First local non-profit coffee shop opens

The Young Professionals Club (YPC), an NGO specialized in personal and professional development, launched last week YPC Cafe, the first non-profit coffee shop in Romania, which will support the growing non-profit sector in the country.

The location will host workshops, training sessions and personal development conferences, as well as exhibitions, book launches and shows by young artists.

“We want YPC Cafe to become an engine that generates good projects that help build a better society,” said Dragos Barbalata, president of the Young Professionals Club. “One of the main objectives of the coffee shop is to provide financing for projects developed by the club and its partners.”

YPC was founded in 2008 and has run projects for vulnerable groups (children and seniors) and been involved in environmental protection activities. However, most of the projects were done with almost no budget. NGO representatives say the coffee shop will help foster social entrepreneurship in Romania.

The club’s president said the new location can host fundraising events for certain causes and will also act as a meeting spot for events held by other NGOs. The coffee shop is based on a sustainable economic model as the profit will fund YPC and other NGOs’ projects.

The location has already hosted a first meeting between YPC and NGOs that are interested in collaboration. Around 16 organizations responded, mainly student associations whose representatives were told about the concept and how the coffee shop can serve the interests of non-profit organizations.

Scheduled events for March include a corporate matching event, a networking opportunity for members of the business community and a night dedicated to young professionals’ success stories. The end of the month will bring a week on the theme of personal development.