What Think Tank, Inc. does

Think Tank, Inc. is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2015 and headquartered in Springfield, Ohio, that develops and delivers poverty-simulation training, leadership development, and learning resources aimed at community-based poverty solutions. The company's flagship product is the Cost of Poverty Experience (COPE), an immersive in-person and virtual simulation in which participants role-play families navigating difficult decisions around housing, employment, healthcare, and childcare. Virtual COPE, launched in 2020 and now scalable to 120 participants per 90-minute Zoom session, is complemented by COPE Classroom (a 4-week self-paced online facilitator certification program), The Exchange (a Circle-based membership learning platform hosting mini-courses such as Bridge The Distance and Build Together), the Change Leader Alliance (a leadership program for individuals with lived experience of poverty), the AmeriCorps VISTA host program, and the annual At The Table national conversation event.

The organization operates with a small core staff of approximately 8 people supplemented by an 11-person National COPE Facilitation Team, a network of 100+ certified facilitators, and ~60 partner organizations in the COPE Network. Its technology stack is intentionally low-tech and human-facilitated, relying on Zoom for virtual delivery, Circle for community/learning management, Squarespace for web, and standard podcast distribution platforms—no proprietary software, AI/ML capabilities, or APIs are disclosed. The methodology itself, refined over more than a decade, is the primary intangible asset.

Revenue derives from a hybrid of program fees (Virtual COPE at $20/person, facilitator certification at $700, Exchange memberships at $120 individual / $500 organizational), tax-deductible donations at multiple tiers, and foundation grants including a 2025 Catalyst Impact Grant of up to $200,000 over two years from Stand Together Foundation. Customer segments span healthcare systems, K-12 and higher education, faith-based organizations, corporate/workforce programs, reentry coalitions, and community nonprofits—distributed across at least six states (Ohio, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Colorado, Pennsylvania) and reaching a cumulative base of 100,000+ participants.

Name

Think Tank, Inc.

Legal name

Think Tank, Inc.

Website

https://thinktank-inc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Think Tank, Inc. is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers the Cost of Poverty Experience (COPE) simulation, facilitator certification, and membership-based learning tools to healthcare, education, faith-based, corporate, and community-organization clients across at least six states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Poverty Simulation and Community Change Training Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recreation Therapy, Stress Management & Mindfulness Programs (EDALAFAO), Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN)

Keywords

• Poverty simulation training
• Immersion training programs
• Leadership development services
• Community change facilitation
• Online learning platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Springfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Fees and Training Services: Revenue from COPE facilitator certification programs ($700 per facilitator), virtual COPE sessions ($20 per person), and organizational membership fees ($500/year for Exchange platform access).
2. Grants and Foundation Support: Grant funding including the Catalyst Impact Grant Program providing up to $200,000 over two years from Stand Together Foundation. Additional foundation grants support specific initiatives and expansion efforts.
3. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting poverty alleviation work. Options include one-time, monthly, quarterly, and annual donation cadences at various levels ($25-$500+).
4. Individual Memberships: Individual Exchange membership at $120/year providing access to training resources, tools, discussion guides, and community platform access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Think Tank develops and delivers the Cost of Poverty Experience (COPE), an immersive role-playing simulation training program that places participants in the role of families navigating poverty-related decisions. Offerings include in-person COPE, Virtual COPE on Zoom, COPE Classroom facilitator certification, The Exchange learning platform, Change Leader Alliance leadership program, At The Table events, and AmeriCorps VISTA partnership services for community-based poverty solutions.

Product overview

Think Tank, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that operates as a multi-product poverty alleviation platform centered around its flagship Cost of Poverty Experience (COPE) simulation program. The core product portfolio includes in-person COPE and Virtual COPE (launched in 2020), which are immersive poverty simulations available in sector-specific versions for healthcare, education, faith-based, corporate, reentry, and community organizations. Supporting products include COPE Classroom (online facilitator certification training), The Exchange (a membership-based learning platform with mini courses like Bridge The Distance and Build Together), the Change Leader Alliance (an initiative empowering leaders with lived experience), AmeriCorps VISTA partnership program, and At The Table (national conversation events). Content offerings include the Rethink Community Blog and Podcast. The organization also offers Activate Sessions to help COPE participants apply learnings and offers customization options for Virtual COPE to meet specific community needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Virtual COPE: A 90-minute online training simulation that immerses participants in day-to-day challenges faced by individuals and families living in poverty. Guided by live facilitators, participants join teams and navigate simulated weeks with difficult choices around housing, employment, childcare, and healthcare.
• COPE (Cost of Poverty Experience)
• Change Leader Alliance
• The Exchange
• Bridge The Distance
• Build Together
• At The Table
• AmeriCorps VISTA

