Phoenix Printshop, Social Venture Partners Toronto and Framework  have completed some research recently that has uncovered some amazing facts: 

• Toronto's registered charities* spent over $3.6 billion in 2006. 
  
• Approximately $180 million (or 5%) of this expenditure relates to awareness and communication needs. 
  
• And of this amount, nearly $10 million (5% of $180 million) is spent on printing items such as flyers, annual reports, fundraising materials, etc. 
  
• Add another estimated $10 million of pro-bono printing that many organizations receive and another $10 million of nonprofit organizations with charitable purposes, the total is $30 million market size.

Quite a niche!

We are encouraging local non-profit and charitable organizations to join a print-club initiativewith Phoenix Printshop, a budding Toronto social-enterprise. Phoenix Print Shop is a socially and environmentally responsible commercial printer that supports Foundations of Print, an award-winning training program for homeless youth. Located at Eva’s Phoenix, a transitional housing and employment facility for homeless youth, the Eva’s Phoenix Print Shop is a social enterprise of Eva’s Initiatives.

Imagine if Toronto's non-profit community could channel its print needs to give  Phoenix Print Shop predictable volume and steady work. By building the capacity of a local social enterprise we benefit with access to excellent service that helps us cut costs and turnaround times, leaving us with quality print work when we need it, at competitive prices.  In addition, by keeping our dollars within the non-profit community we achieve a bettersocial-return-on-investment. It's a win-win situation.


We are calling this group the Community Print Club.

We have estimated if 50 organizations were invited to this gathering have a total of 1,000 unique print runs in a given year valued at nearly $50,000 in revenue for Eva's. Adding $50,000 to Phoenix Printshop's revenue base allows them to support additional at-risk youth with social service programming to get, and stay off, the street.


*does not include hospital foundations, universities or faith-based organizations