Together in 2025 — Moving Forward Into 2026
Dear Friends,
In 2025, our community showed what is possible when commitment meets collaboration and partnership. Because of your support, our youth learned and thrived in and outside the classroom, ecosystems were protected, the arts were elevated in Exuma, and neighbors came together to build something lasting. On behalf of the Friends of Exuma Board of Directors, thank you for an incredible year.
As we look forward to 2026, Friends of Exuma will continue to deepen partnerships, expand opportunities for youth, safeguard the environment, and ensure that our work remains community-led and sustainable.
Friends of Exuma was founded in 2020 as a community fund in service to the people and ecosystems of the Exumas. We exist to support sustainable, community-led solutions in youth development, environmental stewardship, cultural preservation & celebration, and community engagement. Since our inception, more than $2 million has been raised and distributed to over eighteen vetted charity partners through our Community Fund and Harbour Fund.
In 2025, Friends of Exuma and our supporters raised $250,000, directing more than 90 percent of those funds toward programs and trusted community partners.
Community Fund Impact
Through the Community Fund, we supported over 14 partner charities in the last year, including the Exuma Sailing Club, Nelson Ranger Tennis, National Family Islands Regatta, Exuma Arts Network, and — for the first time — Bahama’s Children’s Mission and Exceptional Education Outreach Bahamas (EEO).
Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025, EEO, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, launched the Family Island Partnership and worked directly with teachers in Exuma to support students with exceptional learning needs. EEO Executive Director Lang Hudepohl shared that "with your generous 2025 grant, EEO has been able to make significant strides in supporting three special education teachers who serve across six schools and reach nearly 100 students (in Georgetown, Exuma). These funds have directly supported access to diagnostic tools in both literacy and numeracy, provided enrollment in high-quality professional development … and covered the cost of multisensory instructional resources.”
Programs like these strengthen educational opportunity, expand access, and ensure that children of all abilities are supported to reach their full potential.
Youth development and community engagement was also advanced through partners such as the Exuma Sailing Club, which continues to combine skill-building, discipline, and mentorship.
Cultural preservation and celebration remained a vital focus in 2025. Through support of organizations such as the National Family Islands Regatta and the Exuma Arts Network, Friends of Exuma helped elevate Bahamian heritage, creativity, and community pride—ensuring that Exuma’s traditions and artistic voices continue to thrive.
Appreciation was shared with Friends of Exuma “for believing in our mission from our inception and their significant funding support ever since,” said Sann Sann Lam, Executive Director of the Exuma Arts Network. “We are filled with gratitude for another year of artistic growth, community connection and creative exploration … at EAN. From our best ever summer camp to our collaboration with the NAGB Inter-Island Travelling Exhibition, this year has been a testament to what’s possible when art, education and community come together.”
Harbour Fund: Protecting What Sustains Us
Our dedicated Harbour Fund continues to provide essential, reliable support for the Moriah Harbour Cay National Park and the Elizabeth Harbour Partnership—work that is foundational to Exuma’s environmental health, economy, and way of life.
As Catherine Booker, Conservation Manager at the Bahamas National Trust, and also Adviser to the Friends of Exuma Board, has noted "Friends of Exuma has provided transformative support for conservation of Elizabeth Harbour and Moriah Harbour Cay National Park through their Harbour Fund. Understanding the need to be responsive and timely in giving, as well as appreciating the variety of needs under the umbrella of conservation, makes the organization uniquely impactful in this work. As an advisor to Friends of Exuma, it's been very encouraging to see the folks who have invested so much in Exuma extending their resources to help local organizations do great things, and to provide the discipline in accountability that's necessary for their donors."
This long-term investment allows conservation leaders to plan responsibly, operate effectively, and protect these extraordinary natural resources for generations to come.
Gratitude and Stewardship
None of this work happens without you. Your generosity directly fueled programs that reached hundreds of residents, strengthened local organizations, and reinforced the fabric of the Exuma community. We remain deeply committed to careful stewardship, transparency, and ensuring every dollar entrusted to Friends of Exuma is put to meaningful use.
Looking Ahead
We invite you to continue this journey with us by considering a gift to Friends of Exuma. As a 501(c)(3) organization, we accept U.S. dollar donations from individuals, foundations, and donor-advised funds, and Canadian donors may give through the Exuma Foundation of Canada for a Canadian tax deduction.
If you have not yet made a gift, this is an especially meaningful time to do so. Thanks to a generous matching gift, every dollar donated through January 31, 2026 will be matched up to $100,000. We have already raised $60,000 and need your help to reach our $250,000 goal!
We are also pleased to partner once again with the Ride for Exuma/Tour of Turquoise Charity Ride, taking place January 22–25, 2026—a beautiful, non-competitive ride benefiting our Exuma partner charities. To learn more or register, please visit the event’s official website. To make a donation, click the button below. Together—with intention, partnership, and shared commitment—we will continue building a strong, sustainable future for Exuma.