Marketing Nonprofits that Tackle Sensitive Issues
Access Period, a nonprofit organization based in Omaha, was founded with the goal of normalizing the conversation around period poverty.
This issue, which affects one in four people who menstruate, is often overlooked and ignored despite its impact on education, career, and overall wellbeing.
Kristin Lowrey, the founder of Access Period, recognized the need to bring awareness to this issue, she knew the problem she solved was clear but crafting messaging and branding the organization was one among many challenges she faced.
One of the biggest challenges was finding a way to create messaging that was both inclusive and sensitive to the topic that not only women have periods and not all women have periods.
To address the hard-to-talk-about issue of period poverty, Access Period utilized the StoryBrand framework to create a clear and focused message that resonated with its target audience. By being specific about the problem it solved and finding its niche, Access Period was able to launch a brand that is making huge strides in addressing period poverty, providing more than 250,000 period products in just one year.
Access Period recognized that period poverty is not just a women’s issue but one that affects everyone who menstruates. By being inclusive in its messaging, Access Period was able to create a brand that was friendly and accessible to all.
Through purposeful graphic design and clear messaging, Access Period was able to successfully address the issue of period poverty and bring awareness to a problem that was previously overlooked.
If you’re interested in learning more about Access Period and their approach to effective branding and messaging, check out today’s episode of Growing a Fruitul Brand.
Check out the episode now where you listen to podcasts!
If you’re interested in connecting with Access Period to see how you can help the mission and make a difference, you can find Lowrey on instagram @accessperiod or visit the StoryBranded website www.accessperiod.com for more ways to get involved.
Ep. 27:
Marketing Nonprofits that Tackle Sensitive Issues
Automated Transcript
Raj Lulla:
Kristen, thanks for joining us on Growing a Fruitful Brand.
Kristin Lowrey:
Thanks for having me.
Raj Lulla:
So you lead Access Period, and let's just start there. What is Access Period?
Kristin Lowrey:
Well, access Period is an organization we're headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and we provide free period products for anyone that needs them throughout the state.
Raj Lulla:
Awesome. And how did you decide on that, on period products?
Kristin Lowrey:
Well, this is really something I've been thinking about for a long time. I think everybody has a problem that they can't stop thinking about, something that they experience or hear about, and it just really affects them. And so for me, period poverty and lack of access to basic needs in general was that. And then I had the opportunity, I still am on the board of directors for an organization called Partnership for Hope, and we serve young adult, former foster youth. And one of the services that we offer is a free store called Youth Mart. And being there and mentoring and working with that population, I just saw how dire the access or lack of access to basic needs in that population and in many others is.
Raj Lulla:
Yeah. So it almost seems like this is where we got the name. It was just Access and then you focus on period products. So Access Period. And some friends helped you come up with that, correct?
Kristin Lowrey:
Yes. I came up with a bunch of names. Some of them were really, really bad and just threw them at as many smart people as I could. And luckily that's how we met was through me trying to come up with this name.
Raj Lulla:
Yeah, and that's actually a fun story. We met through a Facebook group, both being in Omaha, but this is a nationwide marketing group that we met in. And you talked about trying to brand a problem like this. And I imagine that everybody listening can understand why this would be a challenge. What challenges were you anticipating in, so yes, coming up with a name, but your friends helped you come up with a good name. There's a lot of times where we'll get brands in where it's like, "Are you sure you want to do that?" But Access Period, so clear. And there's also a statement to it. I remember that being something really attractive about it at the beginning where it was access, period, that there's no qualification on that and that's really great. But what challenges did you anticipate with learning how to talk about it? What was going to look like, all of those things?
Kristin Lowrey:
I had been thinking about doing this for a while and had this idea, and I finally got brave enough to tell a couple people about it and what I thought it would look like. And the first two people I told were like, "Ooh, I do not understand that. And I don't think that's a good idea, and I don't think you should do that." They said it nicely, but that's basically what they said. And so I thought, "Well, I know that this is important. I'm just not talking about it right. I'm not presenting this in the right way to make people see it and care about it." And so I knew I needed some help and I knew I needed to practice and really figure out the right way to present this in a realistic way. It's something people are not used to talking about.
Raj Lulla:
Yeah. And I'm curious, do you remember, what are some of the ways that you used to talk about it that weren't eloquent?
