Student Open Circles

What Student Open Circles does

Student Open Circles is a Canadian registered charity (registration number 891444309 RR0001) founded in 2001 by Marybeth Leis and Jeff Druery, headquartered on the McMaster University campus in Hamilton, Ontario. The organization mentors university students in three interconnected pillars: personal and spiritual reflection, leadership development, and community service volunteering. Its core programmatic offerings include weekly reflection circles (including Personal Discovery Course, Becoming Yourself Series, Meditation Circle, and Grief Support Sharing Circle), Community Volunteer Circles coordinating 30 weekly student volunteer teams at 9+ Hamilton social service agencies (serving at-risk children, adults with disabilities, isolated seniors, and recent immigrant youth), and a Student Leadership Development track that trains 40 student leaders annually in facilitation, communication, and conflict transformation. All student programs are delivered free of charge. There is no proprietary technology platform; programs are facilitated in-person and via Zoom.

The organization operates with a small core staff (2 full-time co-founders and 2 part-time staff) and sustains operations through a diversified nonprofit revenue model: individual donations (via CanadaHelps, Interac e-transfer, and cheque), corporate and foundation grants (Hamilton Community Foundation, TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, The Winnipeg Foundation, Allen & Milli Gould Family Foundation, Hamilton Mennonite Church), a charity gift guide of symbolic donations priced from $10 to $150, and modest digital product sales (a downloadable Recipe Book and a 20th-anniversary Skill-Sharing Workshop video series). The go-to-market model is community-led: recruitment occurs through McMaster campus events (ClubsFest, Welcome Week), Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and word-of-mouth referrals, with no direct sales motion or fee-for-service offering. Student Open Circles measures annual impact at 300 students volunteering weekly, 10,000 hours of community service (valued at $172,000+ at minimum wage), and beneficiary reach of 450 youth and 1,800 food bank users. The organization received the 2024 June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Award for Voluntarism from the Ontario government.

Name

Student Open Circles

Legal name

Student Open Circles

Website

https://studentopencircles.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Student Open Circles is a registered Canadian charity that mentors McMaster University students in reflection, leadership development, and community-service volunteering, coordinating free programs and 30 weekly volunteer teams serving Hamilton-area social service agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamilton Beach

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time or monthly donations from individual donors via online portal (CanadaHelps.org), Interac e-transfer, or cheque. Tax receipts issued (Canadian registered charity, RR0001).
2. Charity Gift Guide: Gift catalogue of symbolic charity gifts at price points from $10 to $150, purchased via CanadaHelps or internal store. Includes children's reading support, reflection circle sponsorship, tutoring, grief support, wellness courses, student leader training, and food security hampers.
3. Corporate/Foundation Grants: Funding from Hamilton Community Foundation, TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, The Winnipeg Foundation, Allen & Milli Gould Family Foundation, and Hamilton Mennonite Church.
4. Digital Products: Sale of downloadable products including a Skill-Sharing Workshop video series (20th anniversary) and a crowd-sourced Recipe Book ($10).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Student Open Circles is a nonprofit community organization that mentors and empowers McMaster University students through three integrated program pillars: Weekly Reflection Circles (safe spaces for personal/spiritual exploration, including Personal Discovery Course, Becoming Yourself Series, Meditation Circle, and Grief Support), Community Volunteer Circles (30 weekly student volunteer teams serving at Hamilton social service agencies in children's programs, disability support, senior companionship, and newcomer services), and Student Leadership Development (training in communication, facilitation, and conflict transformation). All student-facing programs are delivered free of charge, funded by donations, foundation grants, and Charity Gift Guide sales.

