Public Charity Program

A Charity Program for the Support of Non-profit Organizations and Individuals “Food Bank Rus” (Foodbank Rus)

Contents of the Program

  1. General Provisions
  2. Mission and Purpose of the Program
  3. Principles of the Program
  4. Geography, Terms and Stages of the Program implementation
  5. Sources of the Program Funding
  6. The Estimate of the Charitable Program
  7. Planned Results of the Program Implementation
  8. Participants in the Program
  9. The Main Activities of the Fund for the Implementation of the Program
  10. Program Implementation Mechanism
  11. Confidentiality of Data and Information Obtained During the Implementation of the Program
  12. Dissemination of Information about the Program
  13. Approval and Modification of the Program

1. General Provisions

The charity program for the support of non-profit organizations and individuals Foodbank Rus is developed in accordance with the requirements and provisions of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, the Federal Laws “On Non-Profit Organizations”, “On Charitable Activities and Charitable Organizations” (in particular, on the basis of Article 17 of the Federal Law of 11.08.1995 #135-FZ (amended on 05/05/2014) “On Charitable Activities and Charitable Organizations”), other regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation, and the Charter of the Charity Fund Foodbank Rus.

Charity Program for Support of Non-Profit Organizations and Individuals Foodbank Rus (hereinafter referred to as the Program) is a set of activities aimed at solving specific tasks that are in accordance with the statutory objectives of the Charity Fund Foodbank Rus (Hereinafter referred to as the Fund).

2. Mission and Purpose of the Program

Mission of the Program

Providing social support and charitable assistance to socially unprotected categories of the population / citizens throughout Russia by providing food and other consumer goods donated for this purpose to the Fund by individuals and legal entities and brought to the beneficiaries (individuals) through a partner network of non-profit organizations.

The Foundation donates food and other consumer goods to non-profit organizations, and also provides targeted donations to non-profit organizations that have the ability to quickly provide welfare individuals with food or other consumer goods.

At the same time, the Fund receives a significant part of donations in the form of food products and other consumer goods from large food companies, which, among other things, ensures the ecological effect of reducing forced recycling of products, which the company cannot realize by itself in accordance with its marketing strategy.

As part of the Program, the Fund financially provides transportation of donations, as well as the purchase of necessary products and supplies for the implementation of certain charitable projects, except when these expenses are covered by a non-profit organization or a charitable company.

Purpose of the Program

The purpose of the Program is the accumulation of property (money, food and non-food property donations, other types of property) received through voluntary donations from legal entities and individuals, as well as from other activities not prohibited by law, and the use of this property for charitable activities aimed at:

  • social support and protection of citizens, including improving the financial position of socially unprotected categories of the population; at the same time, the improvement of the financial situation is understood as, among other things, saving the expenses of citizens that takes place when receiving a charitable donation in the form of food and non-food consumer goods
  • assistance to victims of natural disasters, environmental, industrial or other disasters, social, national, religious conflicts, victims of repression, refugees and internally displaced persons
  • promotion of activities in the field of prevention and protection of public health, as well as promoting healthy lifestyles, improving the moral and psychological state of citizens; among other things by providing additional food
  • promoting volunteerism.

Charitable assistance, including financial (by cash) or in kind (by food and other consumer goods) to non-profit organizations and (or) individuals, can be provided, in particular, by providing donations and grants, scholarships, awards, consultations and other ways not forbidden by the current legislation.

3. Principles of the Program

Legitimacy

In the process of implementing of the Program, the Fund strictly observes the universally recognized principles and norms of international law and the legislation of the Russian Federation.

Openness

The program is open for participants to join. The number of participants in the Program is unlimited.

Transparency

The Fund regularly publishes reports on the use of donations on its website, and annually publishes a consolidated report on the implementation of the Program on its website.

The Foundation is subject to mandatory annual independent audit, the results of which are published on the Foundation’s website.

Relevance and Effectiveness

In the provision of charitable assistance the Fund is guided by the principle of priority support for the most needy categories of the population. A person who, due to the improved life circumstances, has lost the status of a needy person, is not entitled to remain the beneficiary of the Fund’s assistance.

Responsibility

The Fund is responsible for the quality of the assistance provided and for the fulfillment of its obligations to the participants of the Program.

