25 national Associations and Priories of the Order of Malta are currently members of Malteser International.

Their representatives together with the Board of Directors, the Secretary General, the Vice-Secretary General and the Chaplain of Malteser International form the General Assembly that is convoked at least once a year. Its main duty is the election and the discharge of the voluntary Board of Directors, the acceptance of the annual accounts as well as the approval of the annual budget.

The Board of Directors of Malteser International consists of the President and up to six Vice-Presidents whereof one holds the position of Financial Supervisor. The President and at least another four members of the Board of Directors have to be members of the Order of Malta. The Board of Directors is in charge of the strategic orientation and bears the overall responsibility within the framework of the arrangements that have been made in written form with Malteser Germany. It meets at least four times per year and works on a purely voluntary basis. After their first quadrennial term of office, all members of the Board of Directors – having declared their preparedness for a further commitment – were re-elected unanimously by the General Assembly on 5 May 2009 for another four years. The position of a sixth Vice-President in 2009 was taken over by a representative from the Asia/Pacific region.

The salaried Secretary General manages the operational activities of Malteser International in line with the adopted budgets and the strategy of Malteser International. He prepares the meetings of the Board of Directors and participates in them with an advisory note.

Around 1,000 employees – thereof nearly 900 local staff members – carry out missions in about 20 countries, supported by about 40 staff members in the Headquarters in Cologne.