CIVIC ENGAGEMENT & DEMOCRACY GRANTS
Funding targeted at nonpartisan voter registration, petition gathering, and grassroots organizing infrastructure.
Period Pantry Action
PERIOD PANTRY
ACTION
Action Vice President
Position Description, Strategic Operational Framework, and Governance Guidelines
The case for action
02 / 19
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW & ORGANIZATIONAL MISSION
Period Pantry Action operates as the dedicated advocacy and mobilization arm of The Period Pantry. While our direct-service organization works to eliminate hygiene poverty by distributing essential menstrual products directly into communities, Period Pantry Action exists to dismantle the systemic, political, and cultural barriers that cause period poverty in the first place.
- We believe access to period products is a fundamental human right, not a luxury.
- Menstrual hygiene products are medical and biological necessities.
- The economic burden placed on menstruating individuals — compounded by legislative inaction, regressive taxation, and entrenched societal stigma — requires aggressive, structured, and continuous civic action.
- The Action Vice President is an executive-level operational leader who bridges grassroots neighborhood organizing with high-level legislative strategy.
- Working in direct partnership with Executive Director Leanne Listman, the Action Vice President drives strategic initiatives, oversees campaign infrastructure, expands the volunteer network, and leads our flagship national legislative drive: The 100K Signatures to End the Period Tax Campaign.
The compass
03 / 19
OUR CORE IDEALS & STRATEGIC PILLARS
- MENSTRUAL EQUITY AS A CIVIL RIGHT — No student should miss school, no worker should forfeit wages, and no individual should compromise their health or dignity because they cannot afford or access period products.
- ERADICATION OF REGRESSIVE TAXATION — Menstrual products must be exempted from state and local sales taxes nationwide. Classifying biological necessities as "luxury items" while exempting non-essential commodities is an unconstitutional economic penalty on women and menstruating individuals.
- GRASSROOTS POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT — Real policy reform starts at the neighborhood level. We activate local communities to petition their elected representatives, organize public rallies, and demand legislative accountability.
- RADICAL TRANSPARENCY & STIGMA DESTRUCTION — Through clear, unyielding public messaging, we strip away the shame and secrecy surrounding menstruation to foster an informed, empowered electorate.
Work in motion
04 / 19
CURRENT PROJECTS IN MOTION
- THE 100K SIGNATURES TO END THE PERIOD TAX DRIVE — Our primary national campaign aimed at securing 100,000 verified constituent signatures to present directly to the United States Congress. This initiative demands federal overarching legislation to incentivize states to dismantle the period tax and mandate product accessibility in federal buildings, public schools, and correctional facilities.
- NEIGHBORHOOD CANVASSING & COMMUNITY PRESENCE — Mobilizing volunteer squads at local community days, street fairs, college campuses, and public parks to educate residents, collect petition signatures, and distribute advocacy kits.
- "THE DIGNITY DROP" STATEWIDE MOBILIZATION — A coordinated advocacy and awareness push designed to highlight distribution deserts while simultaneously applying pressure on municipal leaders to allocate local tax dollars toward public hygiene dispensers.
- "SLEIGH THE STIGMA" WINTER CAMPAIGN & SILENT AUCTION — Our year-end awareness and fundraising initiative, combining grassroots advocacy with high-visibility community events to secure organizational funding for upcoming legislative sessions.
- LEGISLATIVE & POLICY MONITORING — Continuous, real-time tracking of municipal, state, and federal floor bills, committee hearings, and statutory changes concerning sales tax exemptions and public health mandates.
Fueling the work
05 / 19
CURRENT GRANT PIPELINE & SUSTAINABILITY MODEL
REPRODUCTIVE & GENDER JUSTICE FOUNDATIONS
Operational grants funding our public education initiatives, community outreach materials, and legislative advocacy toolkits.
MUNICIPAL & STATE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS (CDBG)
Local funding requests aimed at expanding public health awareness and hygiene infrastructure mapping.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) ADVOCACY PARTNERSHIPS
Strategic corporate sponsorships that support our high-visibility public events, logistics, and digital petition architecture.