4. Geography, Terms and Stages of the Program Implementation

Geography of the Program

The program is implemented on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Terms of Program Implementation

The term of the Program is 50 years. The implementation of the Program does not depend on the planned quantitative indicators of the Program; with any available quantitative indicators, the Program is considered to be realizable and at the expiration of the implementation period—realized.

The term of the Program may be changed in accordance with the procedure specified in Section 13.

Stages of Program Implementation

The implementation phase of the Program is 1 (one) calendar year. For each stage of the implementation of the program, the estimates are prepared (Section 6 of this Program), which is an integral part of this Program.

5. Sources of Program Financing

The Program is financed through:

  • Charitable donations, including those of a targeted nature, provided by individuals and legal entities in cash and (or) in kind
  • other sources not prohibited by the legislation of the Russian Federation.

6. The Estimate of the Charitable Program

Financing of the Charitable Program is determined by the Estimate of the estimated revenues and planned expenditures (hereinafter referred to as the “Estimate”), which is an integral part of the Charitable Program.

The estimate is made for each stage of the Program implementation, that is, for each calendar year. The estimate for the corresponding calendar year is approved by the sole executive body of the Fund.

If necessary, changes may be made to the approved estimate within a year.

If the funds approved by the Estimate for the current year are not used before the end of the year, their expenditure is postponed to the next year and can be carried out during the entire duration of the Charity Program.

7. The Planned Results of the Program Implementation

  • Improvement of the material situation of socially unprotected categories of the population; that is by improving the financial situation is understood, including, saving the costs of beneficiaries-individuals.
  • Improving the health of citizens through the provision of food and other consumer goods.
  • Reducing social tensions in society.
  • Implementation of new mechanisms for collection and distribution of property donations: the creation of interaction between business and non-profit organizations, which allows the rapid distribution of large amount of goods among wealthy individuals across the whole of Russia.
  • Development of companies’ corporate social responsibility, in particular, corporate “volunteer” (volunteer activity) programs for employees.
  • Development of volunteer activities in Russia.

8. Participants of the Program

Participants of the Program are citizens and legal entities that carry out charitable and other activities for the implementation of this Program, as well as citizens and legal entities in whose interests charitable activities are carried out in order to implement this Program.

Participants of the Program are: benefactors, volunteers, beneficiaries.

The Foundation acts as a benefactor and beneficiary within the Program. The Fund is the main organizer, coordinator and executor of the Program, it provides the overall guidance for the implementation of the Program and ensures the interaction of the Program participants and its implementation.

The Fund:

  • defines general principles, general rules, procedure and conditions for the implementation of the Program
  • determines the objectives of the Program
  • provides overall guidance for the implementation of the Program
  • ensures the implementation of the Program through the receipt and transfer of donations
  • coordinates the activities of the Program participants
  • monitors the implementation of the Program
  • performs other functions in accordance with this Regulation and the internal documents of the Fund.

The Fund has the right:

  • regulate all issues related to the implementation of the Program
  • send representatives to participate in any activities of the Program
  • request information from all Program participants.

The benefactors of the Program may be individuals (citizens of the Russian Federation, foreign countries and stateless persons) and legal entities (Russian and foreign legal entities, international organizations) that share the objectives of the Program and participate in its implementation in the manner and on the terms determined by this Program.

The benefactors can support this Program in the following forms:

  • disinterested (gratuitous or on preferential terms) transfer of property, including money and (or) objects of intellectual property
  • disinterested (gratuitous or on preferential terms) entitlement to own, use and dispose of any objects of ownership
  • disinterested (gratuitous or on preferential terms) performance of work, provision of services.

Volunteers are individuals who carry out charitable activities in the form of gratuitous performance of works and services.

The following are the beneficiaries of the Program:

  • Russian non-profit organizations (hereinafter referred to as NPOs), including state and municipal institutions and religious organizations that support socially unprotected categories of the population on the territory of the Russian Federation
  • Individuals, including citizens of the Russian Federation, foreign citizens and stateless persons, who belong to socially unprotected categories of the population and receive a charitable donation within the Program.

