YNPN St. Louis connects and cultivates the next generation of nonprofit leaders.

The Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of St. Louis (YNPN St. Louis) connects and cultivates the next generation of nonprofit leaders. We offer a variety of regular professional development and networking opportunities for young people in the social sector. Beginning in 1997 as a small gathering of peers, YNPN has since grown from word-of-mouth and local volunteer leadership teams, to a large network of dozens of active chapters across the country.

YNPN St. Louis is committed to creating an environment in which nonprofit professionals are fully supported and valued, and are leveraged to solve critical problems in the social sector and society as a whole.

Our History

The very first YNPN chapter was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1997 when a small group of young nonprofit professionals gathered to commiserate about their shared experience in the sector. Their challenges included low wages, little professional development or respect, few opportunities for advancement, and their desire to build more effective and sustainable careers.

They soon realized that they weren’t alone in these experiences and sought out other young professionals for support and development. They put up some flyers, made a few phone calls, and organized a meet-up at a local bar. They had high hopes that maybe a dozen people would join them. Instead, more than 100 people showed up that night and eventually, along with several hundred more people, became YNPN’s first chapter.

The very first meeting of YNPN is illustrative of the larger experience we’ve had as a network over the last 21 years. From our very first event, the growth of YNPN has surpassed our greatest expectations. Over the years chapters have spread across the country as members of existing chapters relocated to new cities and other young nonprofit professionals looking to connect heard about YNPN.

For many years YNPN was an all-volunteer organization with a working National Board that provided support and programming for chapter leaders. In 2011, we hired our first Executive Director and began to expand our staff as well as our chapter support, programming, and national voice work.

Today the YNPN network serves more than 50,000 members and we have chapters in 39 cities and metro areas across the United States and Canada.

Who Are Our Members?

While we welcome members from all ages and professional backgrounds, most of our members are in their 20s or 30s and currently work for a St. Louis-area nonprofit.

How Do I Join?

YNPN St. Louis prides itself on providing quality programming and networking opportunities for its members. Membership with YNPN St. Louis is $50 per year (which begins the day your payment is processed). We have a discounted rate of $25 per year for current AmeriCorps members. So what are you waiting for? Click the Join & Renew tab in the navigation bar to select your membership type today!