Our Business Model
Elephant Thoughts runs on a very unique model based on a social entrepreneurship principle, with the only exception being that we are not entrepreneurs in the typical sense. Rather than serving ourselves, we are dedicated to the service of others. The passion, dedication, and creativity that we summon in order to drive our organization and increase its revenue stream every year is as aggressive as any entrepreneur out there. As a matter of fact, Elephant Thoughts has expanded by nearly double every year since its inception. Even in the economic recession of 2009, despite losing 85% of our government funding due to government deficits, the organization’s revenue stream grew by 22%.
What is that business model?
The first aspect of the business model is that everything we do follows our two principle mandates of advancing education and relieving poverty. Every revenue-generating program we run also helps us achieve our charitable mandate, as well as generate the revenue the organization needs to do all of its charitable work!
Here are a few examples of the types of revenue generating initiatives we embark on:
Educational Product Sales and Distribution-We operate an educational toy store, online store, and catalogue which sells products that satisfy our guideline of advancing education. The products are tested by our teachers to see how well they hold up in the classroom and rate their educational value. At the same time as maximizing educational merit, we strive to bring in products that are both ethically manufactured and have limited negative environmental impact.
With these resources in hand we are able to provide tremendous support to our teacher clients by supplying resources to their schools. Further to this, teachers can also receive ‘curriculum guidance’ where we look at their text books and classroom budget, and match it to our products. This could potentially give them a complete year of incredible instructional tools with very little work on their part. We will also hand deliver the products to them, train them on their use and show them exactly where and how they fit into their curriculum.
Amazing Workshops and School Programs-We are quickly becoming one of Canada’s largest providers of educational workshops and school programs. A growing number of local public and private schools contract Elephant Thoughts to come to their schools and excite their students about learning! From science workshops for every strand of the Ontario elementary science curriculum, to in-school full day field trips, to major installations like inflatable planetariums and the coolest paleontology hands-on exhibition available, we provide schools with an affordable solution to costly field trips. These in-house programs are not only exciting for students, they also emphasize curriculum, are designed by teachers, and use the coolest, most sophisticated equipment of any like program. And the added perk? Besides doing this better and cheaper than anyone else, the proceeds just help us put more kids in school!
Some of the Coolest Special Events Programming on the Planet: From science shows to telescope demonstrations, laser tag to human gyroscopes, our special events programs go everywhere! We are able to entertain at fairs and festivals, shopping malls, and other special events in order to spark a curiosity with children, inspire a love of science, and help us further our cause.
Indigenous Handicrafts and Fair Trades Products: We have the good fortune of being involved with, knowing, and helping artists all over the planet. We are also involved in fair trade initiatives which allows us to support these artists by buying and selling their products at fair rates while at the same time supporting our educational programs.
Educational Summer Camps, March Break Camps, After School Programs, and Even Birthday Parties: With one of the largest outreach organizations in the country comes one of the largest inventories of the coolest science equipment imaginable. We put it all to good use and run exciting programs in dozens of communities across Ontario. As an added bonus, we strive to run programs in small rural communities where children have less access to this type of dynamic educational tool. And, to make things even greater, before we come to town, we work with local officials (be it school principals or the Children’s Aid Society) to sponsor as many kids as we can to participate in the program for free!
