Why HIGGS
Our name comes from the exciting world of physics, the Higgs boson, named after Peter Higgs, which shows that the vacuum is full of potential force-carrying particles. The famous experiment in CERN aimed to show that when you “hit” the vacuum it generates energy, movement, new “invisible” forces. This is the purpose of HIGGS: to mobilize the “invisible” forces of the NPO ecosystem in Greece, to stimulate people and organizations, to activate initiatives! We believe that there is no empty space but an unexploited force field which, with the proper support and in the appropriate environment |incubation & acceleration|, can perform miracles!

How HIGGS was created

In 2012, we started an intensive training program, the “Autumn School”, designed to address the needs of NPOs operating in Greece, funded and co-designed by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. The positive evaluations led to the seminars’ expansion across Greece: Athens, Komotini, Heraklion of Crete, Tripoli, Patras, Ioannina, Thessaloniki, Larissa. In the following 3 years, 9 seminars were carried out and we met more than 230 organizations, with unlimited potential, positive energy, sincere willingness to offer, but also deficiencies in training, support, guidance. At the same time, our participation in the program entitled “THALES – Evaluation of Greek Nonprofit Organizations”, brought us in touch with an even greater number of NPOs, and confirmed the existence of the same needs in many of the organizations that we met. By reaffirming the Stavros Niarchos Foundation trust in our team – as indicated by a founding donation covering all the functional needs of our newly established organization for its first two years – HIGGS was born!