Elic

What Elic does

ELIC (Education Leaders International) is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1981 as English Language Institute China and headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado, with regional offices in Coquitlam, Canada and Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. The organization's core function is the mobilization, training, and overseas placement of English-language teachers through three productized program lines: the Legacy Program (1+ year placements at universities, K–12 schools, and language centers), the Global Ambassador Program or GAP (a 9-month mentorship program hosted in Thailand, Tunisia, and Uzbekistan), and the Engage Program (short-term teaching opportunities ranging from 10 days to 8 weeks). The Legacy Program includes an optional Master's+ Track offering up to 57% tuition discounts through partner universities, and all programs incorporate pre-departure training and TESOL certification as standard support infrastructure. ELIC reports operational presence in 12 countries across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, claiming over 16,000 teachers placed and approximately 2 million students impacted cumulatively, with 40,000+ students reached annually.

The organization's technology stack is modest and conventional for the nonprofit sector: HubSpot CRM underpins participant, alumni, and donor relationship management, and there are three web portals—a My ELIC Member Portal for current teachers, a Donor Portal (give.elic.org, offered in English and Korean) for contribution management and tax receipts, and an Alumni Community platform (alumni.elic.org) for re-engagement. Public pricing is disclosed only for the Engage Program ($3,700–$5,950 per participant depending on duration); Legacy and GAP pricing is quote-based and procured through an inquiry process. The company's go-to-market is relationship-driven and multi-channel: mobilization advisors conduct university campus recruiting, church and ministry partnerships feed referrals, and alumni networks plus annual regional gatherings (Annual Asia Gathering, Annual MENA Gathering) sustain community ties. Revenue mechanics blend fee-for-service from short-term programs with a dominant base of charitable contributions, including recurring donations starting at $10/month, one-time gifts, and institutional support.

Name

Elic

Legal name

Education Leaders International (ELIC)

Website

https://elic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

ELIC is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1981 that mobilizes, trains, and places English-language teachers overseas across 12 countries in Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa through Legacy (1+ year), GAP (9 months), and Engage (2–8 weeks) programs, funded primarily by donations and program fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Overseas English Teaching Services

NAICS

Language Schools (611630), Educational Services (61), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADALAC

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Partnerships, Intergovernmental & NGO Programs

SECONDARYEDAIAEAN

Corporate Group Language Immersion Programs

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/Overseas Language Schools & Immersion Programs

Keywords

• Overseas English teaching
• Teacher placement services
• TESOL certification programs
• Cross-cultural education
• Nonprofit education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Collins

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Participants pay program fees for Engage (short-term) programs ranging from $3,700-$5,950 depending on duration. Legacy and GAP programs also have associated costs covering training, support, housing coordination, and deployment services.
2. Donations and Charitable Giving: As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, ELIC relies heavily on donations from supporters. They accept monthly recurring donations starting at $10, one-time gifts, and organizational gifts. Donors can give to general funds or designated projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ELIC is a nonprofit teacher-mobilization organization that recruits, trains, and places English-speaking teachers in universities, K-12 schools, and language centers across 12 countries in Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Its primary offerings are three programs of varying lengths (Engage 2-8 weeks, Global Ambassador Program 9 months, Legacy 1+ year) supported by pre-departure training, TESOL certification, and ongoing member care for participants.

Product overview

ELIC (English Language Institute China) operates as a teacher mobilization and placement organization with three core programs: the Legacy Program (1+ year placements at universities, K-12 schools, or language centers with an optional Master's+ Track offering tuition discounts), the Global Ambassador Program (GAP, a 9-month mentorship in Thailand, Tunisia, or Uzbekistan), and the Engage Program (short-term 2-8 week or 10-14 day teaching opportunities). The organization provides comprehensive support including pre-departure training, TESOL certification, and ongoing member care. ELIC also maintains digital platforms including a Donor Portal for contributions, a Member Portal (My ELIC), an Alumni Community platform, and an Alumni Loop newsletter. All programs focus on teaching conversational English overseas with practical training and professional team support. Financial commitment ranges from $3,700-$5,950 for Engage programs, with Legacy teachers working toward their own support raising.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legacy Program Long-term (1+ year) overseas English teaching placement at university campuses, K-12 schools, or language centers across Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Includes an optional Master's+ Track offering up to 57% tuition discounts at partner universities. Quote-based pricing; participants work with Mobilization Advisors and typically raise personal support.
• Global Ambassador Program (GAP) 9-month cross-cultural mentorship program in Thailand, Tunisia, or Uzbekistan, focused on personal and professional development through team living, mentorship, and community engagement. Quote-based pricing through inquiry.
• Engage Program Short-term overseas English teaching experiences lasting 10-14 days ($3,700-$3,900 per participant) or 3-8 weeks ($4,950-$5,950 per participant). Includes training, orientation, debrief, international travel, food and housing, medical coverage, visa processing, and teaching curriculum. Available to individuals, student groups, interns, church groups, schools, and organizations as Impact Teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 16,000 teachers sent overseas in 40+ years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GeoVisions: GeoVisions recruits teachers and volunteers for paid and volunteer positions abroad, including Teach Abroad programs in China and other countries. Directly comparable to ELIC's teacher mobilization and cross-cultural placement offerings.
• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): CIEE operates study abroad, teach abroad, and international exchange programs serving students and professionals globally. Highly comparable as a mission-driven international education placement organization with similar product and program structure to ELIC.
• International TEFL Academy (ITA): ITA is a leading TEFL/TESOL certification provider that also helps graduates secure teaching positions abroad. It directly competes with ELIC's TESOL training and overseas placement offering for the same teacher candidate pool.
• WorldTeach (World Learning): WorldTeach places teachers in schools across Asia, Africa, and Latin America as part of a nonprofit mission. It is a direct peer in the nonprofit overseas English-teaching placement category with overlapping geographies.
• Greenheart Travel: Greenheart Travel runs short-term teaching, volunteer, and language immersion programs in multiple countries. Comparable to ELIC's Engage short-term and overseas immersion offerings for prospective teachers and students.
• Maximo Nivel: Maximo Nivel operates language schools and teach abroad/volunteer programs in Latin America with tiered program lengths. Directly comparable to ELIC's engage-style short-term teaching plus immersion model.

Broad incumbents

• EF Education First: EF is the world's largest privately-held language education company operating schools globally and offering teacher training. It competes in the same wider EFL/overseas-language market but at much larger scale and as a broad incumbent commercial player.
• Peace Corps (US Government): The US Peace Corps places American volunteers in teaching and community roles across 60+ countries. It is the largest public-sector incumbent in overseas teaching placements, broadly comparable to ELIC's Legacy program mission and structure.
• International House (IH World): International House is a global network of language schools providing English instruction and teacher training. Comparable to ELIC as an English-language teaching provider and TESOL certification source, though operating commercially rather than as a nonprofit.

Regional players

• JET Programme (Japan): JET is the Japanese government's flagship program placing Assistant Language Teachers in schools nationwide. It is a regionally dominant comparator for government-sponsored EFL placement in Asia, similar in function to ELIC's country programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/weareelic
• Facebookfacebook.com/WeAreELIC
• Instagraminstagram.com/weareelic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Elic