What The Lotus does

The Lotus is a U.S.-headquartered 501(c)-style non-profit organization founded in 2022 and based in San Francisco, California, focused on menstrual equity for adolescent girls in rural China. The organization operates two primary program lines: The Lotus for Youth, which partners with middle schools in rural China to install Menstrual Hygiene Corners in school bathrooms and distribute free menstrual products, and The Lotus Collegiate Chapters, a network of student-led university chapters at WUSTL, NYU, Tufts, and Mount Holyoke that incubate localized campus projects such as the "Go Green For the Red" reusable product initiative. As of 2024, the organization has established direct partnerships with four named middle schools in Gansu and Shandong provinces serving a combined 773 girls, with a cumulative claim of supporting 1,000+ young women.

The organization runs a community-led go-to-market model in which student volunteers expand the chapter network and corporate partners — most notably CALB Co. (2023 International Women's Day) and Guangzhou Xinqiao School SCA (2024 International Women's Day, "Glowing Wǒmen" campaign) — provide product donations and amplification. Distribution is conducted through three channels: direct school partnerships in China, on-campus tabling and mailing via collegiate chapters, and corporate partnership deliveries routed through the school network. The Lotus has no proprietary technology platform; its digital footprint is a Squarespace-hosted website, a Donately donation page, an Instagram account (@thelotusofficial_), and podcast appearances by founder Scoot Wang.

The revenue model is donations and in-kind product contributions only — all programs are provided free of charge to beneficiaries, and no pricing, subscription, or fee-for-service structure exists. The organization employs 7 staff, is led by co-founders Scoot Wang (CEO), Cheri Chen (COO/Secretary), and Bell Sun (CFO), and reports members across 10 countries. There is no disclosed funding round, parent company, or institutional grant data.

Name

The Lotus

Legal name

The Lotus

Website

https://thelotusofficial.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Lotus is a 2022-founded U.S. non-profit that partners with rural Chinese middle schools and U.S. university chapters to distribute free menstrual products and education to adolescent girls facing period poverty. It operates a donation-funded, volunteer-led model serving roughly 1,000+ beneficiaries across four Chinese school sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Menstrual Equity Nonprofit Programs

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) Partnerships (HLAJAOAG)

Keywords

• Menstrual equity programs
• Menstrual product distribution
• Menstrual health education
• Period poverty nonprofit
• Collegiate chapter outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization raises funds through donations, including a charity postcard sale that initially funded the founding, and ongoing donations via the Donately platform. The organization collaborates with corporate partners to fund product distribution initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Lotus is a nonprofit organization that distributes free menstrual hygiene products and delivers menstrual health education to adolescent girls in rural China through partnerships with four middle schools, while running collegiate chapters at US universities to organize campus-level menstrual equity projects. It funds operations via donations, a charity postcard sale, and corporate CSR partnerships, and conducts larger awareness and product-collection campaigns around International Women's Day.

Product overview

The Lotus is a non-profit organization focused on menstrual equity, offering a portfolio of programs including youth education and product distribution projects, collegiate chapter initiatives at universities, and school partnerships in China. The core offerings include The Lotus for Youth (serving middle schools in China with menstrual hygiene corners and product distribution) and The Lotus Collegiate Chapters (university-based chapters supporting campus menstrual equity). Partnerships with organizations like CALB Co. and SCA Guangzhou enable larger-scale distribution campaigns, while specific school projects (Gansu Art School-Tianshui, Zhongyuan Middle School, Zhuqiao Middle School, and Laizhou Pearl Middle School) provide targeted support. University chapters run additional programs like the 'Go Green For the Red' reusable product initiative and dispensary refill programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Lotus for Youth: Youth-focused menstrual equity program targeting young menstruators through education and product distribution
• The Lotus Collegiate Chapters
• Go Green for the Red

Products and services

• The Lotus for Youth
• The Lotus Collegiate Chapters

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000+ young women provided with menstrual products through partnerships with 4 middle schools
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Guangzhou Xinqiao School SCAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 March 2024For 2024 International Women's Day, The Lotus partnered with Guangzhou Xinqiao School SCA to campaign against menstrual poverty and menstrual shame. Four girls led a 'Glowing Wǒmen' project collecting menstrual products for adolescent girls from rural China. The partnership included a social experiment, podcast interviews with The Lotus founder Scoot and Dr. Chen Qiuxia, and distribution of 600+ product packages to three schools. The Lotus connected SCA with several middle schools to help distribute the collected products.
• CALB Co.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 March 2023For 2023 International Women's Day, The Lotus partnered with CALB Co. to distribute menstrual products to dance schools in Gansu Province. This initiative aimed to address period poverty among adolescent girls, ensuring they have access to essential resources for their well-being.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• AFRIpads: Social enterprise producing and distributing reusable menstrual pads across Africa; adjacent mission to The Lotus's focus on adolescent girls in emerging markets.

Direct peers

• I Support the Girls: Nonprofit that collects and distributes menstrual products to people experiencing homelessness and poverty; analogous donation-in, product-out distribution model.
• Days for Girls International: Global nonprofit that distributes reusable menstrual kits and provides menstrual health education to girls in low-resource settings; The Lotus's product-plus-education model for adolescent girls in underserved regions is structurally analogous.
• The Pad Project: Nonprofit that funds pad-making machines and distributes menstrual products internationally; comparable mission and beneficiary base (school-age girls lacking menstrual product access).
• Dignity Period: Nonprofit addressing menstrual hygiene management in low-resource settings, combining product access with education; directly comparable to The Lotus's dual education-and-distribution approach.
• PERIOD (period.org): US-based nonprofit addressing period poverty through product distribution, education, and policy advocacy, with a strong youth/student volunteer network — closely mirroring The Lotus's collegiate chapter model.
• Alliance for Period Supplies: National nonprofit distributing period supplies through a network of partner organizations; comparable donation-driven product-distribution model targeting low-income menstruators.

Broad incumbents

• UNICEF (Menstrual Health & Hygiene program): Large multilateral organization funding and implementing menstrual health initiatives across low-income countries, including in Asia; a potential partner or competitor for institutional-scale menstrual equity programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/thelotusofficial_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thelotusofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Lotus