What The Pad Project does

The Pad Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Los Angeles, California, founded in 2016/2018 (sources vary) that addresses period poverty and menstrual inequity in the United States and internationally. The organization operates three interconnected program areas: (1) U.S. domestic initiatives — primarily 'Pads Across America' and 'Pads for Schools' — distributing free menstrual products through grants to 45+ schools, school districts (Santa Ana Unified, Pasadena Unified, Title 1 California schools), shelters, and nonprofits including Covenant House California and Homeboy Industries; (2) international programs spanning 12+ countries with 12 disposable pad-making enterprises, 8 washable pad programs, and 2 menstrual cup distribution programs, employing approximately 100 women in production and sales and supporting 268,704+ pads produced via pad-making machines; and (3) advocacy and education via an Ambassador Program with 400+ youth volunteers across 47 countries and a documentary film portfolio led by the Academy Award-winning 'Period. End of Sentence.' (2019), supplemented by 'Long Line of Ladies' (2023), 'Jane Austen's Period Drama,' and 'IMPURE' (2025).

Its core technology is low-cost pad-making machine technology (manual, semi-automated, and automated variants) deployed with grassroots implementation partners such as Action India and SumArth, alongside washable pad production and reusable menstrual cup distribution programs. The model emphasizes product choice (disposable pads, washable pads, period underwear, menstrual cups) and culturally sensitive menstrual health education rather than a single product technology. Distribution mechanisms combine direct organizational grants (U.S.), partner-managed production enterprises (international), and ambassador-led community distribution.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations and philanthropic fundraising rather than product sales: individual donations via web, text, Venmo, PayPal, cryptocurrency (40+ tokens via The Giving Block), and stock; corporate matching gifts; cause-marketing partnerships with brands including Tory Burch, Larroude, GANNI, Veronica Beard, Lucky Feather, Jiggy Puzzles, and Minted; corporate pad-packing events with JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, GenV, and First Media; and annual galas (2022–2025) with tiered sponsorships from Bronze ($1,500) to Diamond ($100,000). Per the most recent disclosed financials, programs consumed 81% of expenditures (2021), with fundraising at 13% and administration at 6%. Cumulative impact reported includes over 5 million period products distributed worldwide, 3.3 million distributed across the U.S., and reach into all 50 states plus Washington D.C.

Name

The Pad Project

Legal name

The Pad Project

Website

https://thepadproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Pad Project is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that expands access to menstrual care products and combats period stigma through U.S. grant programs, international pad-making enterprises across 12+ countries, and youth-led advocacy via a 400-ambassador global network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Menstrual Equity Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

Menstrual Pads (Disposable) (CRABAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Menstrual Cups (CRABAIAE), Menstrual Pads (Reusable/Cloth) (CRABAIAB), Tampons (CRABAIAC)

Keywords

• Menstrual equity programs
• Nonprofit humanitarian services
• Period poverty advocacy
• Menstrual health education
• Community pad distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting menstrual equity programs in the U.S. and internationally. Donors can contribute via text (text PADPROJECT TO 71-777), online portal, mail, Venmo (@ThePad-Project), or PayPal.
2. Corporate Sponsorships & Galas: Annual gala events with corporate sponsors at tiered levels (Bronze $1,500 to Diamond $100,000). Individual ticket sales ($200-$350). Major sponsors include Tory Burch, Larroude, GANNI, Veronica Beard, and others.
3. Merchandise Partnerships: Collaborative merchandise including Lucky Feather bracelets ($5 per bracelet), Jiggy Puzzles (50% of proceeds), Minted stationary (10% with code FUNDRAISEPAD), and branded merchandise.
4. Cryptocurrency & Stock Donations: Accepts cryptocurrency donations (Bitcoin, Ethereum, and 40+ other cryptocurrencies) and stock donations as tax-efficient giving options.
5. Corporate Matching Gifts: Partners with companies offering matching gift programs to double employee donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Pad Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that addresses period poverty and advances menstrual equity through distributing washable, reusable pads and menstrual cups, funding and installing pad-making machines in underserved international communities, providing menstrual health education, and advocating for policy change. It operates domestic pad distribution through Pads Across America, U.S. grant programs for schools and nonprofits, international pad-making machine programs, and an Ambassador Program, and produces documentary films such as the Oscar-winning "Period. End of Sentence." to drive awareness.