The operating system
06 / 19
KEY EXECUTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES & JOB DUTIES (OVERVIEW)
| LEGISLATIVE | ORGANIZING | OPERATIONS |
|---|---|---|
100K Petition Drive Leader · Policy & News Tracking · Government & Agency Liaison |
Grassroots Canvassing & Events · Volunteer Recruitment & Training · Strategic Ideal Champion |
Leanne Partnership · Newsletter Feeder · Grant Execution |
Duty 01 / Make the ask impossible to ignore
07 / 19
DUTY 1: NATIONAL CAMPAIGN DIRECTORSHIP — 100K SIGNATURES TO END THE PERIOD TAX ERA
Primary Objective: The Action Vice President leads, manages, and scales the overarching petition campaign to gather 100,000 verified signatures to present to the United States Congress to demand federal action ending the tax on period products.
- As Action Vice President, design and execute regional and digital signature-gathering strategies across urban, suburban, and rural target areas.
- Establish and monitor weekly signature collection benchmarks for canvassing teams, campus organizers, and online partner platforms.
- Manage physical petition logistics, ensuring all signed petitions comply with congressional presentation standards and verification protocols.
- Coordinate high-impact delivery events, rallies, and press conferences at state capitals and in Washington, D.C., when milestone thresholds (25k, 50k, 75k, 100k) are reached.
- Train field captains on key talking points regarding the economic impact of the tampon tax to maximize signature conversion rates during public engagements.
Duty 02 / Turn vision into momentum
08 / 19
DUTY 2: STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP & EXECUTIVE CO-PLANNING WITH LEANNE LISTMAN
Primary Objective: The Action Vice President serves as the chief strategic advisor and operational partner to Founder & Executive Director Leanne Listman, translating organizational vision into actionable advocacy campaigns.
- Participate in weekly executive planning sessions with Leanne Listman to align Period Pantry Action's political outreach with the direct-service distribution arm of The Period Pantry.
- Co-author annual organizational roadmaps, multi-year strategic plans, and emergency response frameworks for sudden policy opportunities alongside Leanne Listman.
- Prepare operational briefings, impact reports, and campaign analytics for presentation to the Board of Directors and key stakeholders.
- Serve as the designated proxy for Leanne Listman at high-level coalition meetings, policy roundtables, and public speaking engagements when required.
- Collaborate directly with Leanne Listman on budget forecasting for advocacy initiatives, ensuring field operations remain within projected financial parameters.
Duty 03 / Show up where people are
09 / 19
DUTY 3: PUBLIC EVENT MOBILIZATION & LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD VISIBILITY
Primary Objective: The Action Vice President establishes a consistent, high-impact physical presence for Period Pantry Action across local neighborhoods, public events, festivals, fairs, and community gatherings.
- Schedule, organize, and manage Period Pantry Action informational booths and mobilization teams at key local public events.
- Oversee event setup, ensure brand consistency, and manage inventory of advocacy materials, petition clipboards, banners, and educational literature.
- Deploy mobile outreach teams into neighborhood centers, public transit hubs, and commercial corridors to engage directly with residents.
- Organize rapid-response public awareness pop-ups in areas experiencing severe hygiene product scarcity or during municipal budget discussions.
- Evaluate event outcomes and signature yields to refine future geographic placement and resource allocation.
Duty 04 / Build the bench
10 / 19
DUTY 4: VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT, ONBOARDING, AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Primary Objective: The Action Vice President builds, nurtures, and expands a robust, highly motivated volunteer force dedicated to period equity and civic mobilization.
- Develop and execute comprehensive recruitment campaigns targeting university students, community activists, civic groups, and local residents.
- Oversee the onboarding and orientation process, ensuring all new volunteers thoroughly understand our core ideals, safety protocols, and public engagement techniques.
