Real Diaper Association is sponsoring an ongoing Real Diaper Giveaway. The program has several steps:
- Advertising on the RDA website and RDEvents.org blog, which will fund the program.
- Nomination of families and organizations who need cloth diapers.
- Selection from the nominations for the Real Diaper Giveaway by member vote.
- Giveaway to nominees of cloth diapering supplies bought from RDA business members
Real Diaper Giveaway Details!
Click on the following text links for program details.
- What will the program accomplish?
- How much of the money goes to give away diapers?
- What sort of advertising will be available and how much will it cost?
- Will funds spent on advertising be tax deductible?
- Who can make nominations?
- What does RDA need to know about those nominated?
- What kind of supplies will be given away?
- How will Giveaway recipients be chosen?
- How will diapers be distributed?
- What if I would rather make a direct donation to give away diapers?
Q: What will the program accomplish?
A: Advertising on the Real Diaper Association website will be valuable to those businesses who would like to take advantage of RDA search engine ranking and access to a vital advertising market. As an added benefit, business members will receive a discount of 50% off advertising costs. Beyond the business benefits, advertisers will know that they are putting more babies in cloth diapers through local communities working to spread awareness and use of cloth diapers. Business members are welcome to publicize their advertisement in the Real Diaper Giveaway program.
The Real Diaper Giveaway spreads more cloth diapers to more babies who need them, and the process of nomination and give away encourages Real Diaper Circles as well as business and individual RDA members to seek local publicity for cloth diapers through stories of their charitable giving. This is a great project for Circle members as they build their local foundation.
All RDA members can participate in the Giveaway by voting on nominees’ stories (without details) once every three months.
The Giveaway also benefits RDA business members, since all diapers and supplies will be purchased from RDA business members only. Please note: business members making a particular nomination will not be eligible to supply diapers for that nomination.
Q: How much of the money goes to give away diapers?
A: 100%. RDA is a nonprofit organization run by volunteers, and volunteers will continue to give of their time to manage this program. All money generated by advertising, minus PayPal’s fees, will be available to fund those nominated to receive diapers and diapering supplies, with a limit of $100 for each nominee.
Distribution is based on votes, and the number of donations available will be limited by the funds in the program at the end of the quarter. If $950 is available at the end of the quarter, there will be 9 donations available. If $515 is available at the end of the quarter, there will be 5 donations available. Not all nominations need to total $100. Nominators are welcome to make smaller requests, such as one dozen prefolds or 3 diaper covers.
The balance remaining after donations have been determined by RDA members’ votes is rolled over to the next quarter.
A running total of the funds available will be posted regularly on the main page of Real Diaper Events in the upper right hand corner of the navigation bar.
Q: What sort of advertising will be available and how much will it cost?
A: What sort of advertising will be available and how much will it cost?
Two banner placements will be available: 468×60 at the top and 120×60 at the side of both the Real Diaper Association and RDEvents.org sites. Please note that we reserve the right to refuse any advertising.
Q: Will funds spent on advertising be tax deductible?
A: No. Real Diaper Association is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, but money spent on advertising is not considered a donation because the advertising on the website is a service rendered by RDA.
A: Any RDA Business or Individual member, including Real Diaper Circle leaders making nominations for their Real Diaper Circles, may nominate a local family or an organization to receive cloth diapering supplies. The nominee should be local to the member making the nomination.
Q: What does RDA need to know about those nominated?
A: RDA needs the following information about the NOMINEE:
- Name (will not be made public without the nominee’s express permission and then only if Giveaway is made)
- Address (will not be made public, for shipping purposes if the Giveaway is made to them)
- City and State (will be public), whether they know they are being nominated
- Phone number (will not be made public, used to confirm information)
- Why nominated to receive cloth diapers
- What cloth diaper products nominator would like to give away to them (include quantity and item)
- Approximate value of donation request (itemized, not to exceed $100; include shipping in estimate)
- How this particular nomination fulfills the RDA mission.
*The last three items are the story the nominator tells to persuade RDA members to vote for this nomination.
We also need to know the following information about the NOMINATOR:
- Full Name (first and last)
- RDA username
- Email address
The nominator’s name will not be made public unless or until the Giveaway is made.
Q: What kind of supplies will be given away?
A: The nominator will make this decision. Maybe the family needs just diapers, just covers, a whole diapering system, a diaper pail and laundry supplies, or a diaper bag. The nominator should know the nominee well enough to be realistic about what cloth diapering supplies they need. If the nominee sews, the nominator is welcome to suggest patterns, fabric and notions for the nominee to sew diapers at home.
The supplies given away to one family or organization must be available through one RDA member business, which the nominator may suggest or not. The program director will also take suggestions for particular brands, but substitutions may be made depending on what is available. If several RDA member businesses have the same items available and no specific suggestion has been made, the longest member will be chosen first and the program director will rotate future choices between business members.
Q: How will Giveaway recipients be chosen?
A: Each current RDA member can vote at the end of each quarter. Members will be emailed login information for a secure voting page where they may read a short profile of each nominee. They will vote for a number of donations determined by the funds available [see question above].
If there are 8 donations available and only 6 nominations made, all will be rewarded. Even in this case, RDA members will be asked to vote on nominations.
Q: How will diapers be distributed?
A: The program director will buy the cloth diapering supplies from RDA member businesses. The supplies will be shipped directly to the recipient.
The nominator will be asked to write about the experience. This may be a short report for the RDA Board only or an item for the RDEvents.org blog, RDA E-Newsletter, and/or Quarterly print newsletter. The report should mention the impact of these cloth diapering supplies on the recipient but may focus on the family or organization, the Real Diaper Circle, the area, or any other aspect of the Real Diaper Giveaway.
The nominator may arrange to take a photograph for RDA publication. Please do! People love to see their good intentions in action.
Q: What if I would rather make a direct donation to give away diapers?
A: Please do. Please make direct donations of money and diapers by supporting organizations that distribute cloth diapers to those in need.
If you know of other such organizations, let us know.