided college scholarships to young men and women who have demonstrated academic and personal achievement and exemplified the values of Masonry. In 2006, with the creation of Minnesota Masonic Charities as the primary philanthropy for Minnesota Masons, the number of awards and the amount of scholarship monies has steadily increased. Since its founding, MMC has provided an annual average of $350,000 in scholarships to Minnesota high school graduates—a total of over $2.5 million in awards to date.

“The creation of knowledgeable future generations is a responsibility keenly felt by the Masonic Fraternity,” explains Minnesota Masonic Charities President and CEO Eric J. Neetenbeek.

MMC offers three types of scholarships (Signature, Legacy and Heritage), in addition to matching the funds awarded by local community Lodges or Chapters that offer their own scholarship programs. The scholarships are merit-based and are made available on an equal opportunity basis, with no discrimination for age, gender, religion, national origin or Masonic affiliation. The scholarship categories are determined by the applicant's GPA, ranging from 3.8 and above for the Signature and Legacy, to 3.0 to 3.79 for Heritage. The scholarship awards can be renewed based on continuing excellence in college and can be as high as $5,000 per year up to $20, 000 for up to four years as in the case of the Signature Scholarship.

“Minnesota Masonry makes it possible for dreams such as mine to come true… The commitment you have made to assisting students like me is truly inspiring,” states Zachary Fink, an MMC Heritage scholar from Bloomington, MN, majoring in aerospace engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology.

For more information on how to apply for these scholarships, visit: www.mnmasoniccharities.org. The submission deadline is February 8, 2013.

About Minnesota Masonic Charities
Among the largest grant-making organizations in the state, Minnesota Masonic Charities (MMC) is the nonprofit charitable organization of Minnesota Masonry. It promotes greater levels of Masonic charity by uniting and combining contributions to charitable causes, as well as directly aiding Masons, their families, and society, through its grants and services supporting social services, health care, medical research and education. MMC's total charitable grants average nearly $5.6 million a year, as part of yearly services totaling nearly $70 million. These services include support for cancer research and treatment, scholarships for Minnesota high school graduates, housing and healthcare for seniors, and community support of youth, family and school programs throughout the state.