Period.org Advocacy Grants

Period. org Advocacy Grants is sponsored by Period. org.

Supports organizations advocating for menstrual equity and access to period products in schools.

Menstrual equity refers to the affordability, accessibility & safety of menstrual products for all people, including laws & policies that acknowledge & consider menstruation. Ending this crisis in our lifetime requires systemic policy change. At PERIOD.

, we work to draft, pass, and implement policies that further access to period products in schools and end the discriminatory tampon tax. Period poverty remains a significant barrier to educational equity. In 2025, nearly one in four students struggle to afford period products.

( 2025 State of the Period Study, PERIOD. ). Lack of access to period products can lead to missed class time and hinder academic performance.

Currently, 27 states and Washington, D. C. have passed laws to further access to free menstrual products in schools.

(January 2026) It's important to note that policies vary widely by state. Some laws include dedicated funding, others mandate free period products in school without funding, while some states provide funding without a requirement to provide free period products. Requirements also differ by grade level and setting, ranging from middle and high schools only to elementary schools and, in some states, public colleges and universities.

Click here for more information about products in schools by state, courtesy of our friends at the Alliance for Period Supplies. Taxing menstrual products places an inequitable financial burden on people who menstruate. Today, an estimated $130 million is still collected each year in sales tax on period products across the country.

(Source: Period Law, 2026 ) As of January 2026, 32 states have removed the sales tax on period products, while 18 states continue to treat them as taxable goods. Click here to learn more about state sales tax treatment of period supplies, courtesy of our friends at the Alliance for Period Supplies. Note: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon do not have a state sales tax.

Wait, is the same thing as the pink tax? Great question! No, the tampon tax and the pink tax are different.

The pink tax refers to consumer products targeted and advertised to women that are more expensive than comparable products marketed to men (razors, soaps, deodorants, etc.) Source: World Economic Forum, 2022 Introduced by Congressman Michael Lawler (R-NY-17) and Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-DE) on February 4, 2026, the TANF Hygiene Access Act (H. R.

7367) would establish a pilot funding program for states, tribes and tribal organizations to establish hygiene-access initiatives in partnership with basic needs banks to support expanded access to hygiene products for low-income families. Reps. Lawler, McBride Introduce Legislation to Ensure Expanded Access to Hygiene Products Urge your representative to co-sponsor the TANF Hygiene Access Act at the link below!

Good Samaritan Menstrual Products Act (H. R. 6212) : would provide “Good Samaritan” liability protection for donated period supplies.

This will enable manufacturers, retailers, nonprofit organizations, and individuals to donate and distribute period supplies in good faith without fear of frivolous lawsuits. Modeled after the liability protection given to donated food products, this legislation will increase the amount and type of donated product available to support menstruators in need.

Currently, five states have passed this legislation so far: Illinois, Maine, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Texas. The Menstrual Equity for All Act is a comprehensive, whole of government bill that would expand access to free period products in schools, prisons, shelters and public federal buildings.

It would require Medicaid to cover the cost of period supplies, eliminate the tax on period supplies and create a pilot program through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to help families purchase period supplies, among other things.

Meng Introduces Comprehensive Legislation to End Period Poverty and Improve Access to Menstrual Products Reintroduced by Congressman Sean Casten (IL-6) and Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-6), the Period PROUD Act would provide funding through the Social Services Block Grant program to establish and expand programs to provide low-income menstruating individuals with access to period supplies and direct the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Education to develop best practices for school officials to use in discussing menstruation with students.

Meng and Casten Introduce Bill to Expand Access to Menstrual Products A bill is only successful if it is successfully implemented! Learn more about PERIOD.' s efforts to support implementation work across the country.

The Oregon Menstrual Dignity Act (HB 3294, 2021) created the requirement for school districts to provide free menstrual products for all menstruating students in public schools in Oregon, including elementary, middle, and high school students.

The California Menstrual Equity for All Act (AB 367, 2021) recognizes the critical need for expanded access to free menstrual products in California public schools to stem the harmful impacts period poverty has on students in the classroom.

This toolkit is part of a series of color-coded resources created for a variety of audiences by the CA Menstrual Equity for All Coalition (CAMECO) to support implementation of the Menstrual Equity for All Act. Includes implementation technical assistance for educators, administrators, and advocates.

We are so excited to share the Minnesota Menstrual Products in Schools Toolkit (MPST) developed by University of Minnesota graduate public health students Kara Cowell and Mary Kenny in partnership with Women's Foundation of Minnesota and Honest Sex Ed Minnesota. The resources in the toolkit address the practical implementation needs of Minnesota's 2023 law requiring access to free menstrual products in school bathrooms.

A toolkit for students, teachers, administrators, and parents alike. Created by She Votes Illinois . HB156 (Public Act 102-0340) amends sections 105 ILCS 5/10-20.

63 and 105 ILCS 5/34-18. 56 of the Illinois School Code. It provides that a school district shall make menstrual hygiene products available, at no cost to students, in bathrooms of every school building that is open for student use in grades 4 through 12 during the regular school day the bathrooms of school buildings.

Learn more about the active bills in your state. These live tracker maps highlight bills related to period products, menstrual health, equity, access, and/or taxation. The listing of individual bills does not imply endorsement by PERIOD.

and/or our partners at the Alliance for Period Supplies. This digital advocacy guide can get you started on your journey to ensuring period products are provided for free in your school restrooms! This free and fully virtual bootcamp provides youth leaders with the tools and resources to become powerful changemakers and community leaders.

Learn the ins and outs of the legislative process, join a network of politically ambitious individuals, and gain mentorship as you launch your policy career. More information coming soon!

The National Coalition to End Period Poverty is a nonpartisan group of national nonprofits, trade associations, and advocacy organizations promoting affordable access to menstrual products and ending period poverty in the United States through education, raising awareness, and driving policy change.

The coalition’s goals include reducing barriers and increasing access to affordable menstrual products, encouraging period-friendly bathrooms, raising public awareness about menstrual health, and advocating for national policies like providing free products in schools, prisons, shelters and public facilities. Find out more by reading our charter.