Commercial sustainability is the cornerstone of resilience, autonomy, and long-term impact for Member Associations (MAs) of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).
Why Commercial Sustainability?
As champions of sexual and reproductive health and rights, MAs operate in diverse and often challenging environments where steady, reliable funding is critical to delivering life-saving services, influencing policy, and supporting marginalized communities.
A strong financial base empowers MAs to navigate political uncertainty, resist external pressures, and maintain full independence in their programming. It also unlocks the potential for innovation – enabling MAs to scale up services, respond to emerging needs, and improve access without compromising quality. Financial self-reliance also reinforces credibility with donors, partners, and stakeholders by showcasing accountability and a long-term commitment to impact.
In a global context where donor funding is shrinking and opposition is rising – even as demand for sexual and reproductive health services continues to grow – achieving commercial sustainability is not optional; it is essential. Through diversified income streams, strategic partnerships, and efficient resource use, IPPF Member Associations can secure their future and sustain their mission to advance health, rights, and justice for all, regardless of external funding dynamics.
MA Commercial Sustainability Team
The MA Commercial Sustainability team supports Member Associations to achieve sustainability in clinics/maternities through commercial practices and SRHR focused service diversification. Focused on achieving a positive income to cost for MAs clinics and maternities key activities and support includes:
- Income generation
- Service Diversification; pricing, new services, partnerships
- Competitor Analysis and market assessments
- Marketing; mass media, social media, content generation, training and resourcing
- Digital Development; website development, online booking systems
- Patient Experience; clinic look and feel, client feedback solutions
- Health financing partnerships
- Operational efficiency
- Commercial mindset development; data generation, analysis, reviews, training
- Community of Practice
Achieving commercial sustainability is not optional; it is essential
MA Commercial Sustainability Resources
Through our work with MAs we have developed a range of tools to support any organisation to benefit from developing commercial practices, particularly around marketing and communication, as well as exploring how we are position in our markets and our competitiveness. Below you will find resources including:
- Pricing tool for a comprehensive view of the true cost of operating clinics and maternities and competitor assessment
- Service-led marketing content; 300 pieces of content to use on marketing channels to support the communication of clinic services
- Clinic Look & Feel Guidelines; best practice guidance on how to upgrade or elevate patient experience and understanding patient expectations
- Webinars; recordings from understanding and using the pricing tool and presentations on using eye-tracking technology for digital and website effectiveness
⬇️Downloads
Pricing Tool
Investment Tool
🤝Marketing
Service-led Content Development
Taking a customer-first approach to marketing and communicating our clinics and maternity centres, leads as to share and widen the understanding of the range of essential services we offer. To support the promotion of these services we have developed a band of service-focused content which can be used to market our services. The presentation below will show you all of the 300 pieces of content available covering social media, video, WhatsApp, radio, web content and more.
Clinic Look & Feel Guidelines
Patient experience is paramount within commercial sustainability development. The experience within our clinics support both positive client experiences and brand reputation, as well as our brand perception within an increasingly competitive industry. We have developed a comprehensive clinic look and feel guidelines to support any organisation looking to upgrade their clinics, implement a maintenance schedule, move clinics or open new clinics. Please email to receive a full copy of the guidelines and for translated versions.
🎥 Webinars
Contact our team
Nitu Verma, Chief Commercial Officer
Cheska Witcomb, Global Marketing Advisor
