Founded 1989 | Founder Phil Harvey | |
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Focus Family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention Location Washington, D.C., United States Area served Africa, Asia, Latin America Method Social marketing of family planning and HIV/AIDS products and services | ||
DKT International (DKT) is a charitable non-profit organization that promotes family planning and HIV prevention through social marketing. The Washington, D.C.-based DKT was founded in 1989 by Phil Harvey and operates in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Its revenue largely comes from sales of low-cost contraceptives. In 2015, DKT sold over 622 million condoms, 78 million cycles of oral contraceptives, 25 million injectable contraceptives and 1.9 million intrauterine devices (IUDs). This is equivalent to 30 million couple years of protection (CYPs), making DKT one of the largest private providers of contraceptives in the developing world. The average cost per CYP was less than US$2.00. DKT's marketing strategies have included advertising, creating location-specific brands, working with local social networks and militaries, and targeting high-risk groups. DKT also works with health workers and clinics that provide family planning products, information, and services. Charity Navigator has given DKT a four-star rating, with 93.8% of its budget going towards programs and 6.1% towards administration and fund raising in 2014.
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History
Phil Harvey became interested in family planning in 1968 while working on emergency food relief for CARE International in India. In 1970, he and his fellow UNC student Tim Black founded the business Adam & Eve in order to finance their charitable activities, and also founded the non-profit health organization Population Services International that same year. DKT International, named for D.K. Tyagi, an early pioneer of family planning in India, was founded in 1989. DKT has grown rapidly over the years; its revenue from selling contraceptives increased from US$4.5 million in 1996 to $103 million in 2014, and its CYPs increased from 5.7 million in 2002 to more than 30 million in 2015.
In 2006, DKT International refused to take the U.S. government's anti-prostitution pledge, feeling the pledge would interfere with its HIV/AIDS services worldwide. DKT challenged the pledge as a violation of First Amendment rights, with the support of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Judge Emmet G. Sullivan ruled in favor of DKT in the District Court for the District of Columbia on 18 May 2006, but the D. C. Court of Appeals reversed the decision on 27 February 2007. A different organization successfully challenged the pledge before the U.S. Supreme Court in Agency for International Development v. Alliance for Open Society International, Inc.
Organization
On 31 December 2013, Phil Harvey stepped down as president after 24 years, replaced by Christopher Purdy. Its board includes Robert Ciszewski, Carlos Garcia, Christopher Purdy, Julie Stewart and Harvey, who also serves as chair of the board. In 2014, 66.7% of DKT's revenue was from contraceptive sales, 24.5% from grants and contracts, 7.6% from investment income and 1.2% from contributions and other income. 58.2% of expenses were related to program costs, 37.5% to contraceptive costs, 2.1% to taxes and currency exchange losses, 2.0% to headquarters expense and 0.2% to fundraising. Revenue from contraceptive sales first exceeded donor support in 2005.
Donors
As of 2016, DKT International's donors include: the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Aman Foundation, Children's Investment Fund Foundation, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Erik and Edith Bergstrom Foundation, the Government of India, the Government of Norway, National Philanthropic Trust, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), WestWind Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Programs
As of 2016, DKT International has 22 programs in 21 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.