When business meets the cause

Every civic organization (association, foundation, community center) has it’s own unique cause – to help people in need, to fight for the preservation of nature, to preserve cultural values, to give a chance of development to those who are forgotten by the state or rejected by society.

One way for civil society organizations to do this is by developing a mission-related entrepreneurial initiative. It can take a variety of forms: employing people from vulnerable groups, selling goods made by people of different abilities, providing catering prepared by refugees and much more. This lies at the heart of social entrepreneurship.

Developing a business with a cause gives organizations two superpowers:

• Financial sustainability – business income gives them independence and freedom to decide how to develop their business idea;

• Visibility of the cause – the products and services of social enterprises reach people’s hearts much easier because of their social added value

We are proud that in our Entrepreneurship Programme for NGOs Let’s Go over the last 11 years we have been able to develop the potential of over 180 civic organizations. Many of them already have successful businesses that you can check out at DarPazar.bg – an online platform that brings together products and services with a cause of social enterprises in Bulgaria.

January is the month of social entrepreneurs

• 2022 has begun encouragingly for the entrepreneurial ecosystem. In January, 3 civil organizations announced training programs for developing entrepreneurial skills and capacities open to citizens and organizations:
• LET’s GO – Entrepreneurship program for NGOs of Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law
• Start a business in a changing world – Program for accelerated validation and development of entrepreneurial ideas of Startup Factory from Ruse
• Social entrepreneurship – THE NEW MODERN or how to combine business with a cause – training meeting of The Social Teahouse in Varna

The good news don’t end there. We are happy that the The House of Civil Organizations already has its two new locations. Since the summer of 2021, Startup Factory Association and The Social Teahouse Foundation in partnership with Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law have started to develop local hubs in support of local civic activity. In addition to Sofia, active people and organizations can now find a shared space for work, training and cooperation in Ruse and Varna.

The House of Civil Organizations in Ruse and the House of Civil Organizations in Varna provide specialized services for NGOs. Thus, anyone who is part of the active civil society in these regions can rely on direct communication, rapid legal support, accessible coaching, and thematic training tailored to the needs of the local context.

Find your nearest local hub:

The House of Civil Organizations in Sofia – website: http://ngohouse.bg/, email: info@ngohouse.bg, tel.: 0888 874 504, address: Str. Hristo Belchev No. 3, 1^st floor

The House of Civil Organizations in Ruse – website: http://startupfactory.bg/, email: info@startupfactory.bg, tel.: 0888 79 66 73, address: Ruse, Str. Tsar Kaloyan No.10, 4^th floor

The House of Civil Organizations in Varna – website: https://thesocialteahouse.bg/en/, email: info@thesocialteahouse.bg, tel.: 0884 614 108, address: Varna, str. Preslav No. 53