Help a Mother Out

What Help a Mother Out does

Help a Mother Out (HAMO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009 by two Bay Area mothers to address diaper insecurity among low-income families. The organization operates as a diaper bank, distributing free diapers to families with children under age three through two primary channels: the Bay Area Diaper Bank, a regional network of over 50 partner agencies spanning seven counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Marin, and Sonoma), and the San Francisco Diaper Bank (SFDB), the nation's first publicly funded diaper bank, operated under contract with the San Francisco Human Services Agency since 2015. Since inception, HAMO has distributed over 80 million diapers, reaching approximately 7,500 Bay Area babies per month and serving CalWORKs, CalFresh, and Medi-Cal-eligible families across more than 9 community pickup locations in San Francisco.

HAMO's revenue model is multi-stream and donation-based, comprising individual donations, corporate sponsorships and matching gifts, in-kind diaper contributions, and government grants and contracts. Major funding has come from the California Department of Social Services (including a $2.5 million grant in 2019), the City and County of San Francisco, and various foundations. The state of California has allocated funding for diaper banks statewide ($10M annually at peak in 2019, $9M in 2024-25, $7.4M in FY2025-26). HAMO supplements its distribution programs with a private-label premium diaper brand, ELO Baby, launched in 2020, and operates advocacy campaigns to include diapers in California's social safety net — a strategy that contributed to the passage of AB480 in 2017 and the diaper tax exemption.

The organization's go-to-market is community-led and partnership-driven: diapers reach families indirectly through trusted social service providers (Children's Council of SF, Alameda County Public Health, Brighter Beginnings, YMCA branches, Roots, Homeless Prenatal Program), while fundraising relies on grassroots diaper drives, benefit events, earned media coverage in major outlets, and digital engagement. HAMO is governed by a Board of Directors and led by founder Lisa Truong (Executive Director), supported by a small staff of approximately eight identified team members.

Name

Help a Mother Out

Legal name

Help a Mother Out

Website

https://helpamotherout.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Help a Mother Out is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2009 that distributes free diapers to low-income families with children under age three through the Bay Area Diaper Bank network and the nation's first publicly funded San Francisco Diaper Bank, having distributed over 80 million diapers since inception.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services / Nonprofit Diaper Bank

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Child & Family Health Program Funding (HLAJALAG), Infant & Toddler Sleep, Feeding & Diapering Support Programs (EDACAGAJ)

Keywords

• Diaper bank services
• Nonprofit social services
• Diaper distribution
• Family basic needs
• Community giving programs

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco Bay Area

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Monetary donations from individuals through online donation portal, monthly giving programs, and one-time gifts. Tax-deductible contributions as a 501(c)(3) organization.
2. Corporate Sponsorships and Matching Gifts: Corporate sponsorships and matching gift programs from business partners.
3. Government Grants and Contracts: Government funding from California state budget allocations for diaper bank programs. Includes contracts with San Francisco Human Services Agency for the San Francisco Diaper Bank. State funding has included $10 million annual pilot funding starting in 2019, reduced to $9 million in 2024/2025, and $7.4 million in FY2025-2026.
4. In-Kind Donations: Receipt of physical diaper donations from individuals, corporations, and events. Also accepts cloth diaper donations and other in-kind contributions.
5. Diaper Drive Hosting: Community members host diaper drives to collect donations on behalf of the organization.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Help a Mother Out is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that collects and distributes free diapers to low-income families with infants and toddlers across the San Francisco Bay Area and through the publicly funded San Francisco Diaper Bank. Diapers are sourced via individual donations, corporate gifts, diaper drives, foundation grants, and California state government contracts, then distributed through a network of more than 50 partner agencies (family resource centers, public health departments, homeless and foster services, YMCA, domestic violence shelters, etc.) and direct community pickup sites.

Product overview

Help a Mother Out operates as a diaper bank nonprofit with two primary programs: the Bay Area Diaper Bank (a distribution network of social service partners across the Bay Area) and the San Francisco Diaper Bank (the nation's first publicly funded diaper bank, operated in partnership with SF Human Services Agency). The organization also launched its private-label premium diaper brand, ELO Baby, in 2020. Programs serve CalWORKs, CalFresh, and Medi-Cal eligible families with children under age three, distributing over 80 million diapers since founding in 2009.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ELO Baby: Private-label premium diaper brand created by Help a Mother Out in 2020 to provide high-quality diapers to families in need.

