In April of 1971, Ted Gordon—one of the world’s preeminent futurists—along with renowned futurists Hal Becker and Wayne Boucher, successfully applied the process of systems analysis to important issues. Systems analysis examines the effects of an entire system’s response—involving information feedback and “self-correcting” behavior—to change.

Ted Gordon brought together individuals with business acumen, technical capabilities, and administrative experience to further develop the structure and method of Futures Group in 1971.

Early on, Futures Group focused on helping the corporate world use the computer-based modeling programs it had developed with MIT scientists. The methods were innovative and quickly gained recognition for the company.

In 1977 the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded Futures Group the RAPID (Resources for the Awareness of Population Impacts on Development) project. RAPID focused on increasing awareness of population factors in social and economic development. The RAPID project team further established Futures Group’s reputation in global population programs.

For the first time, developing countries were provided with personalized population data and projected impacts of population growth. This reality-based information enabled national teams to “make the data their own.” This work also identified the programmatic importance of supporting health officers.

In the 1980s Futures Group expanded into social marketing with the USAID-sponsored Social Marketing for Change (SOMARC) project. It was during this period of growth that the company cemented its hallmark as an organization well known in government circles for its policy analysis and social marketing.

By the mid-1990s, Futures Group’s projects included RAPID IV, SOMARC III, OPTIONS for Population Policy II, and the POLICY Project, now known as the USAID |Health Policy Initiative (HPI), providing a rich, deep base for population planning with added focus on issues such as HIV/AIDS and gender.

Other current projects include:

• AIDSRelief, which provides antiretroviral therapy to persons infected with HIV/AIDS
• MEASURE Evaluation, which informs decisionmaking by analyzing technically sound data
• Communications for Behavior Change: Expanding Access to Private Sector Health Products and Services in Afghanistan (COMPRI-A), which increases access to health information and products by strengthening private sector capacity through a comprehensive, integrated social marketing program
• The Innovations in Family Planning Services II Technical Assistance Project (ITAP), which develops and leverages expansion of public-private partnerships in three states in India

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Futures Group has experienced incredible growth since its inception. Current revenue stands at approximately $75 million per year. Futures Group has worked in more than 100 countries for more than 600 clients. It has expanded its scope to include projects involving sexual and reproductive health, research and strategic information, health markets and private sector engagement, modeling and economic analysis, health informatics, strategic consulting, and program management.