The multiplicity of local organisations that promote various charity objectives shows how committed the Maltese are to help those in society who need that extra bit of support to get by in life.
The Malta Community Chest Fund is one of the oldest charities in Malta having been founded in the colonial era when Sir Robert Laycock began organising the August Moon Ball in order to raise funds for the Malta Playing Fields Association.
The MCCF has continued to grow since then and its activities are among the most important in the country’s calendar of charity events.
The announcement that President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca has decided to convert the MCCF into a foundation was welcomed by all those who believe that those charities which depend on the public for financial and voluntary support should have very robust governance systems that promote transparency and accountability.
The MCCF foundation is now enrolled with the Registrar for Legal Persons with the rights and obligations that come with such registration.
The new foundation will have three distinct but complementary layers of management. The Supervisory Board will set the policies of the foundation and ensure that the organisation is managed in accordance with its statute. The Administrative Board will be responsible for the implementation of policy while the Consultative Board will guide the formation of policy in accordance with the ethos of the foundation.
This structure should ensure that the role of the President will primarily be an inspirational one that motivates the various volunteers who manage the foundation to reach out to all those who need support. Ms Coleiro Preca’s commitment to promoting social issues is well known. Her decision to promote the various social causes that are championed by the MCCF through a new foundation is a laudable initiative that should enhance the prestige of this charity.
During the launch of the foundation a number of individuals gave a very emotional narration of how they benefitted from the money thousands of ordinary people contribute to the MCCF. Expensive treatment, especially for cancer cases, can destroy the nest egg of any family when it is in its most vulnerable state. Families have been known to sell their homes to buy expensive medicine or to provide treatment abroad to give a chance of survival to a member.
The professional management of the new MCCF foundation should ensure a more efficient way of dealing with requests for help from families who need support. Applicants can now submit their request online and expect a reply without unnecessary delays.
The foundation’s work will go beyond helping sick patients financially. “The foundation will also have other specialised units that will take care of, among other things, ethics, medical help, social assistance for disabled people and research and development.”
By being organised more professionally and with a robust governance system, the foundation can attract interest from international foundations that seek agreements with national charities to address specific charity projects.
When the people that contribute regularly to the various activities of the MCCF are informed about how their money is being spent to support worthwhile causes, they will undoubtedly be encouraged to continue supporting the MCCF foundation.
By organising the MCCF charity outreach through a foundation, the President has reinforced the building of trust between those running the foundation and the public that supports it financially.