By the Foresee Foundation
St. Maarten’s NPO sector continues to grow and evolve. This is good news because more people are getting involved in community work.
However, the truth is that behind many of St. Maarten’s community programmes, youth activities, cultural events and social initiatives is something we do not talk about nearly enough – a relatively small group of people doing an extraordinary amount of work.
They are the founders, board members, volunteers, programme coordinators and community leaders who keep organisations moving, often while juggling jobs, families and other responsibilities. They are the “jack of all trades.”
4C Foundation, as part of the Let’s ACT programme, conducted a Needs-Based Assessment of St. Maarten’s social and cultural sectors. It painted a picture of an island civil society that is deeply committed, but incredibly stretched.
The NPOwer database lists more than 200 non-profit organisations, with many active in 2026 and most small- to medium-sized. Their commitment allows organisations across the island to provide education, youth development, cultural programmes, support for vulnerable groups and countless other services.
But there is another side to that story.
Most organisations operate with volunteers and few to no paid staff. In many cases, the same person may organise programmes, write grant applications, manage volunteers, communicate with the public, prepare reports and keep the organisation running.
Over time, dedication can become exhaustion, and finding the right successor when a founder retires is often difficult.
The assessment identified burnout and dependence on a small number of active individuals as serious vulnerabilities. When an organisation rests heavily on one founder, volunteer or programme leader, that person’s departure can place years of community work at risk. We often hear about great programmes that suddenly stop because of these factors.
This raises an important question: How do we support the people who spend so much of their time supporting everyone else?
Funding matters, yes, but the answer goes beyond funding. Organisations need stronger internal systems, shared leadership, succession planning, administrative support, training and opportunities to learn from one another.
Community work cannot continue to depend indefinitely on personal sacrifice.
St. Maarten’s non-profit sector, especially after devastating hurricanes and a global pandemic, has repeatedly shown how much can be achieved with limited resources. But resilience should not simply mean asking committed people to carry more because the community is in need.
Strengthening our NPOs means strengthening the people inside them so the work can continue with individuals who are supported, properly funded and guided – not constantly worn down by the work they love. This requires a concerted effort from the public and private sectors that also benefit from non-profit work.
As a country, we need to think about how we can hold up the people holding us up. We need to better support our NPOs.
