When we talk about entrepreneurship, we often think of businesses, innovation, figures, and market visions. Rarely do we look at the non-profit sector through the same lens. However, if we pay closer attention, we notice that NGO leaders face similar challenges, sometimes even more intense ones. With smaller budgets but greater expectations. With constant social responsibility but reduced visibility. With energy drained by the daily fight for sustainability.
From this reality, IncubaThor was born – a program created to support leaders in the NGO sector to reconnect with their mission and rethink how they lead and develop organizations.
Why IncubaThor?
IncubaThor was more than just a training program. It was a space for deep reflection and reconnection for 15 NGO leaders from South-Eastern Romania, selected from over 70 applicants. Each participant came with a personal mission: how to attract more resources, how to motivate their team, how to remain relevant for their community, or simply how to keep going without burning out.
For many, the program also meant a reevaluation of their professional identity. Not just as “social project managers,” but as strategic leaders. People who can think long-term, innovate, pivot, and build systems, just like entrepreneurs.
“It was an experience that saves us years of solitary struggles,” said one of the participants.
Program Phases
IncubaThor was carried out on several levels, creating a comprehensive development framework:
- An EMPRETEC workshop, specially adapted for the NGO sector – an international program that fosters entrepreneurial spirit and solution-oriented thinking.
- Mentorship sessions, coordinated by the Romanian Association for Entrepreneurship, where participants worked on real challenges of their organizations.
- 4 personalized coaching sessions for two participants, focused on clarifying their direction and approach in the community.
- 2 community mapping processes, facilitated by the Galati Community Foundation, to gain a deep understanding of the local context.
- 3 thematic workshops on key topics: fundraising, strategic communication, and organizational development.
All of these components helped create a safe space for collaborative learning, where participants not only gained knowledge but also supported each other.
NGO Leaders or Entrepreneurs?
One of the most valuable discoveries during the program was that the line between an entrepreneur and an NGO leader is, in reality, extremely thin. Both roles require vision, risk-taking, team coordination, adaptability, and resilience. The only real difference may be the language and the fact that the non-profit sector is not always recognized with the same appreciation.
During IncubaThor, participants started to see themselves differently: as leaders capable of building sustainably, not just managing crises.
What Remained After the Program?
Six months after completing the EMPRETEC workshop, the following results occurred:
- 100% of participants applied what they learned in their daily activities.
- 80% launched new projects or initiatives.
- Many attracted additional funds, expanded their teams, or increased the number of beneficiaries.
- The majority said they saw themselves “differently”: clearer, more grounded, more strategic.
But perhaps the most important change is one that is invisible: the way these leaders now relate to their work, to their purpose, and to their power to generate transformation in the communities they serve.
Who Made IncubaThor Possible?
IncubaThor was implemented by OpenHub, in collaboration with the Romanian Association for Entrepreneurship and the Galati Community Foundation.
The project was selected as part of the #RaiffeisenComunități initiative, an accelerator for sustainable NGOs, supported by Raiffeisen Bank Romania and the Association for Community Relations.