Kristin Lowrey:
Oh, man. Well, we used to say feminine hygiene. We were going to provide feminine hygiene products. And that really makes it, first of all, makes it just a women's issue. It's feminine and it's soft. And also hygiene, that is dirty. So by saying menstrual products or period supplies instead of feminine hygiene products, that really shifts it from something negative to something positive and something that's for everyone.
Raj Lulla:
Yeah. That's really interesting. So then you reached out to, it was this Facebook group for marketers, and you expressed this problem of how do I talk about this? And we happen to be both be in Omaha. And for me, being married and then having daughters, I had experienced a transformation on this issue where the first time you have to go to the store as a husband for period products and that weird walk down the aisle and all that stuff. And I remember, I think it was literally the first time I had to do that where I just thought, "Why is this weird?"
It's a product that they sell at the store. The person in my life needs it. Why is this awkward? And so I just trained myself out of it 'cause I think part of my thing was I felt like I didn't even belong in the aisle, that if there was a woman in the aisle who was shopping for herself that I had to take a backseat to ... It's like, "Okay, I'll let you have your time." And then it's like, "I'll wait." And just very awkward and weird. But then just realizing that my need to be in that aisle was just as important as anybody else's need.
Somehow making that calculation helped me get over that. And so then when you reached out to, I was like, "Oh, I've actually experienced this transformation. I would love to help figure out how to talk about it in a way that isn't weird." And I think that you making that transition from what's wrong with the words that we're using? That one is maybe a little too narrow and the other emphasizes a part about this issue that we don't want to emphasize. And so getting to clearer language. Yeah, that's amazing. And that's really hard work and good on you for pursuing that.
Kristin Lowrey:
Thank you.
Raj Lulla:
How many products has Access Period distributed so far?
Kristin Lowrey:
So far we've distributed 250,000 products.
Raj Lulla:
And that's in just over a year, right?
Kristin Lowrey:
Yes.
Raj Lulla:
That's incredible.
Kristin Lowrey:
Thank you.
Raj Lulla:
How many people does that help?
Kristin Lowrey:
So far, we have served about 3,500 people and we make three-month kits, so that's over 6,000 periods. And we also like to measure worry-free days. So these are days when people can just go to work and go to school and not have to worry about if they're going to be held back or if they're going to be comfortable, able to concentrate. And so we've provided 33,000 worry-free days for Nebraskans.
Raj Lulla:
That's such a great way of framing what Access Period actually does. Because I think when we get hung up in the biology of this problem, that does make people a little uncomfortable no matter how much we try to do the work out of it. But let's talk about this a little more 'cause I want to really expose this problem. So when you talk about the opposite of that, worried days, what is that? There are probably people listening who don't know. How does this interrupt someone's life?
Kristin Lowrey:
So when people don't have access to menstrual products, they just have to make some really tough choices. And those choices could be staying home from work or school, and we are just beginning to collect data on the experiences of the people we serve. But so far, about half of the people that we've given products to have missed work or school because of lack of access to period products.
Raj Lulla:
Wow.
Kristin Lowrey:
And so this is keeping kids out of school. And in Omaha, the second-biggest reason why kids miss school is because of lack of access to clean clothing. And if you don't have period products, you do not have clean clothing.
Raj Lulla:
Wow.
Kristin Lowrey:
So I feel that we're really doing something there. Other tough choices people need to make, they will wear products for longer than intended, which is a really dangerous choice. And the most common thing we see is people using other products that aren't intended for periods. We just got a note the other day from someone that said that she had been using newborn diapers because they were so much easier to access than pads.
Raj Lulla:
Oh, wow.
Kristin Lowrey:
People use socks. We've heard of people using cardboard. I can't imagine a whole day of trying to concentrate in class with that type of worry and that type of just very uncomfortable.
Raj Lulla:
Yeah. And that that's a place where I could connect with this problem. Because in my nonprofit work that I did for 10 years before joining Fruitful, I was more aware of this problem in Africa and in Asia where girls would stop being schooled around the time of puberty because once they had to start missing days because of lack of access to period products, it just became untenable for them to continue in school and be missing that many days every month. So I was aware of that happening in the developing world. But you're saying this still happens in our state in 2023?
Kristin Lowrey:
Yes, absolutely. And especially in rural areas or even really urban areas, but that are food deserts. If you live in an area like that and you don't have access to really a big box store, menstrual products are really expensive.