Products and services

• Bay Area Diaper Bank A diaper distribution program providing free monthly diaper supplies to low-income families with children under age three across the San Francisco Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Marin, and Sonoma counties), through a network of more than 50 partner agencies including family resource centers, voluntary home visiting programs, parent support groups, homeless and foster services, and public health departments.
• San Francisco Diaper Bank (SFDB) The first publicly funded diaper bank in the United States, operated by Help a Mother Out in partnership with the San Francisco Human Services Agency. Provides free monthly diaper supplies to San Francisco families with children under age three who participate in CalWORKs, CalFresh, or Medi-Cal, distributed through 9+ community pickup locations where families show EBT card and ID.
• ELO Baby Premium Diaper Brand Help a Mother Out's private-label premium diaper brand (ELO BABY®), launched in 2020 to provide high-quality diapers distributed to families in need through HAMO's diaper bank programs, and registered as a trademark of the organization.

Quantifiable outcome

• Diaper banks produce $2 in health care savings for every $1 spent distributing diapers.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• California Association of Diaper Banks (CADB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Charter member of CADB formed in 2023. Works collaboratively with other California diaper banks on advocacy for state funding and policy changes.
• San Francisco Human Services AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership to establish and operate the San Francisco Diaper Bank, the nation's first publicly funded diaper bank. The SF Diaper Bank provides free monthly diapers to CalWORKs, CalFresh, and Medi-Cal eligible families with children under age 3.
• National Diaper Bank NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation as NDBN affiliate partner since March 2013. Participates in national diaper need awareness initiatives and advocates for federal legislation to address diaper need.
• Children's Council of San FranciscocoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerKey distribution partner that serves as first point of contact with families. Provides childcare resources alongside diaper distributions and helps families access additional support services.
• USA for UNHCRminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to donate 100,000 diapers for Ukrainian refugees in 2022. USA for UNHCR handled logistics and customs for international diaper donation.
• thredUPminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership allows supporters to donate clothing through thredUP's Clean Out Kit program. Proceeds from clothing sales go to Help a Mother Out, providing buying power for diapers.
• EarthBabyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-term supporter and sponsor. EarthBaby provides composting services for diapers and donated truck/driver logistics for California fire relief efforts.
• Various California Food BankscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRegional food banks operating diaper programs in Redwood Empire, Sacramento, Fresno, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, and Inland Empire through California state funding grants.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Baby2Baby: Baby2Baby is one of the largest national nonprofits distributing diapers, clothing, and other essentials to children in poverty. It shares HAMO's direct-distribution, donation-funded model but operates at significantly larger national scale, making it the most directly comparable peer in the diaper bank category.
• Austin Diaper Bank: Austin Diaper Bank is a regional NDBN-affiliated diaper bank serving central Texas families. Directly comparable as a community-based diaper distribution nonprofit using a partner-agency network and donor-funded model.
• California Association of Diaper Banks (CADB): CADB is a California statewide coalition of diaper banks co-founded by HAMO in 2023. The other member banks (e.g., in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego) are direct peers pursuing the same state advocacy agenda and using the same partner-distribution model.
• Good+Foundation: Good+Foundation is a national nonprofit providing diapers and baby gear to families living in poverty through partner social service agencies. It mirrors HAMO's partner-agency distribution model and target beneficiary population.
• National Diaper Bank Network: NDBN is the national umbrella organization that HAMO has been affiliated with since March 2013. It is directly comparable as a coordinating body for diaper banks, drives diaper need awareness, and advocates for federal legislation (DIAPER Act) on the same policy issues HAMO pursues.
• Baby Buggy (nested under INNOVATIONS FOR POVERTY ACTION): Baby Buggy / IPANYC operates a diaper and baby essentials bank in New York City, historically founded by Jessica Seinfeld. It uses a partner-agency distribution model targeting low-income families with young children, directly comparable to HAMO's Bay Area operations.
• Diaper Bank of North Carolina: Diaper Bank of North Carolina is a regional NDBN affiliate that distributes diapers to families across the state through partner agencies. Highly comparable as a state-focused diaper bank using the same partner-distribution architecture as HAMO.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: Feeding America is the largest U.S. hunger-relief nonprofit with a national food bank network. While its primary focus is food, several of its member food banks now operate diaper programs (including California food banks that partner with HAMO), making it a broad incumbent in adjacent basic-needs social assistance.
• United Way Bay Area: United Way Bay Area is a major regional funder of social services in the same Bay Area geography HAMO serves. While not a direct diaper-distribution competitor, it funds many of the same partner agencies and operates adjacent basic-needs programs for low-income families.

Others

• March of Dimes: March of Dimes is a long-established national nonprofit focused on maternal and infant health. While not a diaper bank, it addresses the same maternal/child population and pursues similar public-health advocacy, including diaper access as part of broader maternal health policy.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/helpamotherout
• Facebookfacebook.com/helpamotherout
• Instagraminstagram.com/helpamotherout
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/help-a-mother-out

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Help a Mother Out