Community Foundations are one of the fastest growing philanthropic movements globally. Today there are over 1,800 community foundations in over 50 countries across the Globe, and in 2020 one was established in Jersey. Jersey Community Foundation (JCF) works closely with individual and corporate donors who want to make a positive and tangible difference to the most pressing needs in the local community, without the need for them to set up their own charitable infrastructure. They do this through ‘Donor Advised Funds’ or ‘Themed Funds’ via JCF which gives donors all the benefits of the Foundation’s expertise, systems and professionalism without compromising on the donor’s oversight and control.
To date, JCF has given away just over £4 million to charities, community groups and individuals in Jersey spanning causes dedicated to sports, arts and heritage, mental health, science, the environment and the cost-of-living crisis. This money has combined to make real-life differences to those who need it across our community – from helping sick, elderly and disabled Islanders to pay for a range of additional costs, such as medical equipment, to supporting early years access to education; and from funding salaries to enable charities to carry out lifeline services, to making sports and fitness more easily accessible for all Islanders.
In order to distribute funds fairly and diligently, JCF has curated a number of panels made up of expert advisors for each fund. Each panel meets in advance of the grant meetings, to read, analyse and discuss in detail the applications received and make skilled and informed recommendations on whether funding should or shouldn’t be granted. Recommendations for funding are then passed on to the JCF board, who ultimately make the decision on where the funds are placed.
One of the panels – the ‘Community Panel’ – receives the most applications due to its broad nature. The Advisors who make up the Panel provide specialist counsel on distributing community related money to both charitable organisations and individuals living in relative poverty. Made up of experts from the private, public and third sector, the Advisors have a strong knowledge of needs across Jersey and the community groups within it.
One of the Advisors, Dr Chris Edmond, has a particularly wide and varied background which has developed his understanding of, and compassion for, the people living in our deeply diverse Island community. Chris started his career as a banker, then volunteered with a mental health helpline and became a mental health support worker, then went on to study medicine and became a GP and A&E doctor, then worked in Social Security, assessing individuals for medical benefits before setting up an occupational health business providing services to workers in all areas of the island’s economy. He is also on the Boards of Jersey Recovery College and Jersey Sport. These different roles and responsibilities have allowed Chris to meet thousands of Islanders of differing backgrounds, ethnicities, ages, life experiences, education, sexualities, jobs and access (or lack of access) to opportunities.
Chris says, “People don’t expect that there is poverty in such a rich island, but there is. People are living with extreme financial pressures. Disability and ill health can have a profound impact on people’s lives. People are living ‘on the edge’ and it only takes one unforeseen circumstance, emergency or bill to tip them over the edge – which I have seen time and time again.
“We are allocating limited funds to a huge area of need in Jersey, and this presents a very real and concerning challenge at times. However, when you can see that someone has tried every avenue to help themselves and there is no way out, and it is damaging their mental health, we will fund those applications and give them the money that they need.”
People with experience like Chris’s – who have a rich and extensive understanding of the people who live within our community and the kinds of experiences they’ve been through or continue to live with – are vital to JCF’s service and ensuring the fair allocation of funding.
The Community Panel’s current Advisors are:
Dr Chris Edmond – Founder ad Medical Director, WorkHealth Jersey
Dr Deryn Evans – Lead Forensic Medical Examiner, States of Jersey Police
David Roworth – Director of Digital, Technical and Vocational Skills, Skills Jersey
Gilly Clyde-Smith – Senior Programme Officer, Jersey Overseas Aid
Washington Gwatidzo – Senior Change Manager, Government of Jersey
Helen Le Marquand – Executive Assistant, Safeguarding Partnership Board
Cirsty Mosely – Manager, Jersey Cheshire Homes
Tom Morling – Minister, St Helier Methodist Centre
The Community Panel receives applications for the Greville Bathe Fund, the Alice Ann Rayner Fund, The WO Street Charitable Foundation and The Jersey Community Fund.
The Greville Bathe Fund was set up to help sick and elderly individuals living in Jersey.
The Alice Ann Rayner Fund was set up to help individuals living in Jersey who find themselves in financial difficulties.
The WO Street Fund was set up to advance education and tackle poverty, particularly among children and elderly people.
