The primary aim of the Trust is to support the children of Freemasons when a family is in need. It is only able to make grants to charities and projects when this obligation has been fulfilled.

The Trust currently supports existing projects and subsidiary charities, including Lifelites and the Choral Bursary Scheme, which are able to give support to children and young adults whether or not there is a Masonic connection.

In 2010 the Trust also re-launched its Non-Masonic Grants programme, under a new name, Stepping Stones.

Stepping Stones aims to provide grants to charities and programmes working to alleviate poverty and improve educational outcomes among those children and young people who are most deprived and educationally disadvantaged.