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Business Approaches for the Reproductive Health NGO

Author: Anna Benton, Alvaro Monroy 
InfoShare Partner: Commercial Market Strategies
Publication Date: February 2004
Type of Document: Article/Report/Paper
Topics: Service delivery
Region: Global
Language: English
Number of Pages: 25
File Size: 14 KB
File Format: Web Page

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During the past five years CMS has worked with NGOs in twelve countries, helping them become more sustainable. CMS’s philosophy of NGO sustainability is strongly business-oriented: In order to support and maintain quality programs,it is essential to have a healthy financial base, solid governance, and a long-term planning processes. To illustrate CMS’s strategies, results, and lessons learned, this paper draws on five country examples: Ghana, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Nicaragua, and Uganda. CMS’s experience highlights the importance of financial and organizational planning, of choosing wisely from a wide range of marketing techniques, and of constantly surveying the environment for new opportunities. The case studies also illustrate how donor funding can be a double-edged sword – receiving additional resources does not automatically lead to success. Lastly, the case studies demonstrate that even in challenging settings, NGOs can usually find a way to diversify products, services, or funding, and that throughout the process, a focus on the organization’s social mission is key.