The concept of “socially unprotected categories of the population / citizens” includes groups of the population who, due to their age, state of health, difficult life situation or other factors, are unable to provide themselves (and their families) with a decent level of material welfare (financially disadvantaged citizens).

Financially disadvantaged citizens are persons with income below the subsistence minimum established in the subject of the Russian Federation at the place of residence of the person.

A difficult life situation is a situation that objectively violates the life of a citizen (disability, inability to self-service due to the old age, illness, orphanhood, neglect, poverty, unemployment, lack of a certain place of residence, conflicts and abuse in the family, loneliness, etc.) which he or she cannot overcome on his/her own.

The main categories of socially vulnerable groups supported by the Program are:

  • people in a difficult life situation
  • large families with low income; low-income families with incomes below the subsistence minimum per family member, families that lost their bread-winners
  • elderly people and people with disabilities living in residential institutions and nursing homes
  • single elderly people, elderly citizens (persons who have reached the age of 70)
  • children left without parental care, orphans, graduates of orphanages and boarding schools
  • people with disabilities, children with disabilities and their families, parents raising a disabled child alone
  • persons affected by natural disasters, political and social conflicts
  • homeless persons
  • refugees
  • other persons in need of social assistance and material support to the maximum extent.

The following items cannot be beneficiaries under the Program:

  • political parties and public associations of political orientation
  • commercial organizations
  • International and foreign government organizations.

It is forbidden to support political parties, movements, groups and campaigns through any of the activities of the Program. It is forbidden to conduct pre-election campaigning, campaigning on referendum issues at the same time as with any program activities.

An important role in the implementation of the Program is played by commercial organizations that carry out donations and supply products to the Fund. These commercial organizations become participants of the Program, benefactors, in case that the delivery of goods and the performance of works / services for the Fund are carried out on a charitable basis (donation).

9. The Main Activities of the Foundation for the Implementation of the Program

In order to implement the Program, the Foundation implements a set of activities in the following areas.

Stocks

Within the framework of this direction, the Fund collects food and non-food products as donations from manufacturing companies, trade organizations, catering organizations (hereinafter referred to as ‘Donors’) in order to provide assistance to socially unprotected categories of the population.

Stocks (from English ‘stock’: supply, store in stock) are food and non-food products that have not lost their consumer properties, transferred to the Fund as a donation by donors. Large companies always have surplus products in excess of the quantity necessary for the effective turnover of company stocks, formed as a result of overproduction, insignificant package rejection, other marketing reasons, and the loss of commercial attractiveness of products for Donor does not mean its loss of consumer properties.

The Fund receives donations from the Donors as donations to the beneficiaries of the Program. As a rule, the Fund finances transportation of donations to the regions.

Meals for All, Charitable Project

Meals for All is a project to supply the program's beneficiaries with lunches consisting of food ingredients (for example, cereals, dried vegetables). Within the framework of the project, with the support of the partners of the Fund, shops on the formation of food kits are being opened. These shops are temporary non-stationary volunteer centers where volunteers make grocery sets (Meals for All) from the food ingredients purchased by the Foundation according to specially developed recipes taking into account the caloric content of the products. The Meals for All formed by volunteers are donated as donations to the beneficiaries of the Program through the NPO partner network or directly.

The Meals for All Project is implemented at the expense of monetary targeted donations from individuals and legal entities to the Fund.

As a rule, the Fund finances purchase of necessary products and supplies, as well as transportation of donations to the regions.

During the development of the project, changes are possible, in particular, changes in the recipes of lunches, use of non-targeted donations for the project, and other changes that do not affect the essence of the project.

Assistance in Emergency Situations

In the framework of this area, the Foundation provides non-monetary property assistance to persons affected by emergency situations (hereinafter—emergencies). The Foundation provides assistance to victims of natural disasters, environmental, industrial or other disasters, social, national, religious conflicts, victims of repression, refugees and internally displaced persons. The Foundation provides assistance to persons who suffered as a result of emergency situations by donating products received in kind from the Program’s Charities to the specified persons or purchased through targeted donations from the Program’s Charities to the Fund.

Collection of Private Non-monetary Donations from Individuals (Grocery Marathon, Fooddrive)

Within the framework of this area, the Fund, with the partnership of retail companies (retail), collects private property non-monetary donations (food and non-food products) from individuals. Individuals purchase these products in stores of trading companies and transfer them as donations to the Fund. Donated products are donated by the Foundation to the Beneficiaries of the Program through the NPO partner network or directly.

