Pathfinder International
| Formation | 1957 |
|---|---|
| Type | NGO, INGO |
| Legal status | Foundation |
| Purpose | Birth control, Humanitarian |
| Headquarters | Watertown, MA |
|
Region served
|
Africa, Asia, South America |
|
President & CEO
|
Purnima Mane |
|
Board Chair
|
Richard L. Berkowitz, MD |
|
Key people
|
Clarence Gamble, Henry Foster, Paul H. Todd, Jr. |
|
Budget
|
$107 million |
|
Staff
|
1,271 people worldwide |
| Website | http://www.pathfinder.org/ |
|
Formerly called
|
The Pathfinder Fund |
Pathfinder International, based in Watertown, Massachusetts, is a global non-profit organization (NGO 501(c)(3)) that focuses on reproductive health, family planning, HIV/AIDS prevention and care, and maternal health. The organization operates in more than 20 developing countries throughout Africa, Asia, the Near East, and Latin America. According to their website, "Pathfinder International places reproductive health services at the center of all that we do—believing that health care is not only a fundamental human right but is critical for expanding opportunities for women, families, communities, and nations, while paving the way for transformations in development."
While Pathfinder International was originally incorporated as The Pathfinder Fund in 1957, their family planning work began in the late 1920s when Pathfinder founder, Clarence Gamble, heir of the Procter & Gamble soap company fortune, supported efforts to introduce contraception to women and couples in the United States and 60 other countries. He also launched the first community-based service model, which is still the foundation of Pathfinder’s success today.
Sarah Gamble, Clarence Gamble's wife, named the organization in honor of a quote by the poet Antonio Machado, "Traveler, there is no path, paths are made by walking."
Pathfinder surpassed revenue of USD 100 million for the first time in 2010 (FY). In 2011, Pathfinder announced the retirement of Daniel E. Pellegrom, the longest-serving president of a global reproductive health organization in history after becoming CEO of Pathfinder International in 1985. In 2012, Purnima Mane joined Pathfinder as President and CEO, after serving as Deputy Director of United Nations Population Fund.
Pathfinder International was one of several nonprofits mentioned in Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, a best-selling book written by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn and first published in September 2009. Pathfinder is currently listed as a key partner on the Half the Sky Movement website.
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