SHARE OUR SPARE
Share Our Spare is a Chicago-based nonprofit that collects and distributes diapers, wipes, formula, clothing, and baby gear to low-income families with children from newborn to age 5 through a network of 30+ vetted social service agency partners across 120 Illinois zip codes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersChicago Park, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SHARE OUR SPARE does
Share Our Spare is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 that collects, processes, and redistributes baby essentials—including diapers, wipes, formula, clothing, and gear—to families with children from newborn to age 5 experiencing financial need. The organization operates as a hub-and-spoke distribution model anchored by a 10,000+ square foot Sharehouse in the Old Irving Park neighborhood, where donated items are sorted, quality-checked, and made available to a network of more than 30 vetted 501(c)(3) social service agencies serving clients across 120 zip codes in nine Illinois counties. End beneficiaries access items at no cost through these partner agencies, preserving family dignity while enabling the partner agencies to redirect their own budgets toward rent and utility assistance.
Revenue is generated entirely through philanthropy and ancillary service fees rather than commercial sales. Streams include individual online donations, corporate sponsorships and foundation grants (supporters include CME Group Foundation, Kimberly-Clark, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Abbott, and Huggies), proceeds from special events (Music Trivia, Gala, Pajamas & Pancakes, National Diaper Need Awareness Week), in-kind goods donations, and a $50 fee for residential donation pickup services. The organization reports that 88% of donation dollars flow directly to programs supporting children and families and that its wholesale purchasing power drives per-diaper costs to roughly 15 cents versus a 26–30 cent market rate. Service technology is limited to NeonCRM (donor management), Golden (volunteer scheduling), and a standard CMS website with an Amazon Baby Registry; there is no proprietary platform or API. Distribution, fundraising, and awareness are driven through community channels—community councils, a Young Professionals Board, corporate workplace giving campaigns, and earned media coverage—rather than a productized go-to-market motion.
SHARE OUR SPARE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SHARE OUR SPARE
- Legal name
- Share Our Spare
- Website
- https://shareourspare.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Share Our Spare is a Chicago-based nonprofit that collects and distributes diapers, wipes, formula, clothing, and baby gear to low-income families with children from newborn to age 5 through a network of 30+ vetted social service agency partners across 120 Illinois zip codes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where SHARE OUR SPARE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago Park
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
SHARE OUR SPARE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Financial contributions from individual donors through website donations. 88% of donation dollars go directly to supporting children and families.
- Corporate Sponsorships & Grants: Funding from corporate partners, foundations, and grant-making organizations. Major supporters include CME Group Foundation, Kimberly Clark, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Abbott, and various foundations.
- Special Events: Revenue from annual events including Music Trivia, Gala, Pajamas & Pancakes, and National Diaper Need Awareness Week activities.
- In-Kind Donations: New and gently used baby items donated by individuals and organizations, which are then redistributed to families in need.
- Donation Pickup Services: $50 fee for residential donation pickup services to cover staff, gas, and van costs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Donation/ grant-funded | One time | $30 provides warm coat for 1 child |
| Unit Pricing | Per service | $50 donation for residential pickup service |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
SHARE OUR SPARE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Share Our Spare is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates as a community diaper bank, collecting donated baby essentials (diapers, wipes, formula, clothing, and gear) and distributing them at deeply reduced cost to families in need. The organization runs a 10,000+ sq ft Sharehouse facility and works through a network of 30+ vetted social service agency partners to reach families across 120 zip codes in 9 counties.
Product overview
Share Our Spare is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization operating as a community resource hub rather than a technology product company. The organization offers a network of interconnected services centered around collecting, processing, and distributing baby essentials to families in need. Core offerings include a donation collection and processing operation through the Sharehouse facility, diaper and baby essentials distribution via agency partner networks, and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program for early literacy. Supporting programs include volunteer sessions, community councils, young professionals board, donation drives, and special events. The organization does not offer a software product, platform, or API.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Dolly Parton's Imagination Library: A free book gifting program that delivers high-quality books to children from birth to age five. Share Our Spare partners with this program to foster literacy among Chicago's youngest readers.
Products and services
- Community Diaper Bank Program
- Sharehouse Distribution Facility
- Agency Partner Network Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 96% of families reported being less stressed about providing essentials for their children
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use SHARE OUR SPARE
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SHARE OUR SPARE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
SHARE OUR SPARE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of IllinoiscorePart of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois' Special Beginnings® initiative, launched in 2024, which aims to improve maternal and infant health outcomes by increasing access to pregnancy-related care in Illinois.