- Design and implement a "Field Captain" training curriculum to empower standout volunteers to lead their own local canvassing squads.
- Maintain regular communication with the volunteer base through organizing platforms, ensuring high retention and engagement rates.
- Host quarterly volunteer appreciation events, leadership workshops, and skill-building seminars in grassroots advocacy and public speaking.
Duty 05 / Know what is moving
11 / 19
DUTY 5: LEGISLATIVE NEWS & POLICY INTELLIGENCE TRACKING
Primary Objective: The Action Vice President monitors regional, state, and national news, legislative dockets, and public policy shifts to maintain the organization's strategic edge.
- Watch daily news feeds, legislative tracking databases, and government committee agendas for breaking bills related to sales tax policy, public health mandates, and school hygiene requirements.
- Analyze complex legislative language and summarize key policy implications into actionable internal briefs for leadership.
- Identify emerging political opportunities, such as state budget negotiations or legislative sessions, where grassroots pressure can sway vote outcomes.
- Maintain a centralized policy matrix tracking period tax legislation, municipal funding line items, and product access mandates across all target jurisdictions.
- Establish relationships with legislative aides, committee staff, and policy researchers to stay informed on non-public legislative developments.
Duty 06 / Make policy legible
12 / 19
DUTY 6: POLICY INTELLIGENCE LIAISON TO THE NEWSLETTER & COMMUNICATIONS WRITER
Primary Objective: The Action Vice President bridges the gap between complex policy developments and public education by providing curated legislative intelligence to the newsletter writer and communications team.
- Provide weekly policy digest summaries translating legislative updates, bill movements, and policy news into accessible information for our newsletter writer.
- Identify compelling campaign stories, field updates, and volunteer spotlights to be passed to the newsletter writer for external communications.
- Collaborate with the newsletter writer to create rapid-response action alerts when urgent petition pushes or phone-banking drives are needed.
- Ensure all background material given to the newsletter writer accurately reflects current statutory facts and organizational positioning.
- Review draft newsletters prior to publication to guarantee alignment with ongoing legislative pushes and organizational goals.
Duty 07 / Work the rooms
13 / 19
DUTY 7: GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS & LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY LIAISON
Primary Objective: The Action Vice President serves as a primary representative of Period Pantry Action in direct interactions with municipal, county, state, and federal government bodies.
- Draft formal policy position papers, testimony summaries, and official correspondence to government officials urging support for period equity legislation.
- Coordinate constituent lobby days, bringing affected individuals, students, and community members directly into government offices to speak with elected leaders.
- Register and represent the organization at governmental legislative hearings, public comment sessions, and government task force meetings.
- Build bipartisan coalitions with government representatives, policy champions, and agency leaders to advance period tax exemptions and mandated public access.
- Track government voting records on gender equity and tax reform bills to inform organizational scorecards and accountability campaigns.
Duty 08 / Say it plainly
14 / 19
DUTY 8: PUBLIC IDEALS CHAMPION & MOVEMENT ADVOCACY
Primary Objective: The Action Vice President champions Period Pantry Action's core ideals across media, educational institutions, panel discussions, and public forums.
- Serve as an official spokesperson championing our ideals in local news interviews, podcast appearances, and panel discussions.
- Deliver educational presentations to university classes, civic organizations, faith communities, and labor unions on our ideals, the reality of period poverty, and systemic tax inequities.
- Craft op-eds, guest articles, and press releases articulating our ideals on emerging menstrual equity issues and government decisions.
- Engage with local thought leaders, influencers, and community heads to champion our ideals and normalize conversations surrounding menstrual health and economic justice.
- Ensure all messaging directly reinforces our foundational ideals: period products are basic health necessities, and taxing them is illegal economic discrimination.
Duty 09 / Make promises real
15 / 19
DUTY 9: GRANT PIPELINE EXECUTION & DELIVERABLE MANAGEMENT
Primary Objective: The Action Vice President supports the organization's financial sustainability by managing grant deliverables, tracking campaign metrics, and supporting application development.
