MATCHED GIVING
Dollars 4 Dollars and Dollars 4 Doers
Freemasons have been at the heart of local communities for centuries.
Today they give, fundraise and volunteer for a broad range of social issues helping people in need.
We support our Members to engage with their communities and support the causes that matter to them. Now more Members can get more money for more charities through our expanded Matched Giving program. Whether Members want to fundraise, volunteer, or make a personal donation, our Member-led giving program is here to help.
A pool of $410,000 is available for our Matched Giving activities each year, supporting Members community work, and giving them the flexibility to help in the way that works best for them.
Here’s how the Freemasons of Queensland and Papua New Guinea can access our newly expanded Matched Giving program:
NEW: Updates to our Matched Giving Program
Our Matched Giving program has been redesigned to make it simpler and more flexible for Members.
Teams are no longer required to be Lodge-based. Any group of two or more UGLQ Members can now apply together — whether from one Lodge, several Lodges, across Orders, or just among mates.
Team applications are now matched dollar-for-dollar up to $15,000 per application (up from the previous $5,000 annual Lodge cap), and we’ve introduced a Boost: for every $5,000 a Team raises, donates or volunteers, Hand Heart Pocket will add a further $5,000 boost – up to $45,000 delivered to an eligible charity.
Team Matched Giving – up to $15,000
Team up with two or more UGLQ Members from one Lodge, several Lodges, or across Orders and support one eligible charity together.
Dollars 4 Dollars: We match your Team’s donations and fundraising dollar-for-dollar, up to $15,000 per application.
Dollars 4 Doers: We match your Team’s volunteer hours at $50 per hour, up to the same $15,000 cap.
The Boost: Every $5,000 your Team raises unlocks a further $5,000 boost on top of the match — raise $15,000 as a Team, and your eligible charity could receive $45,000.
How the boost works
| Your Team raises | HHP match | HHP boost | Total to charity |
| $5,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $15,000 |
| $10,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $30,000 |
| $15,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | $45,000 |
Individual Matched Giving – up to $500
Any current UGLQ Member can donate or volunteer for an eligible charity and have it matched. No Lodge or Team required.
Dollars 4 Dollars: We match your personal donation dollar-for-dollar, up to $500 per Member per financial year.
Dollars 4 Doers: We match your volunteering at $50 per hour, up to the same $500 cap.
Combined: Mix and match donations and volunteering, as long as the total doesn’t exceed $500.
Your giving, double
| Your Team raises | HHP matches | Total to charity |
| $100 | $100 | $200 |
| $250 | $250 | $500 |
| $500 | $500 | $1000 |
What causes qualify
What causes don't qualify
Matched giving and volunteering is only available for organisations that meet all four of these criteria:
- Australian charities registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC), AND
- Have Deductible Gift Recipient status with the ATO, AND
- Have a Qld or PNG focus, AND
- Support people in need
- Aged and palliative care
- Disability support
- Community welfare and homelessness
- Mental health
- Volunteer rescue
- Disaster response and preparedness
- Domestic and family violence support
- Child, youth and family services
- Health services
- Medical research
- Education for disadvantaged children
Groups or activities that do not meet our objects or purpose, for example:
- Animal welfare
- Evangelism activities
- Political parties and trade unions
- Industry associations
- Sport and recreation groups
- Culture and arts organisations
- Schools in general
- Outcomes outside Qld or PNG
- Unincorporated
- Associations generally
- International aid
Not sure if your charity qualifies? Email info@handheartpocket.org.au or call (07) 3493 6000 before you commit to any activity
How to apply for Matched Giving
Read our Matched Giving guideline and brochure. Then please scroll down and read our FAQs below.
1. Choose an eligible charity: ACNC registered, DGR1 endorsed, Queensland or PNG focus, and supporting people in need. Check at abr.business.gov.au, or email us if you’re unsure.
2. Take action: Donate, fundraise or volunteer, either individually or as a Team.
3. Keep your evidence: A tax-deductible donation receipt, a bank deposit receipt, or a letter from the charity confirming volunteer hours.
4. Complete your application: Download and complete either the Individual application form or Team application form, and attach your evidence.
5. Submit your application: Email a copy to info@handheartpocket.org.au, or post to Hand Heart Pocket, PO Box 1202, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006.
Once approved, we’ll confirm receipt and your chosen charity will be invited to complete a short onboarding process before funds are disbursed by Good2Give.
MATCHED GIVING FAQs
Teams don’t have an annual cap, but Hand Heart Pocket will only match up to $15,000 per application.
