Origins and
Objectives
We Are
OUR MISSION
The Pad Project is a global nonprofit that expands access to menstrual care products, combats period stigma, and champions menstrual equity for all.
OUR APPROACH
Access
Lack of access to affordable, safe and effective menstrual products is a global problem. The Pad Project learns from our nonprofit and social enterprise partners and then funds a variety of programs to meet the needs of different individuals and communities.
Our goal is to help each partner to provide adequate menstrual health solutions to the people they serve, which, according to a globally accepted definition, requires “complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in relation to the menstrual cycle.”
Agency
The Pad Project’s international programs utilize a social enterprise model. Instead of simply distributing products, these programs employ women from the community in making and selling menstrual products.
Our programs also involve implementing menstrual health workshops, all of which are co-created and run by our partners to fit the needs of their community members.
Advocacy
The Pad Project believes that educating people about menstruation is a necessary part of the menstrual equity movement. We created the documentary Period. End of Sentence. to raise awareness about period poverty, and we’ve included menstrual health education as a key component in all of our international programs.
We are also committed to using education to debunk myths about menstruation and combat menstrual stigma around the world.
OUR VALUES
INCLUSIVITY
At The Pad Project, we are dedicated to supporting all girls, women, and people who menstruate. We want our fight for menstrual equity to be inclusive of all identities who experience menstruation, including cisgender, transgender, nonbinary, and genderfluid individuals. However, we as an organization are still learning and growing, and we welcome all feedback. If you see a way for us to be more inclusive, let us know at info@thepadproject.org!
COLLABORATION
The Pad Project isn’t alone in the fight for menstrual equity. We partner with nonprofits and social enterprises in the US and internationally to make sure our programs fit the individual menstrual hygiene needs of each community where we work. We also founded the Ambassador Program to connect and engage menstrual equity activists around the globe.
OUR ORIGIN STORY
In 2013 eight high school students and their teacher founded The Pad Project because they believed “a period should end a sentence, not an education.”
What began as a documentary film project highlighting a single village has expanded to an organization with global reach. In 2019, that documentary film, Period. End of Sentence., won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short, and since then, The Pad Project has continued to grow.
We’ve placed 9 pad machines in 2 countries and are working to place 7 more pad machines in 4 countries. We’ve launched 8 washable pad programs in 6 countries and are working to launch another washable pad program soon! In the U.S., we’ve started two programs to combat period poverty: Pads for All and Pads for Schools. So far, we’ve partnered with 10 NGOs and grassroots organizations in 8 states and 5 schools and school districts in 4 states to provide menstrual products to those in need. We also launched The Pad Project’s Ambassador Program, which is designed to unite menstrual equity activists around the world!
WHAT WE DO
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
14 partners in 9 countries
The Pad Project supports grassroots partners with small grants and technical assistance to pilot and scale menstrual health programs in low-income communities.
We promote the creation of sustainable business models for the production and//or selling of menstrual products. Where markets are severely under-developed, our grants support free distribution of products. To encourage choice for the people we serve, the programs provide access to one or more products, including disposable pads, washable pads, period underwear and menstrual cups. In every region where we work, our partners provide culturally sensitive menstrual health education within their communities.
US PROGRAMS
With 64 partners in 50 states and D.C.
The Pad Project develops partnerships with schools, non-profits, and grassroots organizations to address period poverty in the U.S.
Through our U.S. Programs, we stand as the first believer in changemakers, providing grants to organizations in need of menstrual care products. Our commitment is to uplift communities and locally led initiatives by increasing access to menstrual products and resources. In doing so, our hope is to close opportunity gaps connected to period poverty across the country.
AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
400+ Ambassadors from 44 countries
The Pad Project’s Ambassador Program is a leadership development and advocacy initiative that galvanizes the next generation of menstrual equity activists into action.
Our youth-powered team takes a localized approach to tackling menstrual injustice through project-based learning and service opportunities. Volunteering their time and skills, Ambassadors collaborate on work that progresses product accessibility, public health, and civic engagement to advocate for a world free from menstrual stigma. This program builds community, awareness, and a global network of activists, prioritizing inclusivity and belonging.