- Track and document quantitative campaign metrics (petitions collected, events attended, volunteers recruited, legislative contacts made) required for grant reporting.
- Assist in drafting program narratives, campaign timelines, and impact metrics for incoming grant proposals targeting civic engagement and advocacy funding.
- Ensure all grant-funded advocacy activities are executed on schedule and strictly within the scope outlined in funding agreements.
- Collaborate with accounting and executive leadership to ensure proper allocation and reporting of advocacy expenditures.
- Prepare comprehensive end-of-grant impact evaluations demonstrating how awarded funds advanced systemic policy reform and public awareness.
Duty 10 / Own the moments
16 / 19
DUTY 10: SPECIAL CAMPAIGN OPERATIONS & SEASONAL INITIATIVES
Primary Objective: The Action Vice President plans, executes, and directs specialized annual mobilization campaigns including "The Dignity Drop" and the "Sleigh the Stigma" campaign.
- Lead the public advocacy strategy for "The Dignity Drop", converting direct-distribution events into major policy advocacy opportunities for local media and elected leaders.
- Direct the community outreach and advocacy component of the annual "Sleigh the Stigma" event and silent auction, maximizing civic engagement alongside fundraising goals.
- Design emergency rapid-response campaigns when unexpected legislative threats or policy rollbacks occur at the state or local level.
- Coordinate campaign logistics, venue booking, volunteer staging, and vendor management for large-scale public rallies and advocacy galas.
- Conduct post-campaign reviews to evaluate operational strengths, identify areas for improvement, and integrate lessons learned into subsequent event frameworks.
How we know it is working
17 / 19
PERFORMANCE METRICS & ACCOUNTABILITY MATRIX
| Metric | What We Measure | Target |
|---|---|---|
| National Petition Drive | Validated signatures collected for the 100K Congressional Petition | 25,000+ signatures per quarter |
| Public Presence | Neighborhood canvasses, community fairs, and public events attended | Minimum 4 events per month |
| Volunteer Growth | Active field volunteers recruited, trained, and deployed | 15% monthly increase |
| Policy Intelligence | Policy briefs submitted to Executive Leadership & Newsletter Writer | Bi-weekly policy updates |
| Government Engagement | Legislative meetings, floor testimonies, and agency contacts | Minimum 6 legislative touchpoints/quarter |
| Campaign Operations | Successful execution of Dignity Drop & Sleigh the Stigma campaigns | 100% deliverable completion |
What this role brings
18 / 19
CORE COMPETENCIES & POSITION REQUIREMENTS
- PROVEN ADVOCACY EXPERIENCE — Minimum of 3–5 years in grassroots organizing, legislative advocacy, campaign management, or community outreach leadership.
- PASSIONATE ALIGNMENT WITH IDEALS — Deep, unwavering commitment to menstrual equity, economic justice, and dismantling regressive taxation systems.
- EXCEPTIONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS — Demonstrated ability to articulate complex policy concepts clearly in public speaking engagements, written briefs, and press briefings.
- STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP & COLLABORATION — Proven track record of working directly alongside executive leadership (e.g., Executive Director Leanne Listman) to execute multi-faceted strategy.
- LEGISLATIVE ACUMEN — Sound working knowledge of municipal, state, and federal legislative processes, bill tracking, and committee structures.
- PROJECT & EVENT MANAGEMENT — Experience managing field logistics, large-scale public events, and volunteer forces under deadline constraints.
- RESOURCEFULNESS & ADAPTABILITY — Ability to monitor breaking news and rapidly pivot campaign focus to capitalize on legislative momentum.
The commitment
19 / 19
Position Acceptance & Acknowledgment
By signing below, I acknowledge that I have read, understood, and agree to uphold the responsibilities, core ideals, performance expectations, and governance guidelines outlined in this Action Vice President position description for Period Pantry Action.
Signature
Printed Name
Date
Return to: leanne@theperiodpantry.com.