Days for Girls International

What Days for Girls International does

Days for Girls International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 by Celeste Mergens, headquartered in Mount Vernon, Washington, with a secondary resource and logistics center in North Salt Lake City. The organization's core offering is a patented washable, reusable menstrual hygiene kit (the DfG Kit) protected by U.S. Patent Nos. 9,877,878 and 10,842,684, comprising a waterproof shield, absorbent liners, underwear, soap, washcloths, and a carry pouch, paired with structured health education delivered alongside every distribution. The product is sold in bulk to NGOs and governments and distributed at no cost to end beneficiaries through a network of volunteer chapters and student clubs across 145+ countries, with 31 active country-level operations including regional offices in Kenya, Ghana, Nepal, Uganda, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK. The organization has reached over 3.5 million women and girls and served 57,867 refugees in 2024 alone.

The business model is donation- and grant-driven rather than commercial: primary revenue comes from individual donors, foundation grants, and a tiered Impact Partner Program anchored by flagship corporate partners (Hilton, Starbucks Foundation, Goldman Sachs) at $100,000+ giving levels, supplemented by tiered partners at $50,000+, $20,000+, and $5,000+ levels, plus merchandise sales through a Shopify storefront and bulk kit purchases by humanitarian organizations. Adjacent revenue and impact lines include the Social Enterprise Program (training local women to manufacture and sell DfG products), training certifications (Ambassadors of Women's Health, Men Who Know), the DfG Direct outsourced education service, the Period Positive Workplace coalition, and The Daysie Movement monthly donor program. Distribution operates through direct e-commerce, bulk procurement, NGO/government channels, and a global volunteer chapter network. The organization maintains governance through an international board of directors led by Board President Karen Harris, MD, and Board Treasurer Meg Fisher, with executive leadership comprising CEO Tiffany Larson, CFO Gina Grimm, COO Mandy Vidalis, and CPO Leyla Isin-Xiong.

Operational credibility is supported by Candid Platinum Seal, Charity Navigator four-star rating, GuideStar Platinum Seal, EU Tech SDG Award (SDG 5 Gender Equality, 2024), Classy People's Choice Award (2023), .ORG of the Year (2020), and NCA Origin Charity of the Year (2023). The organization is also engaged in standards work, with staff participation in the US ISO TC 338 Menstrual Product Technical Advisory Group and contributions to South Africa's reusable menstrual product standard, positioning it as both service provider and policy actor in the global menstrual health space.

Name

Days for Girls International

Legal name

Days for Girls International

Website

https://daysforgirls.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Days for Girls International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that designs, manufactures, and distributes patented washable menstrual hygiene kits with integrated health education to women and girls in 145+ countries, funded primarily through donations, foundation grants, and a tiered corporate Impact Partner Program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Menstrual Health and Hygiene Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Paper Bag and Coated and Treated Paper Manufacturing (322220)

akta.pro primary industry

Menstrual Pads (Reusable/Cloth) (CRABAIAB)

Keywords

• Menstrual hygiene products
• Reusable sanitary pads
• Menstrual health education
• Humanitarian aid distribution
• Social enterprise program

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Vernon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Primary revenue stream from individual donors, corporate partners, and foundation grants supporting menstrual health programs and kit distribution globally.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise through Shopify e-commerce store as supplementary revenue stream.
3. DfG Kit Purchases: Sale of Days for Girls kits to NGOs, governments, and organizations for distribution to end beneficiaries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Days for Girls International manufactures and globally distributes washable, reusable menstrual hygiene kits and pads incorporating patented shield-and-liner technology, bundled with health education curriculum, to women and girls facing period poverty. Core products include the DfG Pad and the comprehensive DfG Kit, distributed through volunteer chapters, NGO/government bulk procurement, and a Social Enterprise Program that trains local women to produce and sell DfG products in their communities.

