The Foresee Foundation is proud to announce the continuation of its NPOwer Academy Capacity Building Workshop Series, resuming this August with an inspiring lineup of training sessions designed to strengthen and support St. Maarten’s non-profit sector.
The second half of the 2025 program will open on Wednesday, August 20, with an information
session on the Legacy to Future Fund. This new funding program, which allocates nearly USD
4.9 million specifically for St. Maarten, is part of a broader Kingdom-wide initiative funded by
the Dutch government. Its aim is to raise awareness and deepen understanding of the impact of
the slavery past through meaningful local projects. The NPOwer team believes it is essential
that every non-profit on the island has the opportunity to learn more about this historic funding
opportunity. The session will be presented in collaboration with the Department of Culture.
On Tuesday, September 2, the second workshop in the series, led by creative education
professional Loes Nauta, will focus on the role of icebreakers and energizers as powerful tools
for engaging groups in meetings, trainings, conferences, and other educational settings. In the
months that follow, participants can look forward to workshops on disaster preparedness,
project management, the use of innovative technology including artificial intelligence, and
many other relevant and skill-building topics. Each session is designed to be interactive,
practical, and directly applicable, ensuring that participants walk away with knowledge and
tools they can immediately put into practice within their organizations.
The first half of 2025 was already an impressive start for NPOwer Academy, with more than 15
workshops delivered, totaling 37 hours of training with 236 registrations. 83 organizations
actively participated in these sessions, underscoring the demand for continued professional
development and collaboration within the sector. Many workshops are connected to funding
and partnership programs in which the Foresee Foundation is a capacity building partner, such
as Strengthening Families Together with Oranje Fonds and Stichting Kinderpostzegels, Let’s ACT
with CEDE Aruba, SMDF, and the Fund for Culture Participation, and Volunteer.sx together with
SMDF, supported by Oranjefonds and Kansfonds. These program-focused sessions not only
provide training but often add value to the grant components connected to the projects. At the
same time, NPOwer continues to welcome all non-profits into its workshops, as the team
considers ongoing learning, knowledge exchange, and fresh perspectives to be key ingredients
for long-term sustainability.
To ensure that the non-profit community stays informed and connected, NPOwer has launched
a WhatsApp group dedicated to sharing real-time updates about workshops, funding
opportunities, and sector news. Anyone connected to a non-profit, whether through their work
or as a volunteer, is welcome to join by searching bit.ly/NPOwer-Whatsapp online or by
messaging Foresee Foundation at +1 (721) 550 7427.
Workshop invitations for the coming months arebeing shared since last week, and spaces are
limited, so organizations are encouraged to register early to secure their place. For more
information about upcoming workshops and events, follow NPOwer on Facebook at
@npowersxm, send an email to npowersxm@gmail.com, or look out for regular updates
delivered directly to your inbox.