Jersey Gift Support

Are Charities Missing Thousands in Additional Income?

Many Jersey charities are working harder than ever to meet increasing demand, rising costs, and growing pressure on services. Yet one of the most valuable sources of unrestricted income available to the sector remains underused or misunderstood: Jersey Gift Support.

For many charities, relatively small improvements in systems and donor communication could unlock significant additional income from donations they are already receiving.

What is Jersey Gift Support?

Jersey Gift Support allows eligible charities to reclaim an additional 25% on qualifying donations made by Jersey taxpayers on gifts, or cumulative gifts over a year, totalling £50 or more.

In simple terms:

• A £100 donation becomes £125 for the charity

• A £10 donation every month becomes £150 at the end of the year

• An £8,000 donation becomes £10,000 at no cost to the donor

  
  

Unlike the UK Gift Aid system, Jersey Gift Support sits under the Personal Tax department because the reclaim is linked directly to the donor’s tax position. In practice, the donor gives permission for the charity to reclaim an additional 25% linked to the tax they have already paid in Jersey. The reclaimed amount goes directly to the charity, not back to the donor.

What Donations Qualify?

To qualify:

• The donor must pay tax in Jersey

• The donation must be a genuine voluntary gift

• The donor must not receive any benefit in return

• The charity must have permission to make the claim

This can include:

• Individuals

• High-value residents

• Some businesses that pay tax in Jersey, including certain organisations operating under Jersey’s corporate tax regime

However, the system ultimately relies on the donor’s tax position. If an individual or company confirms they are eligible and gives permission for a claim, but it later turns out they have not paid sufficient Jersey tax, the donor may become responsible for repaying the rebate amount to the Tax Office.

Charities are not expected to be tax experts, but they should take reasonable steps to ensure donors understand the declaration they are making.

What Counts as a Donation?

Eligible donations can include:

• Cash donations

• Cheques

• Bank transfers

• Direct debits or standing orders

• Online donations

• Digital payment platforms

The key requirements are that the donation is £50 or more, that it is a genuine gift with no material benefit or commercial exchange promised in return, and that the charity has the donor's permission.

How Charities Can Collect Permission

Permission to claim Jersey Gift Support can be collected through:

• Tick boxes on website donation forms

• Digital consent during online checkout

• Online or Paper forms

• Email confirmation

• Direct debit or regular giving forms

• You have asked the donor for their TIN (Tax Identification Number)

If a TIN is unavailable, the Tax Office may still be able to help trace the donor, provided the charity holds sufficient donor details and clear consent.

What Is Not Eligible?

Donations cannot provide a promised benefit in return if the charity wishes to claim Jersey Gift Support. This includes:

• Event tickets or paid experiences

• Raffles or prize draws

• Sponsorship packages involving promotion or logo placement

• Membership privileges involving exclusive access or exchange of value

  
  

There is an important distinction between:

• Philanthropic giving

• Sponsorship

• Commercial partnerships

  
  

For example:

• A genuine, goodwill donation without expectation may qualify

• A payment linked to marketing exposure or commercial benefit may not

  
  

However, charities can still:

• Thank donors

• Build supporter relationships

• Invite supporters to AGMs or community events

• Accept restricted donations

The key issue is whether a material benefit has been promised in exchange for the donation.

Opportunities Many Charities May Be Missing

There are also several underused opportunities charities may wish to explore:

• Cumulative giving claims can be submitted annually where total donations exceed £50

• Payroll giving may qualify with appropriate consent from the employee

• Historic donations may still be eligible where donors understood the scheme and expected claims to be made

  
  

It may also be worthwhile reviewing:

• Donation forms should include a declaration

• Website wording or the fundraising platform you use

• Thank you and donor communication processes

• How donations and financial information are recorded

• What information is currently held on donors

Why Good Systems Matter

One of the clearest themes is the importance of having good systems and donor records.

For many charities, Jersey Gift Support makes a strong case for investing in a CRM or donor database that can securely store:

• Donor details

• TIN numbers where possible

• Consent records

• Donation history

• Communication preferences

Without proper records, charities may struggle to maximise claims or demonstrate compliance if audited.

Many local organisations are also now using Jersey Giving as their fundraising platform for donations and regular giving. This is the only platform that automates Jersey Gift Support process for local donors, helping charities collect permissions, manage records, and simplify claims.

Making a Jersey Gift Support Claim

Claims are submitted directly to the Government of Jersey through the Taxes Office. Guidance on the process can be found here: Guidance on submitting a claim

Charities can submit claims:

• Monthly

• Quarterly

• Annually (especially helpful for cumulative gifts)

Claims can currently be backdated for up to 5 years, but they must be submitted for the relevant tax year.

Further guidance on the scheme and submitting claims is available from the Government of Jersey: Link to Making Charitable Donations

A Wider Opportunity for Jersey’s Third Sector

Jersey charities continue to deliver extraordinary value with limited resources. As financial pressures continue across the sector, improving understanding of Jersey Gift Support is not simply an administrative exercise. It is an opportunity to strengthen donor relationships, improve sustainability, and unlock additional income from donations already being made.

There is also a wider opportunity for Jersey to think strategically about how we encourage generosity, philanthropy, and community investment. The Government's support for the development of Jersey's first Philanthropy Policy, being led by Jersey Community Foundation, is an important step towards strengthening the Island's culture of giving and creating a shared vision for how individuals, businesses, charities, and government can work together to support community wellbeing.

You can learn more about the Philanthropy Policy work here:https://www.jerseycommunityfoundation.org/news/backing-for-new-philanthropy-policy-to-strengthen-jerseys-culture-of-giving

Alongside this, greater awareness and promotion of Jersey Gift Support could help unlock significant additional income for charities while encouraging more people to support causes they care about. Many donors remain unaware that eligible gifts can increase in value by 25% at no additional cost to them.

At IslandKind, one of our aims is to connect and inspire more people to be generous while helping good causes become more resilient and effective. Increasing awareness of Jersey Gift Support is a simple but practical way to strengthen charitable giving and maximise the impact of donations across our Island.

Want to learn more?

You can download the free fundraising and resilience guide here:

👉 https://forms.gle/7teqjwowYEHXBdhVA

When downloading, you’ll also have the option to hear about future IslandKind resources, training and events.

Thank you to everyone working to support Jersey’s good causes.

Beth Gallichan

Founder, IslandKind