Basic Necessities

Diapers, Period Products & Incontinence Supplies in the ArkLaTex

Shreveport, LA   |  http://www.basicnecessitiesla.com

Mission

The mission of Basic Necessities is to provide diapers, period products, and incontinence supplies at no cost to people who are experiencing economic challenges & live in the ArkLaTex.

Ruling year info

2020

Co-Director

Debbie Hollis

Co-Director

Pam Rowell

Main address

2620 Centenary Boulevard Suite 140

Shreveport, LA 71104 USA

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EIN

85-1567712

NTEE code info

Emergency Assistance (Food, Clothing, Cash) (P60)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990-N.

Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

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Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Diaper, Period Products & Incontinence Supply Bank

Basic Necessities is a Shreveport-based nonprofit organization that collects and distributes diapers, period products & incontinence supplies to low-income people in the ArkLaTex region. We are the only designated diaper/period product bank in this region.

Our target clients are low-income individuals & families living in the ArkLaTex, who cannot afford diapers, period products, and/or incontinence supplies due to unemployment, illness, and/or temporary economic difficulties.

Unfortunately, public assistance programs like WIC, SNAP, and Medicaid do not cover these specific items unless they are prescribed by a doctor as part of a medical treatment plan.

Population(s) Served
Low-income people
Families
Women and girls
Working poor
Older adults

Where we work

Accreditations

National Diaper Bank Network 2020

Affiliations & memberships

National Diaper Bank Network 2020

Alliance for Period Supplies 2020

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Our primary goals are:

Alleviate poverty in the ArkLaTex,

Prevent unnecessary illness and medical expenses for people who cannot afford sanitary supplies,

Advocate for policies that positively affect low-income families, and prevent diaper need & period poverty.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?

    Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Case management notes,

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,

  • What significant change resulted from feedback?

    We began serving local Title 1 public schools based on feedback from a School Counselor. She explained that Louisiana's public schools receive nominal funding from the state government to buy period products for students, and that she was purchasing them out-of-pocket. Basic Necessities has adjusted our business model to include service to low-income public schools.

  • With whom is the organization sharing feedback?

    Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded,

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback,

Financials

Basic Necessities
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Basic Necessities

Board of directors
as of 1/12/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board co-chair

Debbie Hollis

Basic Necessities

Term: 2020 - 2030


Board co-chair

Pam Rowell

Basic Necessities

Term: 2020 - 2030

Jaime Cantrell

Texas A&M University - Texarkana

Sandra Roberson

BPCC

Breanna Coco-Serna

Centenary College

Brenda Coco

VOA

Dottie McWhiney

Volunteer

Debbie Hollis

Basic Necessities

Pam Rowell

Retired

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 11/20/2021

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

The organization's co-leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Decline to state
Disability status
Decline to state

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 01/04/2022

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.