letter from the ceo

Commitment to Work

The National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) has always been dedicated to the idea that when people come together with a purpose, great things happen. Recently I have been reminded those great things can happen, even in not-so-great times.

The Covid years have been an ordeal for all of us. We’ve dealt with health concerns, supply chain issues, product shortages, shifting models of services, increased demand among families in need, and so much more.

There was pain. There was loss. But at no time during the pandemic did I feel alone, because I knew that our community and our Network was still taking bold steps toward a common goal: ensuring that everyone in the U.S. has the basic material necessities they need to thrive. The Network rose to the challenge and distributed more essential products during the pandemic than ever before.

As a Network we are doing things that no one else is. From advocacy and policy to research and program expansion, NDBN leads the way.

We remain committed to changing lives. The 2022 Annual Report provides a snapshot of some of the amazing work that we do each and every day.

Thank you for supporting the National Diaper Bank Network and the Alliance for Period Supplies as we continue our extraordinary journey.

Joanne Samuel Goldblum

Chief Executive Officer

our donations at work

Funds for Change

NDBN’s Funds for Change grants are competitive awards offered exclusively to members of NDBN and/or the Alliance for Period Supplies. The grants help support and build strong, sustainable nonprofit organizations.

In 2022 a total of $114,000 was awarded to 26 members in the form of $5,000 and $10,000 strategic initiative grants and $2,500 microgrants.

The Funds for Change grant program is made possible by a combination of individual and corporate donations. Since its inception in 2015, more than $1.5 million in funding has been granted to local communities throughout the U.S.

our donations at work

Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation

“Diapers are a basic necessity that every parent wants to provide for their child,” said Alexandra Cohen, president of the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, in conjunction with a $100,000 gift from the foundation to NDBN in recognition of Mother’s Day 2022.

The gift funded diaper purchases for 30 NDBN-member diaper banks that participated in the ongoing National Diaper Bank Economic Impact Study to chart the economic impact of providing families with free diapers.

our donations at work

Brooklyn and Bailey

Social media influencers Brooklyn and Bailey teamed up with the Alliance for Period Supplies during the summer of 2022 to help end period poverty.

The high-profile twins went on a “23-day challenge to visit all 50 states before Bailey’s next period,” during which time they hoped to raise $100,000, equal to one million period supplies. Each day they released a new vlog to capture their road tour adventures and encouraged fans to make online donations.

While the duo was unable to make stops in Alaska and Hawaii during the challenge, they more than doubled their fundraising goal, with total donations exceeding $200,000 coming from supporters in all 50 states and countries around the globe.

The Alliance for Period Supplies allocated all $200,000 of the donation to purchase and distribute period products to 12 of our member period supply programs.

our reputation at work

As trusted partners in local communities, members of NDBN and/or the Alliance for Period Supplies were invited to partner with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in its We Can Do This campaign.

The national campaign sought to provide all families and individuals — especially those in medically underserved communities — with fact-based information about COVID–19 vaccines for children ages 6 months and older, and booster shots for adults.

More than 110 NDBN-member programs received participation grants totaling $658,000 to distribute campaign materials along with diapers and/or period supplies to individuals and families they serve (grants will be reflected in NDBN’s 2022–23 fiscal year).

NDBN joined the campaign alongside other leading national organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), The American Library Association (ALA), and The National Parent Teacher Association (PTA).

our advocacy at work

Securing First Federal Funding for Diapers

Since our inception in 2011, NDBN has recognized diaper need as a major public health issue facing children and families living in each of our communities. We know that diaper banks, donors, and the philanthropic community alone cannot end diaper need. The power and financial support of state and federal governments is required.

NDBN and our legislative champions, led by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT–3) and Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA–13), have advocated for diaper-related legislation for over a decade. Our efforts reached a true milestone in 2022 with the federal appropriation of $10 million to support diaper distribution programs in the U.S.

The first-ever federal funding is being administered through the Office of Community Services at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), via the Diaper Distribution Demonstration and Research Pilot (DDDRP). Launched during NDBN’s National Diaper Need Awareness Week, the program channels new funding to expand existing diaper distribution services, through Community Services Block Grants. Six NDBN-member diaper banks are working with their respective State Community Action Associations to administer the grants.

This grant is truly a pilot program and a beginning. NDBN looks forward to doing our part to support the recipients as their success will foster future success and additional funding to ensure that all U.S. families get the material basic necessities they require to thrive.

our diversity at work

NDBN has been offering support to the member-led Black Diaper Bank Coalition since October 2020. The group of like-minded individuals is working to address issues affecting Black-led diaper banks in the U.S.

The coalition works to mentor new leaders and one another, as well as to support capacity building, promote access to funding, and advance the equitable distribution of product donations, among other activities.

The Black Diaper Bank Coalition met for the first time in person and presented at the U.S. Conference on Poverty and Basic Needs held in Orlando this year.

our research at work

NDBN is entering the final stages of our multi-year study to measure the economic effect across the U.S. of providing free diapers to families with young children.

Modeled on a state-level study that found significant economic and fiscal impact of diapers on family health, the National Diaper Bank Economic Impact Study is being led by principal investigator Kelley E. C. Massengale, MPH, PhD, and co-investigator Lynn Comer, MS, NDBN director of Research and Evaluations. The research team also includes the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis at the University of Connecticut. Funded by the Seedlings Foundation, the research involved more than 60 NDBN-member diaper banks that collected and reported data from the families they serve. The data is in the final stages of analysis, with publication and release expected in 2023.

NDBN has a history of leading or partnering with academics on research around diaper need. In 2013, NDBN contributed to the first peer-reviewed study on diaper need, which demonstrated an association with maternal depression. The study was published in the journal Pediatrics. NDBN researchers also worked with Dr. Massengale on her study published in the American Journal of Public Health (2020) that established diaper need as a public health issue.