The Jersey Community Fund pools donations from various donors, including contributions from Dormant Bank Accounts in Jersey where contact has been lost with the customer after 15 years. Grants from the Jersey Community Fund are allocated to impactful local charitable organisations and community groups focusing on the current needs in the Island, such as the cost-of-living crisis.
Below are just some of the successful applications that have been made to the Community Panel over the past 12 to 18 months:
£10,000 - Cost-of-living support for those in financial difficulty
Service run by the Salvation Army
The Salvation Army in Jersey uses their grant to provide various services to support people experiencing crisis and difficulties. Among those services is practical support to those experiencing financial hardship, including the Salvation Army’s food bank, voucher schemes and utility top-ups, free soup each day and starter packs which provide basic crockery, cutlery, bedding and curtains etc. The charity also assists with significant one-off costs such as when a family is unable to replace a broken washing machine or struggling with the cost of preparing for the arrival of a baby.
£26,858 - 12-week counselling programme for Islanders who have experienced sexual trauma
Service run by Jersey Action Against Rape (JAAR)
JAAR uses their grant to provide specialist counselling to the victims of rape and sexual assault and their families. Sexual violence has a deep and traumatic effect on the body and can cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), flashbacks, severe anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts and / or attempts. The project funded aims to help people to heal from their traumatic experiences; reduce waiting times for counselling; ensure the Island community has access to specially trained sexual trauma counsellors; and helps families to rebuild relationships while empowering them with the knowledge of how to support their loved ones to process their trauma.
£62,000 - Expert dementia advice for people with dementia and their carers
Service run by Dementia Jersey
Dementia Jersey uses the grant to provide funding for the salaries of two Dementia Advisors. The Advisors provide tailored advice, understanding and support for Islanders with dementia and their families with the aim of helping them to live well with dementia for longer at home, promoting their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. The support is often surrounding cognitive decline, poor financial management, poor personal hygiene, feelings of isolation, increased risk of falls and hospital admissions, and low confidence and self-esteem. The Dementia Advisors form part of a Support Hub which provides confidential support via bookable appointments, drop-in visits or by telephone. Dementia Jersey plan to extend the service to online and text this year.
JCF encourages a wide range of charities and voluntary groups to apply for funding. Families and individuals can also apply through a sponsor, such as Citizens Advice, the Salvation Army, Social Workers, to name a few.
The application process is detailed as part of the due-diligence process and to ensure grants are allocated and spent correctly. A strong application increases the chance of being awarded funding because it reflects a well-designed and considered project, and this raises standards across the sector which encourages further giving. Below JCF has outlined their top 9 tips on how to create a strong application.
Top 9 tips for making a strong application for funding:
Ensure your project or service meets the criteria of the fund as each fund has conditions for how it should be spent;
Detail how and why your project is going to make a positive difference, and whether it will lead to lasting and sustained change;
Include a detailed description of how your programme will be carried out;
Show that you have the capability to carry out the project;
Demonstrate your knowledge of the subject area and that risks have been considered;
Include a detailed budget and how it represents good value for money;
Contain your plan for monitoring and evaluating the success of your project;
Evidence that good governance, appropriate controls and oversight mechanisms are in place; and,
Verify the financial health of your organisation.
Jersey benefits from having a Community Foundation that is dedicated to improving the lives of Islanders. There is funding available to support people in need, to improve and enrich their lives. These funding opportunities can range from small grants to large sums of money, depending on need and scope. The Foundation hopes that charities and voluntary groups enquire and apply for funding to support our Island community.
How to apply for funding
To apply for funding visit www.jerseycommunityfoundation.org/applying-for-funding/ and follow / await the below steps:
Complete the application form, following the Foundation’s top tips in this article;
The Grant Team reviews your application and carries out initial due diligence checks;
The Community Panel reviews your application;
The application is submitted to the JCF Board who make the final funding decision; and,
If you are successful in your application, submit your signed funding agreement terms and receive your payment.
Funding deadlines
APPLY for funding to support our Island community before the below deadlines:
21 May 2023 – Jersey Community Fund
26 May 2023 – WO Street Charitable Foundation
Greville Bathe Fund
Alice Ann Rayner