Increasing administrative demands force closure of Janet Richards Foundation

MONTEGO BAY, St James — After seven years of helping vulnerable Jamaicans, philanthropist Janet Richards has closed the Janet Richards Foundation, citing increasing administrative demands, stricter compliance requirements, and the rising cost of running a small, volunteer-led charity.

Richards, who established the foundation in 2019 after taking early retirement from Scotiabank, said she has been spending more time doing paperwork than on tasks that directly impact those she was trying to help.

“They always say that if it is one report they can actually depend on — it’s mine. But it comes under a whole lot of work,” she told the Jamaica Observer Tuesday.