Product overview

Days for Girls International offers a portfolio of menstrual health products and services centered around its core DfG Pad—a washable, reusable menstrual pad with patented shield and liner technology—and the comprehensive DfG Kit containing pads plus care accessories and health education. The offering extends through educational training programs (Ambassadors of Women's Health, Men Who Know, DfG Direct), the Social Enterprise Program enabling local women to establish businesses, the Period Positive Workplace initiative for organizational policy change, Menstrual Health Country Snapshots for policy research, and the Days for Girls Podcast for advocacy awareness. The DfG Kit is protected under U.S. Patent Nos. 9,877,878 and 10,842,684. Together, these products and programs form a holistic approach to advancing menstrual equity through sustainable products, education, social entrepreneurship, and global advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DfG Pad: A washable, reusable menstrual health product consisting of a protective shield and absorbent liner, backed by U.S. patents.
• DfG Kit
• Ambassadors of Women's Health Training (AWH)
• Men Who Know (MWK)
• Period Positive Workplace
• The Daysie Movement

Products and services

• DfG Pad A washable, reusable menstrual pad featuring a patented design with a protective shield and absorbent liner, built to last up to three years. Each pad contains one waterproof shield and two absorbent liners with snap wings for secure fit. Sold to NGOs, governments, and individuals for distribution to women and girls in period poverty.
• DfG Kit A comprehensive menstrual health kit containing DfG Pads along with care and use guide, carry pouch, underwear, soap, washcloths, and drawstring bags. Includes health education during all distributions. Protected by U.S. Patent Nos. 9,877,878 and 10,842,684. Bulk sold to NGOs, governments, and corporate partners for humanitarian distribution.
• Ambassadors of Women's Health Training (AWH) Online certification course for Days for Girls leaders, volunteers, and partners to deliver menstrual health education sessions using the DfG Ambassador of Women's Health flip-chart during kit distributions.
• Men Who Know (MWK) Online certification course qualifying Social Entrepreneurs and partners to deliver education sessions for men and boys about menstrual health using the DfG Ambassador of Men's Health flip-chart.
• DfG Direct Outsourced menstrual health education service delivered by expert DfG partners for organizations with limited bandwidth to run their own training.
• Social Enterprise Program Program that trains women and men to establish locally-owned businesses producing and selling DfG washable pad products while delivering menstrual health education in their communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3.5 million women and girls reached globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The Honey Pot CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner collaboration for product development and shared mission impact
• Navajo NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership announced April 2026 to address period poverty among Navajo women and girls through targeted distribution and education programs

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AFRIpads: AFRIpads manufactures and distributes reusable cloth menstrual pads across sub-Saharan Africa, directly competing with DfG in the reusable pad product category, target beneficiary base (girls in period poverty), and B2B humanitarian procurement model.
• Saathi Pads: Saathi is a social enterprise that manufactures biodegradable and reusable sanitary pads in India for underserved communities, with a comparable product-technology focus, B2B humanitarian distribution model, and social-enterprise structure.
• SHEVA (formerly Mwezi Foundation): Sheva produces reusable menstrual pads in Kenya and distributes them through school-based programs in East Africa, closely overlapping DfG's East Africa footprint, product offering, and education-plus-distribution model.
• Irise International: Irise is a UK- and East Africa-based nonprofit focused on menstrual health education and product access for schoolgirls, directly comparable to DfG in mission, beneficiary base, and education-plus-product delivery model.

Emerging players

• Be Girl: Be Girl is a social enterprise producing reusable menstrual products and education content, with a partial overlap in reusable pad distribution and menstrual health education, particularly across Africa and Latin America.
• Ruby Cup: Ruby Cup sells reusable menstrual cups alongside buy-one-give-one humanitarian distribution in Africa and Asia, competing for the same donor and NGO procurement budget and beneficiary population with an alternative reusable menstrual product.
• Period.org (PERIOD.): Period.org is a US-based menstrual equity nonprofit focused on period product distribution and policy advocacy, with overlapping donor base, US-focused corporate partnership channel, and menstrual-product-distribution mission.

Broad incumbents

• Plan International (Global): Plan International runs large-scale menstrual health and hygiene programs, including reusable pad distribution and policy advocacy across many of the same geographies DfG serves, but as one program line within a broad child-rights portfolio.
• UNICEF (WASH / Menstrual Health): UNICEF is a major global procurer and distributor of menstrual hygiene products in low-income countries, with overlapping beneficiaries, school-based distribution models, and policy advocacy as part of its broader WASH mandate.

Regional players

• The Honey Pot Company: The Honey Pot is a US-based feminine care brand (pads, tampons, washes) and a named DfG partner, with overlapping product category (feminine hygiene) and corporate mission alignment but a commercial US consumer focus rather than humanitarian distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/daysforgirls
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/DaysforgirlsOrg
• Facebookfacebook.com/DaysforGirls
• Instagraminstagram.com/daysforgirls
• Pinterestpinterest.com/daysforgirls
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/daysforgirls

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Days for Girls International