Nonprofit organizations approved for a special bailout by the Ministry of Social Services will have to provide services to communities on the periphery of the country if they want to receive their entire budget.
The special aid package signed Wednesday by Minister Yitzchak Herzog is aimed at helping NGOs (nongovernment organizations) serving Israel's weakest and neediest citizens, many of whom have been desperately trying to stay afloat through the economic crisis. They will have until September 1 to request financial aid from the ministry, which has been allocated a bailout budget of NIS 200 million to fund the organizations through 2010.
NGOs who do not serve communities on the periphery but who also run social welfare programs may also be eligible for assistance, but will only be able to receive 10 percent of their annual budget. The funding, approved in April, is meant to help out the organizations that provide privatized social services for the government.