Thursday 28 April 2022
The new Charities Ordinance, which was approved by the States Assembly in June 2021, comes into effect tomorrow (Fri 29 April) and Guernsey and Alderney charities and non-profit organisations are being advised that the Ordinance and its requirements will begin to be phased in.
The Guernsey Registry will continue to act as the Office of the Registrar of Charities and other Non Profit Organisations, and will maintain the Register.
Any charity or NPO that works locally and not internationally, and that has assets of less than £100,000 and/or turnover of less than £20,000 is NOT required to register or remain on the register, however they can if they wish to in order to access certain benefits associated with being a registered charity.
The Guernsey Registry is writing directly to all registered charities and NPOs this week to advise them of the change that comes into effect tomorrow.
Helen Gains, Registrar, said:
"There has been extensive dialogue with charities and their sector representatives about the implementation of the Ordinance, and the requirements for them, since it was agreed by the States last year. We really want to thank everyone who contributed to the consultation for their input. It's helped us get to this stage, where the Ordinance takes effect, and we've planned out a phased process for introducing the requirements for registered charities as a result. The new Ordinance means some new financial probity and transparency measures and mitigations against the risk of financial crime which are important for the reputation of registered charities and for the Bailiwick as a jurisdiction."
The Guernsey Registry is available to support charities or NPOs with questions about the Charities Ordinance. Information will be published on the website www.guernseyregistry.com/charities, and includes comprehensive FAQs, new forms, template documents and a visual timeline to assist in understanding when certain requirements must be met by. Additionally, presentations are also planned which all charities and NPOs are invited to attend, details of dates and venues will be published on the Guernsey Registry website.
