In 1928, one man's dream became a reality for all Elks. Then-Grand Exalted Ruler John F. Malley envisioned a plan that would "unite the forces of the Order into a mighty army for the service of mankind." During the annual Grand Lodge Convention in Miami that year, Malley's call to service inspired delegates to take action by voting to establish the Elks National Foundation with an initial $100,000 grant.

Today, the mission of the Elks National Foundation is to help Elks build stronger communities. We fulfill this pledge by investing in communities where Elks live and work. We provide tomorrow's leaders, our youth, with a healthy beginning; honor the Elks' pledge to never forget our veterans; help the state Elks associations accomplish their charitable objectives and fund projects that improve the quality of life in local Elks communities.

A board of seven trustees, who are all past national presidents of the Order, governs the Elks National Foundation. The Foundation is located at the Elks national headquarters in the Elks Veterans Memorial in Chicago. The director, Jim O'Kelley, oversees the administration of the Foundation's day-to-day operations. He has a staff of 17. The Foundation also has volunteers at the Lodge, district and state levels to help coordinate our fundraising strategy and implement our programs.

Since inception, the Foundation has received more than $178.7 million in contributions and bequests. All unrestricted donations go into a permanent endowment fund, where each gift earns interest for lifetimes. Today we boast more than 180,000 active donors and an endowment fund valued at more than $445 million. The ENF has contributed $293 million toward Elks' charitable projects nationwide. These funds support our three college scholarship programs, the Elks National Drug Awareness Program, the Elks National Hoop Shoot Free Throw Program, the Elks National Veterans Service Commission, the Community Investments Program, and grants to State Elks Associations.

In recent years, we've remained dedicated to increasing the impact of our programs. For example, we doubled the Legacy Awards scholarship program. The program, which awards scholarships exclusively to children and grandchildren of Elks, is now $1 million strong! In 2009, up to 250 four-year, $4,000 scholarships will be awarded through the Legacy Awards program.

With the belief that Elks know the needs of their communities better than we do, we launched the Community Investments Program in June 2005. The program's Gratitude Grants, Promise Grants and Impact Grants invest directly in Lodge communities. In 2008-09, the Gratitude Grants and Promise Grants are worth up to $500 each, in order to give Lodges more resources to make an impact locally. Impact Grants, the program's newest component, are larger, competitive grants intended to address unmet needs in Elk communities. This year, the grant pool will be $500,000, up from $200,000. This will allow the ENF to significantly increase the number of grants issued to Lodges who want to have a meaningful and visible impact on their communities!