OBJECTIVES
The ICOM Fund was created by the Executive Council at its 73rd session held in Paris on June 10-11,1991.

Its purposes are:

• to assist National Committees experiencing temporary financial difficulties to maintain the minimum number of members required to remain a National Committee in good standing
• to assist with the creation of a Committee by helping new members join ICOM.

RESOURCES
The Fund is built on the principle of mutual assistance ; it receives its income from voluntary donations of National Committees.
In order to support the Fund, the Executive Council may decide to contribute part of ICOM's budget to the Fund.
Donations of the National Committees may be remitted to the ICOM Secretariat along with the annual membership fees. Contributions for the following calendar year may be sent as from October 1 of the current year.

PROCEDURES FOR REQUESTING ASSISTANCE AND ATTRIBUTING FUNDS
The Chairperson of a National Committee wishing to obtain assistance for the payment of membership fees should present a request to the ICOM Secretariat at the latest by October 1 of the current year, for a possible grant as from January 1 of the following calendar year. This request must indicate the precise reasons for which the assistance is requested and the necessary amount.
The ICOM Secretariat will submit all the requests to the Executive Council at its December session and will inform the Committees of the decision taken. The Executive Council will determine priority criteria according to the situation in each requesting country.
National Committees having received assistance must submit a financial report on the use of the attributed funds to the IGOM Secretariat at the latest by March 30 of the year after which the grants were received.
A list of the Committees which contribute to the ICOM Fund is published every year in ICOM News.