SFC approves funding for NPOwer’s 2022 projects | SOUALIGA NEWSDAY

SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) - NPOwer, an arm of Foresee Foundation (4C), has been granted funding from Samenwerkende Fondsen Cariben (Cooperation Funds SFC) for the continuation of their three-pillared year plan that was developed to strengthen the Civil Society Organisation (CSO) sector of St. Maarten.

The funding will facilitate the continuation of a strategic plan to see Non-profit Organisations (NPOs) strengthen their approach and presence through capacity building, network building and connectivity building. Capacity Building: We have noted capacity building continues to be a much-needed tool to ensure NPOs maintain viability, meet expected goals and benchmarks and keep passionate and motivated. Connectivity Building: Bringing NPOs together is a must in a time where getting funding/sponsoring is challenging and rethinking of current practices is needed.

This project facilitates a coming together that will see cooperation, stimulation and sustainability with NPOs and all stakeholder benefiting. Network Building: We will facilitate the successful integration of NPOs and various stakeholders into one solid platform that will work to keep everyone connected. This will be achieved by the matching of NPOs to stakeholders, volunteers and opportunities. All this facilitated on a single well managed network/platform that is also capable of lobbying, promoting and matching competencies.

To achieve these goals NPOwer will continue the successful capacity building training workshops on a variety of engaging topics, the video project, the Spotlight series, various training experiences and volunteer.sx, an interactive online platform that matches NPOs to volunteers.

Foresee Foundation’s Jose Sommers said, “2021 was a complicated year because of covid, however we were able to reach many of our targets. 2022 will see a reinvigorated NPOwer with an aim to maximise our reach, ensuring that we make the kind of impact necessary to achieve more than we did last year.”

NPOwer will within short launch the workshops calendar with the expectation of delivering over 60 hours of learning experiences for NPO members. “In the second phase of last year’s workshops calendar, we saw every workshop fully booked within hours of announcing it. It shows that St. Maarten NPO sector realises the value of improving capacity and strengths.” With the expected relaxing of covid restrictions, NPOwer is ready for a very active response to this year’s workshop series.

In terms of networking and building connectivity, NPOwer will continue to build on the island’s most comprehensive NPO database in not only compiling contact info but matching and facilitating interaction amongst NPOs. NPOwer sees this approach as pivotal to operating successfully on St. Maarten. The partnership with St. Maarten Development Fund (SMDF) and NPOwer to establish volunteer.sx, the island’s online platform for everything volunteering, is one of leading by example.

Volunteer.sx along with NPOwer’s active and growing database will be heavily utilised to connect organisations to each other and to much needed new and already engaged volunteers. Forty and counting NPOs are already registered on volunteer.sx, with over 160 and counting individual possible volunteers also registered on the platform.

NPOwer is grateful SFC has seen the value in this program by granting funding that will undoubtedly help the NPO sector of this island. NPOwer encourages all organisations to take advantage of the opportunities now available to connect and build to make St. Maarten a stronger community. NPOwer congratulates the over 70 NPOs that participated last year in one or more activities and is looking forward to continue the journey in 2022.

NPOwer brings NPOs together to share expertise, grow capacity, assist with funding, fundraising, marketing, governance and other innovative strategies. For more information about the organisation or to register your organisation visit https://www.npowersxm.com/ and visit Facebook pages https://www.facebook.com/NPOwerSXM/ and https://www.facebook.com/groups/sxmcsos/ to keep abreast of all workshops, events and activities.