Fund raising for the Shrine
The Shrine has many different types of fund raisers. Let us examine them. The Hospitals are financed through the hospital assessments. Each Shriner contributes $5 per year into a fund, which is used to purchase stocks, securities, and other interest-bearing accounts. The proceeds from this endowment fund is used to finance the hospitals. (Individuals and corporations may donate to hospital operations as well).
Individual Shrine centers have fund-raisers throughout the year, and the proceeds from grapefruit sales, circuses, and other types of fund raisers, are distributed according to the individual desires of the sponsoring Shrine centers.
The Mizpah Shrine in Fort Wayne Indiana, holds an annual circus. ALL of the proceeds from the circus goes towards operating the Mizpah Shrine, and none of the funds goes directly into the hospital program. Mizpah maintains some vehicles, which are used to transport children to the hospitals. The operating funds might be used to purchase airline tickets for a child and parents in an emergency.
Under current Federal law, when a fund-raiser is held, the sponsoring organization must clearly describe the charity, to which the funds are going to be directed to. There are 191 Shrine centers in North America. Some hold fund-raisers, in which all of the proceeds go directly to the hospitals. Some hold fund-raisers, in which a portion is sent to the hospitals, and the balance is spent locally. For Example, a Shrine center might used some of its locally-generated funds to purchase a motorized wheel chair for a child. The funds raised might be used to modify the home of a crippled child, to build wheelchair ramp,etc.