Raj Lulla:
Wow.
Kristin Lowrey:
If you have to get them at a gas station, very, very expensive and not a lot of variety there either.
Raj Lulla:
Wow. That is mind-altering. It creates a shift in your brain to realize how similar we are to places that we think of as not having access to clean water and food and all of those things, but happening in our state, even in our city, it really does make you want to do something about that problem. It seems so easy to fix because it's literally all I have to do is just go to the store and buy more than I need and give them to you.
Kristin Lowrey:
Yes.
Raj Lulla:
That's all that's required here. It's incredible. I do know there's some other challenges to distributing and all those things, and I'd love to get to that towards the end of the episode today, to see how we can partner with you and help. But before we do that, I would love to just talk about, this is Growing a Fruitful Brand and branding an issue like this is difficult. We already talked about some of those ways that it's difficult to talk about this, but what do you think has made Access Periods so successful?
Kristin Lowrey:
Well, I think that what we did together early on, I think we were in this room maybe?
Raj Lulla:
Yeah, yeah.
Kristin Lowrey:
And we all looked at each other and thought, "Okay, how will we talk about this?" And I had some ideas and we all thought, "Well, this is going to be really, really hard." I did, I don't know if you thought felt that way.
Raj Lulla:
I thought it was going to be a challenge for sure. I'm even thinking as we're talking through this, I was like, "I don't know how many times I can say period in an episode and how people still listen."
Kristin Lowrey:
Yes, absolutely. And so just being able to really thoughtfully put together what our message was and be able to use the right verbiage, I never would've been able to do that without you. And that has made a big difference in just being able to talk about it. Now, you think about those two people that I told at the beginning that were like, "I do not understand what you're saying right now." And now anybody that I tell about it, I think at least they act like they really care deeply about it. And either they have experienced period poverty and experienced lack of access to other basic needs, or it just totally blows their mind because they though, "I've never thought about this ever in my life."
Raj Lulla:
Yeah. So let's talk a little bit about the work that we did together. What were some of the pieces that helped give an identity to Access Period that you needed to launch?
Kristin Lowrey:
So the story brand was the first thing that we did, and that brand script just made me feel confident enough to be able to talk about this. I remember really, really early on, too early, someone asked me to do a Facebook Live episode with them, or Instagram Live, excuse me. And I was so scared, but I said, yes anyway. This whole thing has just been saying yes without knowing how we're going to do it or how it's going to go. So I don't know if the brand script was even complete, but what we had, I wrote it on a whiteboard and I put it behind the camera, and it really, really helped because then when I started to veer and started to, as you're talking, you think in your head, "I don't know what I'm going to say next. I don't know where this is going." I could go back to that brand script and make it all make sense.
Raj Lulla:
That's so great. So we did the brand script, and I remember that session. It was in this room. We had just moved into this office. And so we had a folding table, and I think it was folding chairs in this room still. It's changed a little bit in the time that we've been here. So we were real scrappy at that point. I remember us even having conversations around how do we talk about the audience? Because as gender norms have changed in our country, I'll admit, I was the one who suggested that we just ignore that issue at first. Because how do you talk about periods or menstrual products without using the word women? And so at first we decided to just go that direction and fly in the face of the issue and say, "Hey, that's not what this organization is really focused on. It's just focused on periods." But what did you find pretty quickly that shifted in that?
Kristin Lowrey:
People don't care. I think there's been two people on the Internet that have been like, "Hey, don't you mean women?" When I say people who menstruate and I don't even really say that a lot. The people that we serve are neighbors. They're students. They are just people. And I think that with everyone learning so much about how to be inclusive, the thing that I've learned about this particular audience that we serve is we know that not all people who menstruate are women. And we also know that not all women menstruate. And so I think that by saying we help all women and girls, there are so many out there that maybe are of the right age to have periods and they don't.
Raj Lulla:
That's true. Right.
Kristin Lowrey:
And so I think that by both narrowing our audience to people who menstruate and widening it to people has both been really successful.
Raj Lulla:
And the other issue there, or the other thing that's been really helpful is just people who need period products.
Kristin Lowrey:
Yes.
