Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #118475

Jill Mathis and Jeanne Ellis. Emerging Markets Group, 1001 G Street, NW, Suite 900 West, Washington, DC 20001, (703) 572-7098, jmathis@emergingmarketsgroup.com

Problem Statement/ Solutions: Interventions to increase the institutional and financial capability of NGOs in Bangladesh are carried out with the objectives of increasing revenue levels, diversifying revenue sources, and containing costs, with the long-term goals of 1) reducing dependence on funding from a single donor source, and 2) increasing program revenues that can be used to cross-subsidize public health services for the poor.

Interventions: Interventions to promote financial sustainability include: adding revenue-generating services, marketing, increasing client fees, cost-containment, improving financial management/analysis, and forging public-private partnerships.

Analysis: Factors found to influence the success of an intervention include sophistication of an NGO's management, governance and financial systems, market demand for health services, clients' ability to pay, and interest of the private sector. NGOs with greater capacity, stronger systems, and a client base with expendible income, have had greater success in successfully implementing interventions for financial sustainability.

For example, NGOs with reliable information on program costs, stronger business planning and marketing skills, more sophisticated governance and management systems, connection to the private sector, and catchment populations in more urban areas have been able to increase revenues using some of the above interventions.

Learning Objectives:

• Using examples from NGOs in Bangladesh, this session will provide participants with a comparative look at the success of different financial sustainability strategies, as well as the factors and conditions under which an intervention is more likely to succeed

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation