Samenwerkende Fondsen Cariben (SFC) funds additional $370.000,- in post Irma relief efforts for NGOs.

Post Irma, ‘Samenwerkende Fondsen voor het Caribisch deel van het Koninkrijk’ (SFC) made a substantial donation of €500.000,- for immediate emergency relief to the Red Cross. This in itself was exceptional, as the SFC normally does not fund emergency relief. Nevertheless, exceptional situations call for exceptional measures. The initial relief was provided in October 2017, as an immediate way to provide help to the islands. To further support and contribute to the island, the SFC awarded an additional $371.655,– in relief efforts for NGOs.
Organizations whom have previously received SFC funding or are still executing SFC funded projects, were invited to submit an expedited funding request to replace lost inventory and make necessary repairs, to get them back up on their feet. The known NGOs, mostly with a social focus, made great use of this opportunity with over 20 organizations submitting a relief request. All requests were taken into consideration whereby 19 local NGOs, as well as 2 NGOs on Saba, were awarded relief funds prior to the Christmas holidays. The SFC did not receive hurricane relief applications from St Eustatius.
The amount of additional hurricane relief funded to the requesting NGOs totaled $371.655,–. This varied from requests of approximately $1.000,- to as much as $70.000,- ; covering the replacement of inventory, office equipment, renovation of damaged buildings varying from damaged walls and roofs to rebuilding treatment, training and activity facilities.
The SFC consists of Fonds Sluyterman van Loo, Innovatiefonds Zorgverzekeraars, Kansfonds, Oranje Fonds, Stichting Kinderpostzegels, and the newly joined Roomsch Catholijk Oude Armen Kantoor (RCOAK), all of whom work collectively on all Dutch Caribbean islands as a Cooperative fund. The SFC assists NGOs financially within the field of social welfare and care and considers NGOs the beating heart of a society. Their indispensable contribution to society was clearly shown this time around, where the people of many NGOs went above and beyond what could have been expected of them, while all going through their own personal hardships. Truly portraying their importance in today’s day and age.
Organizations with a social project in mind can submit a funding request via the application form on www.samenwerkendefondsen.org/en. For more information about these initiatives or the opportunities SFC has to offer, please email sintmaarten@samenwerkendefondsen.org or call 586-0808.