Jersey Charities
Every year, JOA supports numerous projects run by local, Jersey-based charities in developing countries.
The charities JOA supports range in size from kitchen-table charities which focus on helping one or two particular communities abroad to a small number of large home-grown Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) which operate in multiple countries.
In 2024 Jersey Charities received grants totalling £3.34m from JOA, making us one of the largest funders of domestic charities in the Channel Islands.
In addition to funding, we help Jersey-based charities build their capacity to operate more effectively. We provide training and support in key areas such as impact measurement, governance, decision-making and finance.
Jersey Charities Toolkit
Current Grants to Jersey Charities
| Agency | Programme | Country | Value | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JCG Foundation | LEAP Global 2024 | Jersey, India, Rwanda | £55,600 | 2023 | 2024 |
| RJAHS | Amakuru ku nka z'umukamo - Dairy Data Project | Rwanda | £1,568,942 | 2023 | 2026 |
| RJAHS | Ongera Amata | Rwanda | £1,557,416 | 2023 | 2026 |
| Sundeep Watts Memorial Fund | Education provision at Joyceland Preparatory School in Rongo, Kenya | Kenya | £40,238 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Hands Around the World | Promoting access to educational opportunities for children and young people in Rusizi District, Rwanda | Rwanda | £529,917 | 2023 | 2025 |
| Rotary Club of Jersey | Community safe water and reversal of desertification with a Sand Dam | Kenya | £10,000 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Durrell | VALIHA - Resources for the wellbeing of people and nature to achieve development | Madagascar | £2,136,343 | 2023 | 2028 |
| RJAHS | Jersey Breed Focussed Dairy Development in Zambia | Zambia | £1,198,007 | 2022 | 2025 |
| Gurkha Welfare Trust Jersey | Rural Water and Sanitation Projects (RWSP) 2021-2024 | Nepal | £391,000 | 2021 | 2024 |
| RJAHS | Malawi Dairy Growth (MDG) Project - Phase III | Malawi | £1,799,000 | 2024 | 2027 |
| RJAHS | Transforming Smallholder Dairy Farming in the ChaCha Area | Ethiopia | £996,132 | 2020 | 2024 |
| Bukit Lawang Trust | Sustainable Business Programme | Indonesia | £26,964 | 2024 | 2025 |
| CRY Jersey | Destiny Grace Academy | Sierra Leone | £30,000 | 2024 | 2024 |
| RJAHS | Copperbelt Dairy Expansion Project | Zambia | £1,499,000 | 2024 | 2027 |
Improving Human Wellbeing for Nature Dependent Communities (Enabling Change)
COUNTRY: Madagascar
PARTNER: Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
DURATION: 2017– 2023
The challenge
Despite the rich plant and species diversity in Malawi, the status of biodiversity has declined in recent years. The economy is heavily dependent on agriculture and Malawi’s forest biodiversity is under threat due to rapid population growth; high levels of poverty and inequality; and the increasing frequency of floods and droughts as the effects of climate change are become ever more apparent.
What is the Project doing?
This initiative targets 14 communities in Madagascar—two wetland areas (Alaotra and Lac Sofia) and one dry forest (Baly Bay)—to improve the wellbeing of over 2,000 households living in extreme poverty. The project aims to:
- Enhance Agriculture: Improve climate resilience and crop production to boost nutrition and reduce deforestation.
- Increase Financial Stability: Provide community finance tools to support economic security, especially during lean seasons.
- Promote Reproductive Health: Offer resources for family planning and health, enhancing women's well-being and income.
- Strengthen Governance: Improve transparency and accountability in natural resource management for sustainable use.
Outcomes
The Enabling Change project established 148 VSLA groups with 2,500 members, 60% of whom are women, providing access to loans. It also cultivated 1,237 hectares of climate-smart crops and improved farmers' incomes through enhanced value chains and processing. Additionally, 429 community leaders were trained in governance, and nearly 3,000 women received family planning support.
“Since I practiced the VSLA system, our daily lives have gradually improved. Economically, we no longer need to borrow money from others because we can easily find them within the VSLA itself. So, field work is much easier because we have the opportunity to buy seeds and pay for labour. Recently, our group has just finished its cycle, and the profits I have been able to derive from it is 105,000 ariary. I used 45,000 ariary for school fees for my two children, 30,000 ariary for school supplies and the rest to fill the gap in basic necessities.”
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