Product overview

The Pad Project is a global nonprofit organization focused on menstrual equity, operating three interconnected program areas: documentary filmmaking and advocacy, international menstrual product programs, and U.S. domestic initiatives. The organization's flagship documentary 'Period. End of Sentence.' won an Oscar and is used globally to raise awareness, while additional films including 'Long Line of Ladies,' 'IMPURE,' and 'Jane Austen's Period Drama' further the mission. International programs include pad-making machine enterprises and washable pad programs across multiple countries, plus menstrual cup distribution. The Ambassador Program engages youth activists globally. U.S. programs (Pads Across America, Pads for Schools) distribute products and provide grants to address period poverty. Annual galas serve as major fundraising events. The organization also runs the Period Positive Workplace movement in partnership with other menstrual health organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Period. End of Sentence. An Academy Award-winning documentary short film produced by The Pad Project, following the installation of a pad-making machine in India and the impact on the local community.
• Pads Across America
• Ambassador Program
• Long Line of Ladies
• IMPURE

Products and services

• Pads Across America

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5 million period products distributed worldwide
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Girls Learn International (GLI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Girls Learn International connected The Pad Project's founders (Oakwood School students) to Action India, enabling the first pad machine installation in Kathikhera, India. GLI is the originating organization that inspired The Pad Project's founding through its school chapters model. Organizations continue to collaborate on Pads for Schools initiatives and the Campaign for Menstrual Equity.
• Oakwood SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent K-12 school where The Pad Project originated as a student club. Home to The Pad Project's headquarters and continues to host events, school clubs, and the annual Gender Justice Summit. Students serve as ambassadors and lead menstrual equity initiatives.
• Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by the same individuals who started The Pad Project. FMF supports through advocacy, resources, and programming including Girls Learn International. Organizations share leadership and mission alignment on gender equality.
• Action IndiacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGrassroots NGO based in Delhi that serves as The Pad Project's direct liaison with communities in India. Enabled the first pad machine installation in Kathikhera village and continues to monitor programs.
• Pencils of PromiseminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEducation nonprofit operating schools in Guatemala where The Pad Project provides menstrual health education and products through ambassador programs.
• SumArthcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSocial enterprise in Bihar, India working since 2020 with farmers for economic growth. Partners with The Pad Project to run disposable pad production enterprise and conducts menstrual health workshops. Expanded in 2024 to include menstrual cups.
• Days for GirlsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational nonprofit providing menstrual hygiene solutions. Listed as partner in the Period Positive Workplace coalition alongside The Pad Project, The Policy Project, PSI Europe, Share The Dignity Australia, and The Toilet Board Coalition.
• Natural CyclesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMenstrual tracking app partnered with The Pad Project for Menstrual Hygiene Day 2024 events. Joint pad-packing party and screening of 'Period. End of Sentence.' in New York, with 35,000+ products distributed.
• JP Morgan ChaseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner hosting pad-packing events. 40+ participants packed nearly 700 kits for distribution to schools with large immigrant and refugee populations. Partnership through Women on the Move and Working Families Network.
• Goldman SachsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner hosting pad-packing party on June 11, 2024. Employees packed 5,971 tampons and 11,089 pads, donating 17,060 total products.
• GenVminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPhilanthropy organization hosting annual pad-packing events. 2024 event packed 1,470 kits with 29,400 products donated. 2025 event donated over 25,000 pads and tampons.
• Homeboy IndustriesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLargest gang rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world, based in Los Angeles. The Pad Project provided 7,000+ pads in 2025 to address lack of menstrual products for formerly incarcerated women.
