Jersey Foundations

A Foundation is often described as a hybrid of a company and a trust. The Jersey foundation is an incorporated entity with a separate legal personality but which, unlike a company, does not have shareholders. Instead, it holds assets in its own name on behalf of beneficiaries and/or a purpose. It has similar legal principles to a company but its operation is more akin to that of a trust.

Jersey’s foundation legislation, implemented in 2009, was able to incorporate many of the beneficial attributes of foundations in other jurisdictions together with safeguards for beneficiaries which the regulatory environment of Jersey already confers on companies and trusts. The law also facilitates the migration of existing Foundations from other jurisdictions into Jersey.