Grants in aid for charity organisations

GRANTS IN AID FOR CHARITY ORGANISATIONS

18 October 2002

To: News Editors

From: City Of Johannesburg

Joburg spends R10 million in operating estimates for the grant-in-aid on rates levied to organisations delivering social services, welfare & development and privately owned sports clubs during the current financial year.

The City of Johannesburg Council yesterday agreed to give grants-in-aid for rates assessment for organisations providing social, charitable and voluntary services promoting social development in Johannesburg and privately owned sports clubs.

Extensive discussions were entered into between the erstwhile Metropolitan Municipalities and the City's social services organisations and the privately owned sports clubs. A proposal was put forward for Council to provide the grant-in-aid to social services organisations delivering critical social services to the citizens of Johannesburg, especially children, youth women and the elderly as well as those with special needs.

The Transformation Lekgotla undertook a tour of inspection of the sport clubs in Johannesburg in July 2000, which justified for the Council to continue providing financial support to the clubs through assessment rates relief based on the following criteria:

Affordability (does the club have the ability to pay)
Membership (is the club open to previously disadvantaged individuals)
Development programmes (is the club actively involved in sports development programmes from previously disadvantaged communities)
Land Usage (is the land owned by the club utilised exclusively for sporting activities)

Social organisations and sports clubs on privately owned land submitted applications for assessment rates relief to Council, which were individually reviewed by the Revenue department. About 43 social organisations and 19 sporting clubs benefit from the package.