Diocese of Chichester
Diocese of Chichester is a Church of England diocese operating as a charitable company that provides ecclesiastical oversight, clergy support, and parish resources to roughly 450 parishes across Sussex and East Hampshire.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1863
- HeadquartersHove, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Diocese of Chichester does
The Diocese of Chichester is a non-profit religious organization and constituent diocese of the Church of England, formally constituted as Chichester Diocesan Fund and Board of Finance (Incorporated), a charitable company limited by guarantee. It serves as the regional ecclesiastical governing body for approximately 450 parishes across Sussex and East Hampshire, supporting local congregations through pastoral oversight, clergy development, safeguarding, and the administration of church building permissions via the Diocesan Advisory Committee and consistory court. Its central administrative headquarters, Church House in Hove, coordinates a Diocesan Team including functions for church buildings, clergy support, communications, education, governance, safeguarding, and parish support.
The diocese generates revenue through a Parish Share system under which parishes contribute to a central fund, supplemented by individual donations routed via the Parish Giving Scheme, contactless giving, easyfundraising, and legacy giving. Additional income is derived from the Mission Fund (which redistributes small grants to parishes for innovation), faculty and registry fees for church building works processed through the Diocesan Registry and consistory court, and grants from partners such as the Church Urban Fund. The Diocesan Growth Strategy is the primary programmatic vehicle for parish renewal, with streams covering Apostolic Partnerships, Children Youth and Families, Focal Ministry, Excellent Leaders, and Small Grants and Innovations. Distribution relies on a physical parish network organized into deaneries and archdeaconries, supported by the Cornerstone Platform, the Parish Buying Scheme for collective procurement, and the Online Faculty System for building applications.
Operationally, the diocese is in a leadership transition as of June 2026 following Bishop Martin's retirement, with a Vacancy in See process underway to appoint a successor. Strategic direction is anchored in the recently launched 'Living the Mystery of Faith 2026-2030' plan, alongside new thematic priorities including environmental sustainability (Environment and Net Zero Carbon), racial justice, rural church viability, and community-facing services addressing cost-of-living pressures. No proprietary technology platforms or AI-driven capabilities are evidenced; engagement with parishes and the broader public occurs through the diocesan website, weekly e-news, social media channels, the 'Faith in Sussex' publication, and direct parish-level relationships.
Diocese of Chichester firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Diocese of Chichester
- Legal name
- Chichester Diocesan Fund & Board of Finance (Incorporated)
- Website
- https://chichester.anglican.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1863
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Diocese of Chichester is a Church of England diocese operating as a charitable company that provides ecclesiastical oversight, clergy support, and parish resources to roughly 450 parishes across Sussex and East Hampshire.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Diocese of Chichester industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Religious Organization Administration
- NAICS
- Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious Organizations (813110)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)
Keywords
Where Diocese of Chichester is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hove
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Diocese of Chichester business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Parish Share: Parishes contribute to the central diocesan fund through a Parish Share system, which funds the overall mission and ministry of the diocese.
- Donations and Offerings: Individual donations through various giving schemes including Parish Giving Scheme, contactless giving, easyfundraising, and legacy giving.
- Mission Fund Grants: The Mission Fund provides small grants to parishes for creative ideas and innovation in local church life.
- Church Building Services: Faculties and permissions for church building works generate fees through the Diocesan Registry for the consistory court process.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Diocese of Chichester product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Diocese of Chichester provides ecclesiastical governance, pastoral care, and administrative support to approximately 450 parishes across Sussex and East Hampshire. It offers clergy development, safeguarding, church building care (including faculty permissions via the DAC), parish development programmes, and community outreach through its administrative headquarters at Church House in Hove.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Diocese of Chichester
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Diocese of Chichester technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Diocese of Chichester partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CAP (Christians Against Poverty)coreCommunity partner providing debt counselling and money management support to individuals and families in partnership with local churches.
- Church Urban FundcoreChurch of England charity supporting local churches to transform communities through social action projects and funding.
- Clewer InitiativecoreChurch of England initiative to tackle modern slavery through community engagement and training for church volunteers.
- Family Support WorkcoreCharity providing practical support and assistance to struggling families, working with church communities.