Raj Lulla:
If you understand what a period product is, the other part of it doesn't actually really matter anymore because the only people who need period products are people who are having a period. And so then great. We don't have to worry about any of the rest of that conversation if you just understand what the need is. So that's very helpful. I know you've talked about how clear messaging was a big part of getting Access Period launched, but also though then you still have the problem of when you start talking about this really clearly, it can still be a little bit of a thorny issue that people don't necessarily want to get close to. So what, in the branding process or in the launching process helped make that accessible to people?
Kristin Lowrey:
I think that working with Brie, she really made our brand so friendly and really just something that was so approachable to anyone. Some organizations that focus on this will use more shocking imagery or blood and things like that, which I really very much appreciate because it normalizes all of this, which is so normal. But for us being where we are, being the first in our city to do something like this on this scale, it needed to be really, really, I keep saying approachable, but that's what we needed for anyone, and for any business and for any politician, any religious group, to be able to say, "Oh, that's something that we care about. We care about dignity for all."
Raj Lulla:
And if you're watching, then we will throw up the Access Period website on here, accessperiod.com. If you're just listening, you can check it out yourself. But yeah, Bree did an incredible job with this. When you brought the brand or the idea to us originally, I remember there was a one piece of paper and it had the word access and period on it, and there was a dark red dot on there. And I did have that reaction at first like, "Ooh, that's a little shocking," because it looked like blood, a drop of blood and Brie chose such a wonderful color palette that it's in the red Family. There's some pinks and a little purple and an orange that are there. Really hopefully you're able to look at those right now because she also did some really brilliant things with the actual products themselves in the imagery, making some of them look like flowers. And then my favorite one by far is she did this play on the Ensoulment by, oh my gosh, Michelangelo, it almost left my brain, from the Sistine Chapel where the one hand is handing the other hand a tampon.
And that's brilliant in a number of ways. It appeals to classical art, which is great. It's a little bit funny, but it also encapsulates this moment that apparently, I wasn't aware of how pervasive this was, but that pretty much every woman has, or every person who menstruates has, where there's this in a public bathroom needing a product that you don't have, and the awkward ask or the knock on the wall saying, "Hey, do you have a product?" And the handoff of that.
And so Brie's capturing an imagery of this, capturing the spirit of it without it literally being a hand under a stall door, which is a little weird, but instead appealing to classic art, making it a little funny, but also capturing a real moment that a lot of people can identify with. I was amazed the stories that I was hearing in this room when we first talked about it, of people that I knew and had done a lot of life with, my wife was in that room, some of our designers were here and sharing stories that I'd never heard about this problem. And it seemed like everyone who has a period has had this experience at some point. So yeah, it is a very approachable brand. I have the T-shirt. I've worn the T-shirt. My kids steal it from me all the time because they love the pink.
Kristin Lowrey:
Let me just order more. So you let me know.
Raj Lulla:
And that's actually a great thing too. It seems like you've had some success bringing men into this brand, and I feel like every time I see there was one selfie in particular of a guy in a gym wearing the Access Period T-shirt. Can you talk about that partnership a little bit? How has that grown up or how have you found this message resonating with people who haven't experienced this problem for themselves?
Kristin Lowrey:
Yeah. Well, so what Raj is talking about is on our Instagram, I think Fit Gym here in Omaha did a drive for us. And we just were able to create some really cool photos with these really fit muscular guys holding period products and talking about how they're ... Oh gosh, what were some of the things we thought about, pulling their own weight to [inaudible 00:21:53]. Silly things. But it really is just, I think, something that people aren't used to seeing, so it grabs their attention. But also what I learned from you is positioning our audience as the hero and as ourselves as just the guide. And so everyone, every single person, men and women and everyone want to be the hero. And so our message doesn't exclude men from helping with this problem.
Raj Lulla:
If anything, I think it invites them in, I just the other day saw a video of, it was an Indian family, and Indian families are typically very patriarchal. And so it was interesting to see this where the dad had taught the sons that it was their job that when mom had her time of the month, that it was their job to go down to the market. And they even were supposed to bring her tea and all sorts of things.
Kristin Lowrey:
That's lovely.
Raj Lulla:
And they continue it to this day, I imagine at least 20 years, judging by the age of the guys in the video. And it was funny just to see that shift because it seems so right in a lot of ways that anytime anybody in our family is ill in any way, which I know having periods not an illness, but has any sort of discomfort, we always tend to that. And for whatever reason, this one issue, we allowed to become very taboo and it doesn't make sense with the rest of human behavior.
