History of Social Franchising

Founded in 1994, Sangini in Nepal represents the first social franchise, soon followed by Greenstar in Pakistan in 1995. Both were founded by social marketing agencies that sought to expand their offerings beyond traditional family planning commodities (such as condoms and oral contraceptives) to include long-term methods that would require training (such as IUDs). Both organizations recruited private clinicians working in low-income communities and, in addition to training, provided them with branding, commodities and ongoing support. These branded services were supplied in addition to the treatment options already offered. These programs proved highly effective, and this model has been replicated, refined and expanded over the years. More recently a number of variations on social franchising have developed, including HMOs and other full-service clinics, mobile retailers and franchises co-locating with governments, NGOs or other systems. The model continues to expand, and the effectiveness of social franchises is increasingly being examined.