- Mother's UnioncoreInternational Christian charity supporting families through prayer, campaigning, and practical support, active in diocese.
- Street PastorscoreChurch-based outreach ministry providing nighttime patrol support to people on city streets, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights.
- RSPCA AssuredminorPartnership promoting animal welfare standards and responsible stewardship of creation.
- Parish Buying SchemecoreChurch of England national scheme enabling parishes to purchase goods and services at discounted rates through collective buying power.
- Cornerstone PlatformcoreOnline platform for church management, giving, and communications used by parishes in the diocese.
- AlphacoreChristianity Explored material offered as resource for parishes for faith exploration and confirmation preparation.
- Christianity ExploredcoreDiscipleship course used across diocese for exploring Christian faith in accessible, conversational settings.
- Church ArmycoreEvangelical church organization providing trained evangelists who serve in dioceses, including Church Army Evangelist roles.
- Church of EnglandcoreNational Church of England structure providing doctrine, governance, and connection to General Synod and national church initiatives.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Diocese of Chichester competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Diocese of Oxford: Larger southern English Anglican diocese with materially the same operating model (Dac, synod, Parish Share) but a broader geographic footprint and more significant theological tradition.
- Diocese of Canterbury: Senior Church of England diocese and mother church of the Anglican Communion; comparable in governance and clergy support functions but far larger in scope and historical influence.
Direct peers
- Diocese of Portsmouth: Adjacent Church of England diocese with overlapping southern England geography, comparable parish network size, and identical Parish Share and faculty jurisdiction operations.
- Diocese of Winchester: Sister Church of England diocese covering Hampshire; shares governance structure, Parish Share model, and faculty jurisdiction system with Diocese of Chichester, which was historically split from it in 1863.
- Diocese of Rochester: South-east Anglican diocese operating the same governance, Parish Share funding, and consistory court framework as Chichester, with comparable headcount scale.
- Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich: East Anglican diocese of comparable scale, parish count, and rural demographic mix; matches Chichester's governance, safeguarding, and church buildings operations on a like-for-like basis.
- Diocese of Guildford: Neighbouring Anglican diocese in Surrey operating the same ecclesiastical governance model, clergy support structure, and Diocesan Advisory Committee process for church buildings.
- Diocese of Bath and Wells: West-country Anglican diocese with a similarly rural parish profile, similar mission and safeguarding structures, and shared reliance on the Church of England's national Parish Share methodology.
- Diocese of Salisbury: Wiltshire and Dorset Anglican diocese with similar rural-congregation profile, historic church buildings stock, and Diocesan Advisory Committee structure as Chichester.
Regional players
- Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton: Catholic counterpart operating in the same Sussex/Hampshire region with overlapping clergy care, parish governance, and charitable giving functions, though under different ecclesiastical authority.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Diocese of Chichester social profiles
Digital presenceDiocese of Chichester financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Diocese of Chichester leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Diocese of Chichester funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Diocese of Chichester M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Diocese of Chichester
What does Diocese of Chichester do?
The Diocese of Chichester provides ecclesiastical governance, pastoral care, and administrative support to approximately 450 parishes across Sussex and East Hampshire. It offers clergy development, safeguarding, church building care (including faculty permissions via the DAC), parish development programmes, and community outreach through its administrative headquarters at Church House in Hove.
Is Diocese of Chichester a public or private company?
Diocese of Chichester is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Diocese of Chichester founded?
Diocese of Chichester was founded in 1863. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Diocese of Chichester based?
Diocese of Chichester is headquartered in Hove, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Diocese of Chichester make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Parish Share is the primary driver. The others are donations and Offerings, mission Fund Grants and church Building Services.
Who are Diocese of Chichester's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Diocese of Oxford and Diocese of Canterbury. Direct peers are Diocese of Portsmouth, Diocese of Winchester, Diocese of Rochester, Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, Diocese of Guildford, Diocese of Bath and Wells and Diocese of Salisbury. Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton is listed as a regional player.
Does Diocese of Chichester have an API?
No public API is recorded for Diocese of Chichester.
What industry is Diocese of Chichester in?
Diocese of Chichester's product category is Religious Organization Administration. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAJAB, Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences). Its NAICS code is 8131.