Products and services

• COPE (Cost of Poverty Experience) Immersive in-person poverty simulation that brings to life the real-world challenges and human impact of poverty, helping teams understand poverty in America and improve engagement with affected communities.
• Virtual COPE 90-minute online poverty simulation that immerses participants in day-to-day challenges faced by individuals and families living in poverty, guided by live facilitators via Zoom with up to 120 participants per session.
• COPE Classroom Online facilitator certification training program that equips participants to become licensed COPE facilitators through a 4-week self-paced course typically taking 10-12 hours, with welcome webinar and celebration of learning sessions.
• The Exchange A learning platform and membership hub providing connections, tools, and resources for poverty alleviation practitioners, including mini courses, on-demand tools, media library, and access to Change Leaders.
• Bridge The Distance Video-based mini course designed to help teams gain concepts and skills to overcome trust barriers and close social distance, leading to more effective paths to change.
• Build Together Video-based mini course that equips teams with concepts and skills to partner with those affected by poverty to create lasting change, including assessment and discussion guides.
• Change Leader Alliance A national movement that transforms top-down approaches to poverty by elevating emerging leaders with lived experience, developing leadership skills in storytelling, advocacy, consulting, and board service to influence systems and drive impact.
• Change Leader Academy Annual leadership training that equips individuals with lived experience to lead change through storytelling, advocacy, consulting, and board service, hosted in person and virtually.
• AmeriCorps VISTA Program A national service program that strengthens community organizations by advancing community-driven, sustainable solutions to poverty, placing passionate members with nonprofit organizations for a year of service.
• Power Hours Monthly online conversations hosted by Think Tank featuring Change Leaders sharing insights on issues relevant to their experiences, addressing topics like trust-building, storytelling, rural/urban poverty, literacy, health equity, and affordable housing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of COPE participants report the experience influenced how they interact with individuals navigating poverty
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AmeriCorps VISTAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThink Tank partners with the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to provide AmeriCorps VISTA opportunities for individuals across Ohio and select national partners. VISTA members serve one-year commitments helping nonprofit organizations address poverty by building organizational capacity. Think Tank recruits, trains, and places VISTA members while providing supervision and support.
• Fairhaven ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFairhaven Church partners with Think Tank on COPE events, hosting poverty simulation trainings as part of their community engagement and social justice initiatives.
• CarePortalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarePortal partners with Think Tank on poverty alleviation initiatives, connecting organizations with resources and support for families in need.
• Poverty Solutions GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoverty Solutions Group collaborates with Think Tank on community-based poverty solutions, integrating COPE programming with broader poverty alleviation strategies.
• Communities of TransformationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunities of Transformation partners with Think Tank, using COPE as part of their holistic community transformation programs focused on poverty alleviation.
• Unite DFWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnite DFW uses COPE as a convening tool to bring together churches, schools, nonprofits, and community leaders across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex for holistic community flourishing.
• Open Door Community House (Columbus, GA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpen Door Community House partners with Think Tank for COPE trainings, integrating the poverty simulation into their 90-year mission of holistic programming for families navigating poverty in Columbus, Georgia.
• Health Partnership Serving Northwest ColoradominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth Partnership hosts COPE simulations and At The Table events across Routt, Moffat, and Rio Blanco counties, using Think Tank's programs to build empathy among healthcare providers and community leaders.
• Michigan Farm Bureau Family of CompaniesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichigan Farm Bureau partnered with Think Tank to address childhood food insecurity, funding the Centreville School Food Club pilot after staff completed COPE training. Farm Bureau is documenting the model as a replicable approach for other schools.
• Stand Together Foundation Catalyst NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner14 organizations from Stand Together's Catalyst network completed COPE Facilitator Certification, including Family Promise, Safe Families for Children, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Reach University, and others serving families experiencing poverty across the country.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA): JLUSA is a national nonprofit that elevates directly impacted leaders to drive criminal justice and poverty reform. It parallels Think Tank's Change Leader Alliance in centering lived-experience leadership as the engine of community change.
• Circles USA: Circles USA is a national poverty-alleviation nonprofit that mobilizes community volunteers and individuals experiencing poverty into 'Circles' chapters to pursue economic stability. It shares Think Tank's emphasis on relationship-based, dignity-centered approaches and serves overlapping community-based audiences.
• Family Promise: Family Promise is a national nonprofit addressing family homelessness and poverty. It is part of the Stand Together Catalyst network, and 14 organizations including Family Promise have completed Think Tank's COPE Facilitator Certification, indicating overlapping community of practitioners and shared funding ecosystems.
• Society of St. Vincent de Paul: SVdP is one of the named organizations from the Stand Together Catalyst network that has completed COPE Facilitator Certification. It is a large faith-based nonprofit addressing poverty through direct service, making it both a peer and a customer in the broader ecosystem.
• Bridges Out of Poverty (Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D. & Associates): Bridges Out of Poverty is the most direct comparable: an established training and consulting framework (books, workshops, certification) focused on building community understanding of generational poverty. It targets many of the same audiences (healthcare, education, nonprofits, employers) and competes for the same experiential poverty-awareness training budget.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: Feeding America is the largest U.S. hunger-relief nonprofit, addressing poverty through food security programs. It shares Think Tank's K-12 and community partner audiences (e.g., school food programs) but operates at much larger scale.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Habitat for Humanity is a large national nonprofit addressing poverty through housing. While its service model differs, it competes for the same donor and foundation dollars and engages many of the same faith-based and corporate partners.
• Corporation for National and Community Service (AmeriCorps): AmeriCorps is the federal parent of the VISTA program that Think Tank hosts. While not a direct competitor, AmeriCorps operates at vastly greater scale and provides the infrastructure (service members, host site network) that Think Tank leverages for distribution.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): LISC is a major national community development nonprofit focused on equitable economic opportunity. It works with the same corporate, healthcare, and municipal audiences on poverty-related community initiatives, often as a funder or convener.

Regional players

• Faith & Action Project: Faith in Action (formerly PICO National Network) is a faith-based organizing network addressing poverty and racial equity through community organizing. It operates in overlapping geographies with Think Tank's faith-based coalition partners but does not deliver simulation training directly.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/thinktankinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/think-tank-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 Think Tank, Inc.