Yes – but only one Team application can be submitted and assessed at a time, and a separate application is needed for each charity.
Yes. You can submit a Individual application while also taking part in a Team, but the same donation or volunteer hours can only be matched once — never under both a Individual and a Team application.
Provided that the community organisation you are volunteering for is a registered charity and can provide a tax-deductible receipt, Teams or Lodges can take up a range of volunteer opportunities such as:
o Assisting community organisations with their operations (eg, preparing food, stocking shelves, general administration)
o Supporting community organisations with their fundraising activities (eg, selling merchandise for charities, helping during events, running stalls, stuffing envelopes for their annual fundraising appeals)
o Using your professional skills to assist community organisations (eg, attending working bees, building, teaching/instructing)
o Visiting the sick, elderly or person with a disability if they reside in a not-for-profit facility
o Serving on a not-for-profit board or committee
Yes. There’s a total of $15,000 available from HHP per Team per application, which you can split however suits you. For example, your Team might like to donate $7,500 to a charity matched by Hand Heart Pocket, and volunteer $7,500 worth of hours for the same charity – Hand Heart Pocket will match this with a total $15,000 donation. On top of that, your Team’s boost is calculated on the full $15,000 raised, so your chosen charity could receive up to $45,000 in total.
The volunteer hours you put in are more valuable to the local community organisations than you might think.
For example, if five Members of your Lodge or Team volunteer together for a charity for four hours, Hand Heart Pocket will donate $1,000 to that charity i.e. Five Members x $50 x four hours = $1,000.
Number of Members volunteering together | $50 per hour | Number of hours volunteered | Total donated by Hand Heart Pocket |
20 Members | $50 | 5 hours | $5,000 |
15 Members | $50 | 6 hours | $4,500 |
10 Members | $50 | 7 hours | $3,500 |
5 Members | $50 | 10 hours | $2,500 |
3 Members | $50 | 15 hours | $2,250 |
2 Members | $50 | 20 hours | $2,000 |
Yes, you can. For example, 10 Members could volunteer for two hours on one day and the other 10 Members could volunteer for three hours on another day. That would equate to $5,000 being donated by Hand Heart Pocket.
Yes, there is a total of $15,000 available from HHP per Team per application whether you split that across Team Dollars 4 Dollars and Team Dollars 4 Doers or not.
Yes, there is a total of $15,000 available from HHP per team per application whether you split that across Team Dollars 4 Doers and Team Dollars 4 Dollars or not.
Yes, provided the activity is conducted with your chosen charity’s permission and under their guidance, and the charity is authorised to fundraise in Queensland.
Yes, there is a total of $500 available from HHP per Member per year whether you split that across Individual Dollars 4 Dollars and Individual Dollars 4 Doers or not.
Yes, there is a total of $500 available from HHP per Member per year whether you split that across Individual Dollars 4 Doers and Indvidual Dollars 4 Dollars or not.
You can volunteer for more than one charity but to get the most out of Hand Heart Pocket’s donation it would be better to choose one charity. For example, if you complete 10 hours of volunteering, the charity will receive a $500 donation from Hand Heart Pocket i.e. 1 Member x $50 x 10 hours = $500.
You should apply for Individual Dollars 4 Doers when you volunteer on your own. If you’re volunteering together with other Members, apply as a Team.
For your giving or volunteering to be matched by Hand Heart Pocket your chosen charity must be registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). They must also have tax-deductible gift status, otherwise known as DGR Cat 1 status.
Only charities with DGR Cat 1 status can issue a tax-deductible receipt for your donation and our matched donation. As a public charity Hand Heart Pocket is regulated by the ACNC. When we are audited we must be able to prove that our giving is for public benefit hence why the charity you choose must be registered and have tax-deductible gift status.
We are also governed by the Constitution of the Board of Benevolence that outlines charitable objects that determine our charitable giving.
To check you can call the Hand Heart Pocket team on 07 3493 6000 during business hours or go to the ABN lookup website at www.abr.business.gov.au/
Look under the two subheadings: Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) and Deductible gift recipient status.
For organisations operating in Papua New Guinea they must also have charitable entity status and be registered with the Investment Promotion Authority. Please also provide a copy of the organisation’s formal constitution. The constitution must include charitable clauses dealing with member benefits (if relevant) and winding-up.
Have questions? Contact the Hand Heart Pocket office on 07 3493 6000 or info@handheartpocket.org.au during business hours and the team will be able to help you
Want to make an enquiry?
Get in touch with our team and we will get back to you as soon as possible!
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