There are plenty of reasons. Because in our society for things to go well, we all need to work together to build solid foundations and solutions for everyone to have a valuable place. Because the more the better. Because when you connect experience and cause, you can achieve serious social effects. And many other arguments, but mostly good examples.

Civic organizations are good at one thing and businesses are good at another. Civic organizations are good at one thing and businesses are good at another. Organizations know how to put the need to be of help at the center of their decisions and actions, and businesses open horizons and create the conditions to do so in the most effective way. This combination increases repeatedly the positive impact of the efforts and resources invested, which makes joint initiatives of the civil and business sectors increasingly desirable – on both sides.

The sustainable organization

We are used to hearing that NGOs work on projects, but we avoid the question of what happens when funding stops and the project is completed. The entrepreneurial model for solving a social problem is increasingly recognized by civil society organizations as an additional tool to achieve their cause without hurting the people with whom and for whom the organization works.

Thanks to partnerships with companies, organizations adopt the perspective, advice and approaches of business experts and expand their own horizons in search of ways of long-term sustainability. Thus, the idea of own business related to the mission of the organization becomes more real and achievable.

Social entrepreneurship and clearly measurable added value for society is also known as social entrepreneurship. It is civil organizations that develop a mission-related business that is the most typical example of social entrepreneurship in Bulgaria. In our opinion, this is one of the best methods for building sustainability of the organization. Business experts are the best mentors for organizations along the way of social business – with their experience, knowledge, skills and especially passing on the necessary amount of courage to apply the entrepreneurial model of work in achieving their cause. And in return the business receives – Inspiration, Meaning and Hope that change for the better happens and together we can achieve it even more successfully. 

Good examples

In 2019 in Bulgaria was created one of the first platforms for selling products from Bulgarian social enterprises - civil organizations that do business – www.darpazar.bg

The very idea of the online store is a collaboration between NGOs and business – Bulgarian center for not-for-profit law and the IT company Accenture Bulgaria. After two years, DarPazar is not only an online store with a cause, but also a community of 34 organizations that together develop their skills and reach new customers.

DarPazar’s idea inspired another company to set a good example - the Bulgarian team of Rakuten Viber.  

"The dose of magic came when we realized that all the products that are in the platform are for a cause..." – shares Daniela Ivanova from the company.

Thus, as a result of the partnership between Rakuten Viber and BCNP, the Chatbot of DarPazar was created. Go che out DarPazar in Viber.

Doing good has never been and should not be determined by who is doing it – whether it will be a business or a non-profit organization. The truth is that long-lasting change is achieved through unity, perseverance, shared responsibility and a team of specialists each in different fields. Are we going to ask again why we need NGOs and businesses to partner? In times like today’s, more than ever, we need to be united and create more and more ways to improve the environment in which we live: businesspeople and NGOs together.