Meet the team
behind the movement
OUR STAFF
Melissa Berton
Co-Founder/Executive Director
Los Angeles, California
Sorelle Cohen
Sr. Director of Development, Marketing & Communications
Los Angeles, California
Anu Jain
Director of Operations
Los Angeles, California
Payal Tiwari
International Programs Coordinator
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Tanya Mahajan
Strategy Specialist, International Programs
New Delhi, India
Rachel Gingold
Fundraising Strategist
Los Angeles, California
Nicolette Harutunian
Director of U.S. Programs
Los Angeles, California
Chloe Azorsky
Marketing and Brand Strategist
Kansas City, Missouri
Jayna Gandhi
Marketing Coordinator
Toronto, Canada
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CHAIRS
Anissa Siegel
Board Chair
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Artist
Anjana Sivakumar
CFO
HR Advisor, Apollo Global Management
GENERAL MEMBERS
Ariana Abadian-Heifetz
Menstrual Health Expert & Leadership Consultant, KONU
Bonnie Abaunza
Social Impact Producer, Human Rights Activist
Bria Gadsden
Menstrual Equity Advocate & Social Impact Strategist
Candace Clark Trinchieri
Author
Lisa Taback
Vice President of Awards & Talent Relations, Netflix
Michaela Carter
Author
Nicole Jain
Education Policy Advocate and Advisor
Stacey Sher
Film Producer
ADVISORY COUNCIL
E. Jackson Allison, Jr.
MD/MPH, Emergency Medicine & Public Health Physician
Laurie Arent
Writer/Executive Producer, Creative Business Consultant, Origin Story Consultant
Chloe Azorsky
Marketing and Brand Strategist, The Pad Project
Maxie Bluestein
Start-up consultant, fashion stylist, investor & entrepreneur
Karnit Braun
Co-Founder & Partner, Braun Law Group
Jodie Chan
VP Global Marketing and Communications at Carolina Herrera
Gohar Chichian
Senior Manager of Content Marketing, Catchafire
Jessica Cohen
Director, Office of Research Affairs, PATH
Christina Bricca DiSanza
Client Success Manager, Progyny
Sarah Ellis
Vice President – Client Advisor, Curated Wealth Partners
Cat Ferrier
Creative Producer, The Very Creative Firm
Supriya Garikipati
Professor in Sustainable Development, UCD
Samantha Moray Grossman
Founder, MORAYGENCY
Andrea Gruber
M.Div.
Elise Hausman
Senior Associate – Processes & Customer Systems, Bombas
Dr. Sarah Haynes
Founder and CEO of Coach Era
Nitha Jada-Goldberg
Associate Creative Director
Allison Krause
Banker at J.P. Morgan Private Bank
Sajji Lazarus
Snap Research Fellow, LACMA
Hannah Lebowitz-Lockard
Production and Development Manager, Best Case Studios
Victoria Lerner
Teacher
Jordan Levine
Global health expert
Abby Maxam
Community Leader
Sheila Minton
President & Chief Executive Officer at TAGNOS
Nancy Muller
Independent Consultant
Cara Familian Natterson, M.D.
Pediatriation, Author, Co-Founder, OOMLA
Diana Nelson
Global Advocacy Director, Days for Girls
Anna Nickerson
Growth at Column
Kate Rademacher
Independent Consultant
Julie Rajan
Associate Prof. Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Sarena Ravi
Endcronologist
Raquel Richter
Founder, Resolution Parent
Bharathi Sethumadhavan
Senior Philanthropic Advisor, Unboxed Philanthropy
Nishita Shah
Marketing Consultant, Non Profits
Pavita Singh
Executive Director, Girls Health Ed
Ashley Steimer-King
Senior Program Director, Girls Learn International
Jeremy Tepper
Growth Equity at Spectrum Equity | Software, Internet, and Data Investors
Phu Tranchi
Head of School, Tree Academy
Sateria Venable
Executive Director, Fibroid Foundation
Nancy Leptuch Virrey
Director of Advancement, Oakwood School
Lena Rose Winters
Director, Learning & Development
FOUNDERS BOARD
Sophie Ascheim
Strategic Partnerships Coordinator, Yale University ’23
Carly Gatto
University of Michigan ’22
Alden Sabah
Scripps College ’22
Ruby Schiff
Kenyon College ’21
Avery Siegel
Community Outreach Coordinator, Tulane University ’21
Charlotte Silverman
Brown University ’22
Claire Sliney
Marketing & Public Relations Coordinator, University of Pennsylvania ’21
Helen Yenser
Scripps ‘17, University of Southern California MFA ‘19, Cinematic Arts
YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD: Oakwood High School Alumnae