If somebody's hungry, we feed them. Even in my house, if somebody needs toilet paper, there's a little knock on the wall. It's like, "Hey, can you throw me a roll?" But this one particular issue, we allowed to become taboo. And you started a conversation that it was like, "Actually, no, we're not going to do this anymore." And I think a whole lot of guys were just waiting for permission to go, "Yeah, you know what? This fits with who I see myself as somebody who cares for other people. And that feels very natural." And it opened up the door for that. It's so great. Something else that I know has been a challenge for other people in the women's health space is that these issues can become easily political. What do you think has helped Access Periods stay out of becoming a political football in those situations?
Kristin Lowrey:
Yeah it really, really has. If you just Google period products in schools right now, there's a lot going on. And so to be able to stay out of that and just stay in people's hearts and minds, I guess. We just continue the message of, "This is for everyone, and this helps people stay at school, stay in work, or stay at work and in school." And having that singular focus has been really helpful.
Raj Lulla:
Yeah, I love that. And that's something we haven't talked a lot about so far. When you talk about this being for everyone, what kinds of things do we miss out on in society, in the workforce, in schools when people who menstruate are adversely affected by this problem?
Kristin Lowrey:
Well, so now I'm going to talk about women. When women succeed, families succeed. And when mom can do what she needs to do to be able to take care of the family, then there's a safe and happy and successful family. So that is really where this problem lies in the home and in the family.
Raj Lulla:
And worldwide this is true.
Kristin Lowrey:
Yes.
Raj Lulla:
We know that in developing nations, when you make micro loans to women, those societies advance faster than if you focus only on the men.
Kristin Lowrey:
Yes.
Raj Lulla:
So even though as again, some of those cultures would be a bit more patriarchal and would say, "Hey, well, we need to give work to the men first." But it turns out that women in those countries starting businesses, they spend more money on their home, less on alcohol, less on those types of things. And it actually benefits more people if you loan to women in those countries than to anyone else. So that rings true here. And I think also just thinking about, I taught for a little while, and if there were a day where all of the girls in my class were gone, and it was just the boys, I taught high school. I shudder to even think about it.
And so yeah, just thinking about that. And I think part of the reason we don't think about it is because it happens one at a time. But if we've really pictured our classrooms, our hospitals, our law firms, our workplaces of all kinds, without the women, the people that menstruate being there, then what are we missing out on? We're missing out on if potentially the cure to cancer, potentially the next big tech breakthrough, all those things, if half of the population is excluded for a week a month. That's dangerous for all of us. It's bad for all of us. I think that's great positioning of this problem, that it's not just the problem of the person who is currently experiencing period. It's a problem for all of us if we're denying ourselves access to that person.
So in thinking through that, you've been able to partner with a number of amazing organizations. We'd love to just thank them out loud, but also acknowledge them. I know that you just got done doing a drive with, it was Hightower Reff, correct?
Kristin Lowrey:
Yes.
Raj Lulla:
And what are some other organizations that you've been able to partner with?
Kristin Lowrey:
Well, we love lady lawyers. So last summer we also did one with McGill Law. And that has just been so awesome in Omaha. Schwab here has been super, super generous. And we are just starting a relationship with Farm Credit Services of America. Healthy Blue in Nebraska has been absolutely incredible too. They've been our biggest partner and have allowed us to expand statewide. So there's a lot of really, really great companies and a lot of really wonderful people on board with this.
Raj Lulla:
And that's just a few of the organizations. I know it would take a very long time to list all of them. And one partnership that was fun that we thankfully got to play a part in was that we started working with Children's Hospital. And when they had just seen our work that we'd done for you, there was this moment, "What is this? And it's like, "Well, Access Period, period products for people that need them."
Kristin Lowrey:
We were able to do a couple packing parties with them as well. One of the ways that we really spread the word is through packaging all of our products with groups. And so that's really helpful, but also an hour or two of talking about it, talking about this problem.
Raj Lulla:
I think that's incredibly de-stigmatizing for this issue because until we did our packing party here, I had not ever put my hands on that many products. Certainly I had handled them before, but not that many. And so it does desensitize you in a lot of ways too. It's like, "Oh, they're just little plastic sleeves of things." And it's not all that interesting. It'd be like handing toilet paper rolls down to each other,
Kristin Lowrey:
Which is so funny. Toilet paper is way grosser, what you do with it, way worse than menstrual products. So if anybody's going to ...