• Tory BurchminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFashion brand hosting shopping events with proceeds benefiting The Pad Project's Los Angeles programs. 20% of evening proceeds donated. Events held in 2022 for International Day of the Girl and 2024 for Mother's Day.
• Lucky FeatherminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJewelry brand selling 'Giving Bracelet' with $5 from every bracelet sold going directly to The Pad Project.
• Jiggy PuzzlesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPuzzle company partnered with artist Maliha Abidi to create custom puzzle featuring menstrual health education workshop in Tanzania. 50% of proceeds go to The Pad Project's international pad-making programs.
• MintedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStationery company offering 20% discount with code FUNDRAISEPAD, with 10% of purchases donated to The Pad Project.
• LarroudeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShoe brand donated 15% of Giving Tuesday 2022 sales to pad-making machine programs in Afghanistan, India, Kenya, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
• GANNIminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFashion brand hosted shopping event in West Hollywood with 20% of proceeds supporting pad-making programs across Afghanistan, India, Kenya, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
• Veronica BeardminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFashion brand partnered for International Women's Day 2022 event. Proceeds supported period products for Ukrainian refugees. Hosted by Ashley Greene, Stacey Sher, and Maggie Brown.
• Code Red (Palisades Charter High School)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerStudent-formed club at Palisades Charter High School raising money for period products for underserved communities. After the Palisades fire, shifted to collecting donations for fire victims.
• Altadena GirlsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal organization partnering with The Pad Project for wildfire recovery efforts. Packed 750 kits for Pasadena Unified School District students impacted by Los Angeles wildfires with support from CAA Foundation and Rif Care.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AFRIpads: Social enterprise manufacturing and distributing reusable menstrual pads across sub-Saharan Africa; comparable as a pad-manufacturing enterprise with employment-for-women impact model paralleling The Pad Project's machine programs.
• Days for Girls: International nonprofit producing washable pad kits and menstrual health education globally; directly comparable as a 501(c)(3) menstrual-equity organization with partner-driven distribution and global ambassador/volunteer model.
• Myna Mahila Foundation: India-based nonprofit producing low-cost sanitary pads and employing women from urban slums; directly comparable as an India-based pad-making nonprofit with grassroots manufacturing and women's employment outcomes.
• Ruby Cup: Social enterprise selling Buy-One-Give-One menstrual cups with distribution across Africa and the Global South; comparable as a menstrual-equity organization with a product-based 'cup' program analogous to The Pad Project's cup distribution efforts.
• Saathi: India-based social enterprise manufacturing biodegradable pads and employing local women; highly comparable as a pad-making enterprise in one of The Pad Project's core geographies (India) with a similar employment-impact model.
• Be Girl: Social enterprise distributing reusable menstrual products and puberty education kits across East Africa, South Asia, and Latin America; comparable as a multi-product (pads + underwear) menstrual health organization with global distribution.
• PERIOD. (The Menstrual Movement): U.S.-based youth-led nonprofit focused on menstrual equity advocacy, product distribution, and policy; comparable as a grassroots advocacy nonprofit targeting period poverty in U.S. schools and communities.
• Zana Africa: Kenyan social enterprise providing menstrual health products and education across East Africa; comparable as an emerging-market pad producer combining product distribution with adolescent health education.
• Sustainable Health Enterprises (SHE): Rwanda-based social enterprise producing affordable pads from local banana fiber and training women in sales; highly comparable as an emerging-market pad manufacturer with a women-empowerment distribution model.

Emerging players

• Lunette: Menstrual cup brand with sustainability-focused positioning and global retail distribution; comparable as an emerging player in the alternative menstrual product category overlapping The Pad Project's cup distribution work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/thepadproject1?lang=en
• Facebookfacebook.com/ThePadProjecct
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-pad-project
• Instagraminstagram.com/thepadproject/?hl=en

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 The Pad Project