COMBINED spending by the majority of charities in Jersey has risen by over £30 million in two years amid increased costs and service demand, according to the latest annual report from the Charity Commissioner.
But the overall financial position of the Island’s charitable sector remains “all right” despite the “real” pressures it faces, according to former Commissioner John Mills.
Writing in his ninth and final annual report as Commissioner, Mr Mills – who has stepped down after nearly a decade in the role – said he had ended his term of office with 452 active Jersey charities on the public register.
At the end of 2025, the figure stood at 453 – the same as at the end of 2024, while total cash and assets held by Jersey registered charities was also unchanged at £2.25 billion.
Total reported expenditure had fallen from £221 million in 2024 to £211 million in 2025.
However, Richard Jouault – who has been designated Interim Charity Commissioner – highlighted that the latter statistic “continues a three-year downward trend largely driven by a small number of very large, restricted section charities reporting reduced expenditure since 2023”.
He continued: “By contrast, total expenditure of general section charities has continued to increase year on year (£136m in 2023, £161m in 2024, £170m in 2025).
“These figures are based on annual returns submitted in 2025, reflecting the 2024 financial year.”
The majority of charities (86%) are registered in the general section of the register. The restricted section contains charities that do not solicit donations from the general public.
Mr Mills acknowledged that “financial pressures are real”, but described the overall financial position of the sector as “all right”.
He said: “Circumstances differ between organisations, of course, but it would be a mistake to focus too narrowly on issues such as government grants and contracts.
“Important though such arrangements are for some, they are not the core of what makes the sector strong.”
Mr Mills continued: “Rather, that lies in the breadth of voluntary effort, and the sense of service, visible across just about every part of Jersey’s charity and civil society landscape.”
In the performance report section of the document, Mr Jouault wrote that last year charity leaders had continued to describe their operating environment as “challenging”, citing “increased demand for services, rising staffing and energy costs, and growing competition for funding”.
He noted that the majority of Jersey registered charities are small, with half reporting an annual income below £50,000.
Mr Jouault added: “As we look ahead, it will be essential to work closely with all actors, both from the charity sector and, probably especially, the government, to seek to ensure that Jersey’s very small charities are meaningfully included in policy development and represented in discussions that influence funding decisions.”
Mr Mills drew attention to “powerful recent remarks” made by Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham, who has delegated responsibility for bolstering co-ordination and engagement with the charity sector – and related legislation – to Assistant Chief Minister Helen Miles.
“The charitable sector is central to the fabric of our community,” Senator Farnham stated.
“We wish to deliver a co-ordinated and supportive environment in which charities can
flourish, strengthening the relationship between government and the charitable sector.”
The Chief Minister noted that having “an assigned champion in government” could help in a number of areas, including work towards “more consistent processes and governance practices supporting sustainability and long-term development”, such as with funding requests as well as service and grant agreements.
