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Almost a third of Guernsey's registered charities are said to be struggling to meet their running costs, while many say they may need to expand their services to meet demand.
As a result, a fifth of locally registered charities say they may need to redesign their services to remain financially viable.
On top of those financial pressures, nearly half say they are struggling to recruit volunteers too.
The statistics paint a stark picture of the challenges charities face, says the Association of Guernsey Charities, which has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of the importance of the island's third sector in providing and maintaining many essential services.
The AGC says the #WithoutUs campaign aims to highlight the impact that a loss of these services could have on islanders.
In particular it aims to:
“In many ways the recent survey confirms what we already know, that the Bailiwick community is very philanthropic in its attitude and thinking, with approximately 30% of our population aged 16 and over volunteering in some way, giving in total the equivalent of 670 full-time roles over the course of a year," said Association of Guernsey Charities Chair, Wayne Bulpitt.
"Additionally, a significant amount of the £100m needed by the charitable sector is funded by the public," he added.
“It is well understood that charities fill the gap between what the government can provide and what the population needs. We have seen the demand on services is increasing; we need to ensure that everybody is aware of the impact that charities have on our lives and what might happen in the potentially worst case scenario of our charities ceasing to exist.
“Of course we want islanders to have the 'feel good' factor of donating and volunteering, but we also need to communicate that without money and volunteers, charities are not sustainable.
Pictured: Wayne Bulpitt, volunteering at the 2023 Island Games.
“The aim of the campaign is therefore to improve the understanding of the impact that the Bailiwick’s third sector brings to the islands and to educate key stakeholders, whether that be government, business, community leaders and the public on how they can help the sector to survive and thrive and meet the needs of our community.”
The new campaign was launched at an event on Thursday, with representatives of many local charities in attendance.
Philippa Stahelin, Executive Director of Headway Guernsey said her charity is "very excited by the launch of the #WithoutUs campaign and supporting the AGC in shining a light on the vital work charities do in our island.
"So many islanders rely on their services, with many funded entirely by the generosity of the local community. It’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our incredible charitable sector and we hope that everyone really engages in this campaign.”
Her excitement for the new campaign was echoed by Tanya Dorrity, Service Manager for Carers Guernsey.
“The third sector helps give a voice to those most in need in our society - this brilliant campaign from the AGC is giving a voice to charities. It's simple and effective like any great campaign should be. We hope that by joining together, we will achieve better island wide publicity for the third sector and showcase its impact and outcomes. Thank you to the States of Guernsey for their financial support for the campaign and recognition of the importance of our work.”
Pictured: The findings of a survey carried out by the Association of Guernsey Charities led to the #WithoutUs campaign being launched.
The AGC has worked with Black Vanilla and Two Degrees North to develop the #WithoutUs campaign in consultation with members, and the financial support of the States of Guernsey.
Not intending to be negative, the campaign is instead focused on showing how charities fill a critical gap, providing vital services that people need every day.
Volunteer Michelle Champion has designed a website withoutus.gg.
Mr Bulpitt said he hopes that the community and business leaders will see that the charities collectively have a simple call to action.
“Please support charities to help them survive and thrive,” he said.
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