Raj Lulla:
One thing that I love that you've done is across the state and even nationwide, you have celebrated people who are doing this well. It's not been about your organization. I know that I've seen photos on your Instagram from the UNO bathroom and places like that that are just already doing this. And so that's such a great branding move for anybody who's doing any kind of business or nonprofit, just celebrating the issue, celebrating the problem that you're solving. There's a copywriter that I follow and she she'll snap any good copy that she ever finds and shares it because it just reminds people of the effect of doing the right thing. And you've done really well with that.
Kristin Lowrey:
Thank you. And unfortunately, our world has so many problems. This isn't something we want to keep going for a long time. This is something that we want to figure out. This is a problem that's solvable, and I think that we can do it, but not by having many, many separate organizations doing separate work that don't talk about each other or acknowledge each other.
Raj Lulla:
So you've been able to get into some places that other organizations maybe haven't been able to, again, talking about the political realities of the world that we live in. There's been a clarity of your problem that I think has made that possible for you. Can you talk about that a little bit? Why is Access Period able to so easily partner with other organizations?
Kristin Lowrey:
I think that we just are able to define our problem and talk about how we can solve it and then say, "And you can solve it." And then people are really excited about that. They want to be the hero of the story, and they really are. They really can be. And so we just make it easy. And by focusing on one thing, we can just so easily now, not before, but now we can so easily talk about it.
Raj Lulla:
And as we go into a tough economy, a lot of businesses out there are going to have slower sales cycles. They're going to have people taking longer to close deals, and that's going to be pretty normal. So talking a little bit more broadly to our audience here, one thing you can learn from Kristen is just staying focused on solving a singular problem will help get those deals across the line. It will help you attract an audience that goes, "Yes, I have that problem." Sometimes our products and our services get so ambiguous and vague that we talk about, "We'll help you grow or we'll help all of women's health, or we'll help all of healthcare even." And it can get lost of, "Okay, but who am I partnering with here? What do they value?" All those things. And when you come through and you're an organization that says, "Here's what we value. We value that there are people who have periods who need period products, and we want to take care of that problem."
That's so clear that it makes it super easy to partner with you. And there doesn't really need to be much conversation beyond that, other than if somebody doesn't understand that it really is a problem, then you can illustrate that problem to them with facts. And then it's just a matter of, "Okay. When can we start working together?" And that's a lesson everybody can learn from. So that's such a great thing. And it's not to say that the organizations that are doing more broad work are bad in any way. There are things that are certainly necessary to solve in the world, but it is to say that if you're having trouble getting across the finish line with things, being really clear about one thing that you do will help you a lot more.
Kristin Lowrey:
Yes.
Raj Lulla:
So Kristen, we want to talk just in our last few moments here about you've expanded across the state. I'd love to know what's next for Access Period, and then what are some challenges that you're facing that people could enter into and some ways they could support?
Kristin Lowrey:
Well, what's next is really focusing on this expansion and making sure that it's sustainable. And so that is through getting our message across to way more people. We also are hoping in the future to move into more sustainable products. The number one question we get asked is, why don't you just give a menstrual cup to everybody? And maybe that's a whole other podcast. But we are looking at the best way to do that, and the best way to serve the population that is using our products and the challenges that we face ...
Raj Lulla:
Well, can I just real quick on that, I love that you moved forward on a solution before having it perfect, because yes, sustainability is absolutely an issue, but the lack of access to period products is still an issue while we're figuring that out. And literally months go by, periods go by while we're trying to figure it out. And so we could either say, "Well, we're not going to do anything about it until we have it perfect." Or we can say, "Hey, this is a need that a solution exists for right now and we are working on a longer term solution."
Kristin Lowrey:
Yes. Yeah.
Raj Lulla:
I know that, yeah, go ahead.
Kristin Lowrey:
Oh, sorry. And that's advice that I would give to anyone starting something. We could have waited from the time that we met until we had this brand launch to do anything, but we didn't just did it without money and without anything leading up to that. And that was huge. So my advice to anyone would be to just start solving the problem. Just start doing the thing without. You don't need everything in place. Just do it.
Raj Lulla:
And you should hear this enough on this podcast, especially as a StoryBrand agency, focus on the problem that you solve. You will never go wrong with that. Focus on solving that problem. So you've expanded. I know that you've had some large partners, and I imagine there's probably a little fear there of, okay there's budgets and there's Medicaid, and there's all sorts of things that wrap into continuing the expansion. What can normal people who don't make the laws around all that stuff do or make budgets for major corporations do? How can they help?