Product overview

Student Open Circles is a non-profit community organization offering a portfolio of programs centered around personal and spiritual reflection, community service, and leadership development for university students. The core offerings include Weekly Reflection Circles (comprising Personal Discovery Course, Becoming Yourself Series, Meditation Circle, Grief Support Sharing Circle, and Mindful Mornings/Weekend Wind Down), Community Volunteer Circles coordinating 30 weekly volunteer teams at Hamilton social agencies, and Student Leadership Development training. Additional offerings include Skill-Sharing Workshops, a downloadable Recipe Book, and a Gift Guide featuring charity gift options. The organization does not operate a unified tech product or platform but provides in-person and online programming for student development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekly Reflection Circles Weekly drop-in reflection circles providing safe spaces for McMaster University students from diverse backgrounds to explore values, meaning, and contribution through reflective practices. Includes Personal Discovery Course, Becoming Yourself Series, Creativity Circle, Meditation Circle, Body Mind Spirit Circle, Grief Support Sharing Circle, and Mindful Mornings/Weekend Wind Down sessions.
• Community Volunteer Circles Coordinates 30 weekly teams of McMaster University student volunteers serving at Hamilton social service agencies, including children's programs (Welcome Inn Learning and Fun Afterschool, YMCA Newcomer Youth Centre, Empowerment Squared Homework Circle, Learning Disabilities Association Reading Rocks, Mission Services 196 After School Club), disability support (Conway Opportunity Homes), senior companionship (CityHousing Hamilton Letters to Seniors, Shalom Village), newcomer support (Compass Community Health Conversation Corners), and food security programs.
• Student Leadership Development Training and mentoring program for McMaster University students to develop skills in communication, listening, conflict transformation, assertiveness, teamwork, facilitation, and social consciousness. Includes workshops, leadership team meetings, and individual coaching. Trains 40 student leaders annually in volunteer coordinating and discussion facilitation.
• Charity Gift Guide A digital catalogue of symbolic charity gifts offered to donors and gift-givers, with each gift representing sponsorship of a specific SOC program element. Items include Children's Reading Support ($15), Weekly Reflection Circle ($20), Tutor for Child/Youth ($50), Grief Support ($60), Discover Life Mission ($85), Wellness and Mental Health ($100), Train a Student Leader ($120), and Food Security for Families ($150). Purchases are processed via CanadaHelps or the SOC website with charitable tax receipts issued.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300 students give 10,000 hours of service annually, worth over $172,000 at minimum wage to the Hamilton community
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Welcome Inn Community CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOC has partnered with Welcome Inn since 2001, coordinating dozens of student volunteers each year for the Learning and Fun (LAF) afterschool program serving 50 at-risk children. Nominated SOC for the 2024 June Callwood Award.
• Conway Opportunity HomescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOC coordinates weekly student volunteers to interact with and assist people living with developmental disabilities at Conway Opportunity Homes.
• YMCA of Hamilton/Burlington/BrantfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOC coordinates volunteers for the Newcomer Youth Centre and Homework Help Club, providing homework assistance and organizing activities for recent immigrant youth at the YMCA Youth Centre.
• Mission Services of HamiltoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOC coordinates volunteers for the In.asmuch Women's Shelter (Mission Services), facilitating crafts, games, and movies for infants and children; and the 196 After School Club.
• North Hamilton Community Health CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOC provides academic tutoring and role-modeling to Grade 9 students through the Pathways to Education program at this community health centre.
• Learning Disabilities Association of Halton-HamiltoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOC coordinates the Reading Rocks program, where volunteers tutor 6-12 year old children struggling with early literacy skills twice weekly in one-on-one sessions.
• Empowerment SquaredcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOC coordinates the Homework Circle program, providing homework help and facilitating activities to develop literacy skills for elementary school children.
• CityHousing HamiltoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOC coordinates the Letters to Seniors program, where student volunteers write letters, create artwork, and send videos to isolated seniors living in CityHousing Hamilton high-rises during the pandemic and beyond.
• Shalom Village (long-term care home)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOC coordinates volunteer groups that create letters and art for seniors in this long-term care home, providing connection during pandemic isolation.
• Compass Community HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOC coordinates Conversation Corners volunteers who assist with reading, writing, speaking, listening, and translation at a literacy program for newcomer populations and English language learners.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Enactus Canada: Enactus Canada is a student-led nonprofit operating across Canadian universities that develops leadership and social-impact projects among students. Like Student Open Circles, it combines leadership development with community service delivery and is funded through corporate and foundation partnerships.
• Meal Exchange: Meal Exchange is a Canadian student-led nonprofit mobilizing university students to address food insecurity and food systems change. It is comparable to SOC in mobilizing student volunteers for community service outcomes through campus-based chapters and foundation funding.
• Welcome Inn Community Centre: Welcome Inn Community Centre is a Hamilton-based community services nonprofit serving at-risk children and families — and SOC's longest-running partner since 2001. It is comparable as a directly-coordinated social-service delivery partner that receives SOC volunteers and nominated SOC for the 2024 June Callwood Award.

Broad incumbents

• Volunteer Canada: Volunteer Canada is the national voice for volunteerism in Canada, supporting volunteer engagement across nonprofits. It is comparable to SOC as a sector peer in volunteer mobilization and community-impact measurement, while operating at a national scale rather than single-campus.
• Pathways to Education: Pathways to Education is a national Canadian nonprofit that supports youth from low-income communities to graduate high school and access post-secondary education. It is comparable to SOC's academic-support and tutoring programs delivered to at-risk youth through community partnerships.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hamilton-Burlington: Big Brothers Big Sisters is a national mentoring nonprofit operating locally in Hamilton. It is comparable to SOC's volunteer-based mentoring model for at-risk children and youth, sharing a volunteer-recruitment and donor-funding model.
• Canadian Alliance for Community Service-Learning: CACSL is a national Canadian nonprofit advancing community service-learning pedagogy across Canadian campuses. It is comparable to SOC as a sector peer promoting student volunteer engagement and reflection-based service learning models at Canadian universities.

Regional players

• United Way Halton & Hamilton: United Way Halton & Hamilton is a regional funder and convener of social services in the same service geography as SOC. It is comparable as a Hamilton-based nonprofit funding hub and as a potential co-funder of partner agencies like Welcome Inn and YMCA where SOC operates.
• Habitat for Humanity Hamilton: Habitat for Humanity Hamilton mobilizes local volunteers to deliver community-impact home-building projects in the Hamilton region. It is comparable to SOC as a regional nonprofit that mobilizes recurring volunteers to deliver measurable community service outcomes.

Emerging players

• InterVarsity Christian Fellowship: InterVarsity is a Canadian campus-based student organization offering spiritual and personal development programming — including reflection and leadership — at universities including McMaster. It is comparable to SOC in offering non-sectarian-inclusive spiritual reflection and personal development programming for university students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/studentopencircles
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/student-open-circles
• Instagraminstagram.com/studentopencircles

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Student Open Circles