A €900,000 fund for social and infrastructural projects by voluntary organisations has been set up by the Malta Community Chest Fund , President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca said today as launched the first call for applications.

Addressing representatives of voluntary organisations, President Coleiro Preca said the €700,000 were being allocated for social projects and €200,000 for infrastructural ones.

The call that opened this morning is for social projects, that for infrastructural projects will open in July.

President Coleiro Preca said the fund would help voluntary organisations grow. It would also help promote cooperation between groups that worked in the same sector encouraging them to cooperate on projects.

An evaluation board, led by university lecturer Carm Borg, was set up to ensure full transparency and accountability in the use of funds donated during the annual fundraiser l-Istrina. An appeals board has also been set up.

Prof. Borg explained that, for this year, the funds were also available to organisations and associations that were not registered with the Commissioner of Voluntary Organisations.

Those who were registered, however, had the advantage of being able to turn to the commissioner for help with filling in the application forms, he pointed out.

People who did voluntary work in the community and organisations that worked abroad were not eligible. Organisations that applied alone can get a maximum of €20,000 while those who teamed together can get up to €45,000.

No double funding for projects would be accepted and organisations had to explain how they would use the funds. Payment would be staggered – 25 per cent on signing of the contract, 50 per cent on presentation of a report half-way through the implementation and 25 per cent once the project was finalised.

http://www.president.gov.mt/mccf