Kristin Lowrey:
Well, you could help by spreading the word, follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Every post that you share really makes a big difference, because that's going to reach someone that probably has never thought about this. And donations are, of course, the most helpful thing.
Raj Lulla:
When you're talking donations, what kinds of donations can they make?
Kristin Lowrey:
So you can go to our website, accessperiod.com, you can donate money. If you want to become a monthly donor, that is very, very helpful. Periods come every month. They don't stop and neither will we. So you can donate that way. That also allows us to buy in bulk. We can serve double the people if we're able to buy those products. And you can also host a drive, we already talked about Hightower Reff, but they just did a big drive, raised 22,000 period products.
Raj Lulla:
Wow.
Kristin Lowrey:
So that is going to serve a ton of people and make a really big difference. And it's so fun. We had -
Raj Lulla:
That's another 10%, because you said about 250,000, and so just one organization did another 22,000 products. That's incredible.
Kristin Lowrey:
yes.
Raj Lulla:
You can have that kind of impact on an organization, so that's amazing. And I will say too, that's enlightening for me, even just to think of the ability to buy in bulk. And it's very similar to food pantries where a lot of times a cash donation is more powerful because the partnerships they have with grocery stores and distributors. So that's good. But also though, the packing parties and the drives are really great opportunities to get involved.
Kristin Lowrey:
Yes.
Raj Lulla:
How do packing parties, other than just the donation of the goods, how do those impact the organization?
Kristin Lowrey:
So those have been really special because we are able to make the products. We're putting together the products that we distribute. But also we travel, typically on site to wherever we're going. So if we had a packing party, we did at Fruitful Design. We bring everything, we talk about what we're going to do and what problem we're solving, and then we put together these three month kits. And so during that time, people who maybe wouldn't come to us, by going to them, we are able to then hopefully win them over and hopefully they understand.
Raj Lulla:
Yeah. This is a brilliant thing. Again, anybody who's thinking about expanding their nonprofit or even their business of exactly that. How can we go to people? How can we go provide value for them in that experience? And one thing that was impactful for me was the handwritten notes that go in every packet that you give out because it connects you with the person who's going to receive it in this way. And if you can imagine being in need of anything, and not only getting the thing, and one thing that I loved was that these are all the normal brands of things that you would see in the store. It's not the government cheese equivalent.
And so they're getting the high quality products in a package that's well-designed, and they're getting a note saying that somebody cares about them. How impactful that must be for that person, but also how impactful it is for the people who are packing those products to just feel connected. This is a largely unseen problem. Women and people who menstruate just go missing from our lives, and we often don't know that it's happening. And then they come back a few days later and it's like, "Oh, okay, wasn't feeling well or whatever." So those packing parties are really impactful, and it's a great way to get your organization started on caring about this issue. It's so great that this issue is not political. It's just a need. It's so similar to the food bank. It's so similar to other really simple, just there's a need and I want to help solve this problem. And we don't have to worry about starting any arguments. And that's a welcome relief in today's world. So where can they find you? How can they both follow and support?
Kristin Lowrey:
We're on Instagram at Access Period and accessperiod.com. That's great. And I want to say one more thing.
Raj Lulla:
Yeah, yeah.
Kristin Lowrey:
Okay. I just want to say, I think if we hadn't been working with you for that first six months of our existence, there would've been many, many times when I would've quit and I would've just said, "Actually, this is too hard. Now I see why nobody's done something like this, because this doesn't make sense and this is too hard and this isn't going to work." And because we had that relationship and because I was so grateful to be able to work with you, I wasn't going to quit on you. And this is before I knew the people that we were serving really. And so I just want to thank you so much for your partnership there. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for that.
Raj Lulla:
Thank you. We look forward to your continued success and for helping people get access to the products they need.
Kristin Lowrey:
Thank you so much, Raj.
Raj Lulla:
Thanks for joining us today on Growing a Fruitful Brand. If you found today's show helpful, don't forget to subscribe and consider sharing it with someone who might also enjoy it. If you'd like to work with Fruitful on a branding website or messaging project of your own, you can always reach out on our website fruitful.design. So until next time, don't forget to grow something good.
