Vision
The Foundation works with the following vision in mind:
- To excel in its management, in so far as it is the receiver and manager of the monies that essentially proceed from the solidarity contributions that citizens make to TVC through the La Marató programme.
- To become the main link between citizens and La Marató. Thus, it will work especially in order to obtain the participation of the greater number of educational and civic centres in awareness-raising and dissemination campaigns.
- To select the best biomedical research projects in each call for projects, and to monitor them closely throughout their duration, controlling expenses and scientific development, while informing the citizenship of the results of the work.
- To keep all activities organised around La Marató at zero cost, and to ensure that all expenses inherent to the Foundation do not entail a burden on the donations. With this intention in mind, it will manage the resources with care, seeking the highest financial yield, providing for the absolute security of the monies, which shall allow meeting all expenses. Moreover, it shall make all the efforts so that the business fabric of Catalonia may build links with La Marató, with the intention of strengthening its social support and increase its resources, the overall aim of it all being that the full amount of all donations may be destined to foundational ends.
Values
The Foundation is part of a public entity, namely 3Cat. Consequently, it undertakes as its own the values that make it up. Moreover, the Foundation's own values include: the resolve to serve the community; the objectivity in all its decisions and activities; the efficiency in the fulfilment of its tasks; and generally the transparency in all the activities it runs, specially with regard to the administration and allocation of resources. All professionals working at the Foundation shall abide by these values and hold them as points of reference so that the trust of citizens, companies and entities it relates to, and works with, is upheld.
Since 1992, La Marató on TV3 has raised nearly 131 million euros and has funded a total of 636 biomedical research projects of excellence, carried out in various Catalan and international health centres and universities. More than 4,000 researchers have directly benefited from the financial support of La Marató. The funds are managed with complete rigour, transparency and responsibility so that the Fundació La Marató de 3Cat stimulates the scientific and economic activity of the country, promoting new research and fostering the creation and consolidation of research teams. From the careful selection of research to the explanation of their results, the foundation coordinates a complex cycle that has a positive impact on the health of citizens.
The Foundation channels the funds raised and informs with transparency of their destination. In this respect, after the selection process, the research projects chosen are subject to close economic and scientific monitoring, in this case by the Agency of Assessment of Medical Technology and Research, of the Catalan Ministry of Health.
Since 1992, the programme has focused on the fight against a number of diseases: Leukaemia (1992), Down's Syndrome (1993), Cancer (1994), Cardiovascular Illnesses (1995), Neurological Illnesses (1996), Genetic Hereditary Illnesses (1997), Diabetes (1998), Transplants (1999), Mental Illnesses (2000), AIDS (2001), Chronic Inflammatory Illnesses (2002), Chronic Respiratory Illnesses (2003), Cancer (2004), Neurological Illnesses (2005), Chronic Pain (2006), Cardiovascular Illnesses (2007), Serious Mental Illnesses (2008), Rare Illnesses (2009), Acquired Spinal Cord and Brain Injuries (2010), Regeneration and transplantation of organs and tissues (2011), Cancer (2012) and Neurodegenerative diseases (2013).
Government Bodies
The Board of Trustees is the body of government, representation, administration and decision of the Foundation. Its President is the President of 3Cat.
The following are its fixed members: 3Cat, who appoints three representatives, one of whom will be the President – previously it had been the Director General –; Televisió de Catalunya, who will appoint two representatives, one of whom will be the Director; and the Director of Catalunya Ràdio.
The following also form part of the Board: a representative appointed by the Catalan Ministry of Health; a representative from the Catalan Ministry of Innovation, Universities and Enterprise; and a representative from the Catalan Ministry of Governance and Public Administration.
Among the functions reserved to the Board of Trustees, one is to choose the theme of the La Marató de 3Cat programme, once it has studied the proposal made to it by the Scientific Assessment Committee; and another is to approve the destination of the resources for the projects deemed worthy of funding.
The Scientific Assessment Committee is made up of representatives from the leading scientific and medical institutions of Catalonia. They shall meet periodically when convened by their co-ordinator, who is the representative from the Catalan Ministry of Health and the second Vice President of the Board of Trustees.
Among their functions, one should be singled out – that of making a proposal to the Board of Trustees about the theme of the La Marató de 3Cat programme; moreover, it must approve the bases of the public competition for the presentation of projects and raise to the Board of Trustees the proposed distribution of resources.
The executive director executes and carries out the agreements adopted by the Board of Trustees, to which he raises proposals of action.
