Our Fall 2022 Incubator Seed Grant Winner: Period Kits Ohio
Next up, we’re highlighting Geoff Davis from Period Kits Ohio from our Incubator Program! Along with their community partners, Period Kits Ohio provides menstrual products to those living in “period poverty,” to ensure that no one who menstruates is without the resources they need. Geoff founded Period Kits Ohio in February 2022 when he moved there, after founding Period Kits Colorado and advising the foundation of Period Kits Minnesota. Read below for our interview!
Geoff D. | Founder
Mockingbird: How did you get started in nonprofit work?
Geoff: Well, after I got out of the air force, I became a stay-at-home dad for a few years. I didn’t work for a few years, and eventually got a for-profit job, which I hated. I eventually stumbled into a job working with adult intellectual and developmental disabilities. After a few weeks, I thought to myself, “I know what I’m doing for the rest of my life,” and worked there for sixteen years.
I ended up on the board for Recycle Colorado for six years, but was introduced to “period poverty” when working with folks experiencing homelessness, and realized what an issue it is. I heard stories about how if someone had to pick between food and tampons, they’d put the food back, or if they couldn’t afford the tampons, they’d ration what they had, or would use rags, trash, or newspaper. And these products just weren’t available as a tool in schools or businesses.
My girls never had to worry about this; menstrual products were always available to them. And I wanted to make sure these resources were available to anyone who needed them. So I founded Period Kits Colorado, and then after I moved to Ohio to take care of my mother, realized there was a need for it here too, so I founded Period Kits Ohio in February of 2022.
Mockingbird: How does Period Kits Ohio work?
Geoff: We collect products to create a one-month kit, with twelve tampons, six pads, and six liners – hopefully that lasts someone at least one month, if not more. We put everything into a brown paper bag to avoid adding to the stigma. We have public drop-off locations in spots around Dayton, and a growing network of places.
In terms of the menstrual products, we get them from a few different resources. We’re a member of the Alliance for Period Supplies, which offers grant money and bulk donations, as well as the National Diaper Bank through Kotex and Huggies. We also have an Amazon wish list where folks can order products for us, which the donor can cater to their likes and dislikes.
Mockingbird: What are some of the challenges Period Kits Ohio has faced?
Geoff: For us, it’s all about meeting people where they’re at, and making sure that we’re receiving and giving donations through their lens, not ours. For instance, there’s a lot of conversation around things like organic products, or menstrual cups, but if you don’t have consistent access to a bathroom or hot water, that’s not going to be the best option. We’d like to offer more pads and liners for cultural reasons, so as Period Kits Ohio grows, we’re building second kits to help with what people want, and are adding more products donors can purchase, in addition to monetary donations.
However, we don’t want to “grow” so much in the sense of becoming a larger organization, because we don’t want period poverty to be a need. We want to address what’s systemically happening in our community. So we try to grow through word of mouth, or social media, which has really boosted awareness.
We also recognize that the tone of the issues are not really being addressed, and a lot of that comes from the stigma surrounding menstruation. We try to avoid all of that stigma, which – truthfully – comes from men. I’ve been at events where men are afraid to interact with products, and I just want to tell them, “you can’t catch menstruation!”
How you can get involved and donate!
Mockingbird: What are your favorite nonprofit resources?
Geoff: Definitely the Alliance for Period Supplies. Also the Femme Collective, which is one of our fiscal sponsors in Dayton, funded by the Dayton Foundation. They helped us get our first $15,000! I’ve also really liked SCORE, which helps with lots of small business applications. And, of course, the Mockingbird Incubator.
Mockingbird: Perfect segue – how did you find and decide to join the Mockingbird Incubator?
Geoff: I found the Mockingbird Incubator from a LinkedIn post when we were about four months in. I liked that it was simple and met me where I was at – it’s just me, so the organization has to be simple. There was so much tangible advice that could be put to use.
Mockingbird: And how has the Mockingbird Incubator been helpful for you?
Geoff: Ultimately, the Incubator did a great job of harnessing my skills and orienting me to nonprofit leadership. Even though I had worked in nonprofits, I still didn’t know all the rules. Sometimes, you think if you’ve worked in nonprofits, you know how to run one, and that’s just not how that works. There’s a huge difference between following your passion as a volunteer versus managing an organization.
And you know, folks in the nonprofit world, we’re all dreamers, and we want to rescue all the animals. That’s me with ending period poverty. The Incubator was a good eye opener, and a reminder that if you really want to do this, you need to understand what you’re doing. It’s not all sunshine and unicorns; they did a great job of saying that without scaring you away, and help cultivate your ideas and set expectations. And, once you start your nonprofit, you don’t own it – it belongs to the community.
Mockingbird: Any parting pieces of advice or little gems you’d like to give nonprofit readers?
Geoff: Sure!
One – Break things fast. Don’t be afraid to fail and to ask. For instance, I was giving a talk to the Dayton Foundation, talking about the SWOT analysis of a plan. I had to stop because I didn’t know the difference between a SWOT team and a SWOT analysis! You just have to give up your ego and ask questions.
Two – Don’t wait for the perfect moment, and be prepared to put in the work. Get off your butt, and however hard you think you’ll have to work, triple it – at last. If you think you’ll need twenty hours for a project, allow for sixty. It’s much harder than you think.
Three – Networking in the nonprofit world is much different than in the corporate or for-profit world. You start, and you realize it’s not really out there. It’s more insular.
Mockingbird: That’s great advice. Thanks for sharing! And thanks for being here with us today.
Geoff: Thanks for having me!
The Mockingbird Analytics Incubator is here to empower nonprofits to succeed with their mission. Are you interested in joining the Incubator? Take our quiz here!