Collection of Private Property Not Monetary and Monetary Donations from Individuals and Legal Entities

Collection of private property non-monetary and monetary donations from individuals and legal entities can be carried out by any means not prohibited by law, in particular, by carrying out charitable actions, projects, other activities (including joint actions with partners of the Fund).

The collected funds can go to any event within the charitable activities of the Fund, depending on the purpose of the funds raised. Important ways of spending donated funds are paying for the services of carriers for the transportation of donations to the Beneficiaries, procurement of products (including at preferential rates), as well as courier services for the delivery of documentation.

10. Program Implementation Mechanism

Establishment of a Partner Network of NPOs Participating in the Program

The Fund sends letters of invitation to NPOs—potential participants of the Program. NPOs can themselves submit applications for participation in the Program in accordance with the established form (specified in Annex #1 to this Program). The filing of an application in the form is desirable, but not a prerequisite for the initiation of an NPO validation procedure.

The Fund carries out mandatory validation (examination) of NPOs that wish to participate in the Program as beneficiaries according to the content and legal criteria in the manner described in Appendix #2 to the Program. The NPO provides documents for validation according to the List specified in Appendix #3 to the Program, the questionnaire for validation is completed in the form approved by Appendix #4 to the Program. Only complete sets of duly executed documents are accepted for consideration (preferably electronically).

Within a month from the receipt of the package of documents, the authorized officers of the Foundation conduct validation of the NPO. If a positive decision is taken, information on the NPO is entered in the database of the Fund, and an appropriate agreement is concluded with the NPO. In case of a negative decision, the Fund informs the applicant about it in writing (an electronic letter is acknowledged as in writing) specifying the reasons for the refusal.

When receiving a large number of applications, the Fund reserves the right to change the validation period.

NPOs that have passed validation undertake the following obligations: to report on the expenditure of property transferred as a donation; notify the Fund in a timely manner in case of changing the details; inform the public that they received property in the framework of participation in the Program, and other obligations, specified in the relevant contracts of the targeted donation.

General Provisions on Transferring Donations to NPOs

If it is necessary to transfer the donation, the Fund contacts NPO and informs about the availability of the specific property, the possible terms of its transfer and the priority category of the Beneficiaries—individuals. NPO sends a request for the receipt of this property or confirms its willingness to accept it, indicating the amount, timing of the distribution of property and categories of beneficiaries-individuals.

Employees of the Fund carry out the necessary document circulation and organize the transportation of donations to NPO.

The Fund’s authorized representative monitors the distribution of donations.

Upon completion of the distribution of donations, NPO provides a report to the Fund. The Fund conducts an audit of the targeted use of the donation by checking NPO’s reports and, if necessary, by checking the distribution of donations in the field.

Restrictions on Certain Activities under the Program

The Program strictly prohibits:

  • use the property received from the Fund for profit
  • sell the property received from the Fund
  • support political parties, movements, groups and campaigns through any activities of the Program
  • conduct electoral campaigning, campaigning on referendum issues at the same time as with any of the activities of the Program.

11. Confidentiality of Data and Information Obtained During the Implementation of the Program

Confidential information for third parties is the results of validating the participants of the Program.

Information that promotes the development of the Program and stimulates the charitable activities of the Foundation is not confidential. Such information includes: information on the total amount of donations and the number of philanthropists for a certain time interval (quarter, six months, year); information about NPOs—beneficiaries of the Program (their types of activities, names), information on the frequency of donations for a certain period; information about the ongoing actions and other activities of the Program.

The Foundation reserves the right to use the information obtained in the process of implementing the Program for the purpose of accumulating and transferring experience, for research and statistical purposes.

12. Dissemination of Information about the Program

The information about the Program and the activities carried out within it will be distributed through posting on the official website https://foodbankrus.ru/, as well as distributed by the Fund for information mailings to interested organizations and through other information channels.

13. Approval and Modification of the Program

The Program, as well as its changes and additions, is approved by the Fund’s Governing Council in the manner prescribed by the Fund’s Charter.