- Chicago CommonscoreCommunity partner receiving over 1,000 diapers monthly along with wipes and formula for distribution to struggling families on Chicago's South side.
- Greater Chicago Food DepositorymajorPartnership through which service agencies receive essentials. Part of pilot program supplying millions of diapers to families in need.
- Erie Family Health CenterscoreHealthcare provider case management team uses Share Our Spare for immediate and ongoing needs like diapers for patients and their babies.
- Illinois Diaper Bank CoalitioncoreCoalition of seven essential needs nonprofits across Illinois working to bring awareness to unmet diaper need and advocate for children's essential needs. Includes Bundled Blessings, Covered Bottoms, Cradles to Crayons, Diaper Bank of Northern Illinois, Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank, and Keeping Families Covered.
- National Diaper Bank NetworkmajorNational organization providing network support and resources for diaper banks. Share Our Spare is a member.
- Baby2BabymajorNational nonprofit providing baby items. Listed as community supporter.
- Revolution BrewingminorHosted diaper drive at Avondale taproom, offering free beer to donors of unopened diaper packs.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SHARE OUR SPARE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank: Regional diaper bank in Illinois; coalition peer with Share Our Spare. Operates the same diaper-bank agency-partner distribution model.
- Covered Bottoms Diaper Bank: Illinois diaper bank and coalition partner of Share Our Spare. Same essential-needs distribution model; regional overlap.
- Keeping Families Covered: Illinois-based diaper bank; another Illinois Diaper Bank Coalition partner of Share Our Spare, with directly comparable mission.
- Baby2Baby: National nonprofit distributing diapers, clothing, and baby essentials to children in need. Listed as a community supporter of Share Our Spare, with overlapping mission and model, operating at a much larger national scale.
- Bundled Blessings: Illinois-based diaper/essentials nonprofit and fellow Illinois Diaper Bank Coalition member. Highly comparable mission and operating model.
- Cradles to Crayons: Nonprofit collecting and distributing baby and children's essentials to families in need. Co-member of the Illinois Diaper Bank Coalition with Share Our Spare, sharing the exact dual model of in-kind donations and social-services redistribution.
- Diaper Bank of Northern Illinois: Illinois-based diaper bank and fellow Illinois Diaper Bank Coalition member. Directly comparable to Share Our Spare in mission, region, and diaper-distribution model.
Emerging players
- Dolly Parton's Imagination Library: Literacy book-gifting program partnered with Share Our Spare to deliver books to children 0–5 in select Chicago zip codes. Comparable in serving the same beneficiary demographic with early-childhood essential resources.
Broad incumbents
- National Diaper Bank Network: National umbrella organization with which Share Our Spare is a member. Coordinates and supports diaper banks across the country — operates at the network level rather than distributing directly, but occupies the same essential-needs diaper-bank category.
Regional players
- Greater Chicago Food Depository: Major regional food/essentials distributor and partner of Share Our Spare. Operates a much larger food-distribution model but intersects in the same population (low-income Chicagoland families) and complements diaper-bank services.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SHARE OUR SPARE social profiles
Digital presenceSHARE OUR SPARE compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
SHARE OUR SPARE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SHARE OUR SPARE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
SHARE OUR SPARE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SHARE OUR SPARE M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SHARE OUR SPARE
What does SHARE OUR SPARE do?
Share Our Spare is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates as a community diaper bank, collecting donated baby essentials (diapers, wipes, formula, clothing, and gear) and distributing them at deeply reduced cost to families in need. The organization runs a 10,000+ sq ft Sharehouse facility and works through a network of 30+ vetted social service agency partners to reach families across 120 zip codes in 9 counties.
Is SHARE OUR SPARE a public or private company?
SHARE OUR SPARE is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was SHARE OUR SPARE founded?
SHARE OUR SPARE was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SHARE OUR SPARE based?
SHARE OUR SPARE is headquartered in Chicago Park, United States, in the North America region.
How does SHARE OUR SPARE make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships & Grants, special Events, in-Kind Donations and donation Pickup Services.
Who are SHARE OUR SPARE's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank, Covered Bottoms Diaper Bank, Keeping Families Covered, Baby2Baby, Bundled Blessings, Cradles to Crayons and Diaper Bank of Northern Illinois. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is listed as an emerging player. National Diaper Bank Network is listed as a broad incumbent. Greater Chicago Food Depository is listed as a regional player.
Does SHARE OUR SPARE have an API?
No public API is recorded for SHARE OUR SPARE.