About Us
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks are your local community. No matter where you go in the country, an Elks Lodge is right around the corner. With more than 850,000 members and 2,000 Lodges nationwide, Elks are providing charitable services that help build stronger communities.
We are BPOE
What the ELKS do.
ENF - Elks National Foundation
The mission of the ENF is to help Elks build stronger communities. We fulfill this pledge by investing in communities where Elks live and work. We help youth develop lifelong skills, send students to college, meet the needs of today's veterans, support the charitable work of the state Elks associations, and fund projects that improve the quality of life in local Elks communities.
Select "ENF PROGRAMS FUND" when you donate!
Since inception, the ENF has contributed more than $500 million toward Elks charitable projects nationwide. Our programs continue to grow each year, allowing Elks to do even more to build stronger communities. Click here for details on all ENF programs.
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This year, the ENF allocated $14.9 million to fund the Community Investments Program, investing in Elks communities through grants for Elks Lodges. Community Investments Program grants offer your Lodge an opportunity to serve your community in ways that will raise the Lodge’s profile, energize the membership, encourage former members to return to the fold, and gain the notice of people who want to be part of an organization that’s doing great things.
OHSU Casey Eye Institute Clinic
The Elks Children's Eye Clinic is the major charitable project of the Oregon State Elks Association. The clinic would not be possible without the organization's commitment to providing eye care for babies and children.
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The Elks became involved with the University of Oregon Medical School, now the OHSU School of Medicine, in 1949. That year, Kenneth Swan, M.D., needed a piece of equipment called an oximeter for a baby whose father was an Oregon Elk. The Oregon Elks promptly raised $2,000 for the oximeter. Soon after, their continued generosity established the Elks Children's Eye Clinic.
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Since then, the Elks have contributed enormously to the growth of the clinic, helping pay for the nation's first microscope for ocular surgery, the Northwest's first ophthalmic excimer laser and Oregon's first photokeratoscope for children. Today, the visual program of the Oregon State Elks Association contributes more than $2,000,000 annually to the Elks Children's Eye Clinic, working with 18,000 children each year.
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Financial assistance is not the only service the Elks provide. Elks volunteers donate thousands of hours at the Casey Eye Institute. They assist patients, work on projects for staff and provide information to the public. The Elks have also funded up-to-date equipment for the pediatric ophthalmology examination room at OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital, staffed by faculty from the Elks Children's Eye Clinic.
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Since 1949, the Oregon Elks have donated over 25 million dollars.