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

Abstract #118459

Rick Homan, PhD¹, Alex Mugume², Nicholas Mugumya², Michael Matsiko², Nzoya Munguti³, and Aaron Beaston-Blaakman, PhD⁴. (1) Family Health International, 2224 E. NC 54, Durham, NC 27713, (2) TASO Headquarters, P.O. Box 10443, Kampala, Uganda, (3) Population Council, PO Box 17643, General Accident House, Ralph Bunche Road, Nairobi, Kenya, (4) Health Services Research, Family Health International, 2224 E. NC 54, Durham, NC 27713, 919-544-7040, ablaakman@fhi.org

Problem Statement: As an NGO focused primarily on provision of psychosocial support to persons living with HIV/AIDS, TASO faces the challenge of developing a reliable flow of funds to support their continued activities.

Possible Solution: One activity, which may have the potential to generate positive net revenues, is their training center. The training center serves a variety of NGO, government and international donor organizations in the training of counselors and peer educators.

Intervention: Working with the Population Council FRONTIERS Program, TASO attended a one-week workshop on financial sustainability and developed a small operations research project to examine the cost of their training programs and the revenues collected from these programs.

Analysis: Using the technique of break-even analysis TASO was able to identify the size and the frequency of specific training modules that would allow them to earn positive net revenues. In cases where the positive net revenues were not possible under the current pricing scheme, the minimum charge required to enable the training module to earn positive net revenues was identified.

Based upon the results of the break-even analysis, TASO was able to conduct a willingness to pay survey with their training clients to assess the potential for changing the fees charged for the training services.

Learning Objectives:

• This session will familiarize participants with the approach used to classify fixed vs. variable costs and the application of break-even analysis to examine the financial sustainability of a developing country organization’s activities.

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