ABOUT THE REAL DIAPER ASSOCIATION

The Real Diaper Association is a collective effort of its passionate founders.  We look forward to the cultural shift in the U.S. toward the use of simple, reusable cloth diapers through local activists like you. 

This is the story of RDA in brief. 

In 2000, Lori Taylor began collecting information and planning a cloth diaper advocacy organization.
After their participation in an extended public conversation about the necessity for diaper education, Lori approached Jessica in 2002 to join her in planning what they provisionally called "the real diaper association," after the UK Real Nappy Association.  By 2003, Jessica and Lori recognized that Heather Sanders was a tireless cloth diapering advocate who would be an excellent addition to the team.  Heather, Jessica and Lori kept eyes and ears open to find other vocal cloth diaper advocates.  After reading an article by Heather, Angelique Mullen had reached out to grow a national organization, so they invited her along in 2004.  The team of founders was complete by mid-2004 when Rose Bloomberg-Rissman, the gem of all organizing gems, brought her abundance of expertise and time to the group. By the end of 2004, RDA had become a nonprofit public benefit corporation in California, nominated a board and adopted bylaws. In July 2005, the IRS granted RDA status as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. In 2006 Heather Sanders left to work full time. RDA continues to grow under the committed leadership of Board members and organizers, Lori Taylor, Angelique Mullen, Marie DiCocco, and Maya Keithly.

Board Members
◊ Lori Taylor, Chairperson
◊ Angelique Mullen, Treasurer
◊ Maya Keithly, Secretary
◊ Marie DiCocco

What Is the "Real" in Real Diaper Association?

The Real Diaper Association is named after our British cousin, Real Nappy Association (RNA). Through the work of RNA and their Real Nappy Week, cloth nappies or diapers have become quite common in the UK, with support even from local and national government. The Real Nappy Association borrowed the Real in their name from a movement called The Campaign for Real Ale, in which consumers called for traditional brewing and ingredients. In all cases, Real has stood for the natural choice.

The Real Diaper Association is a Public Benefit Corporation under California Nonprofit Public Benefit Law, Endorsed by the California Secretary of State 11/10/2004

For RDA Members, and those considering membership, an online record of Executive Committee and Board Meeting Minutes are maintained, as well as the organization's Bylaws.

Bylaws

• View Online

Board & Executive Committee Summaries of Minutes

• 2004
• 2005
• 2006
• 2007

Acknowledgements

◊ Jessica, for creating the Real Diaper Association logo and website template.

◊ Stell Michelsen, for helping with early organizing and writing.

◊ Dana Hendricks, for helping with early organizing and research.

◊ Tracy Collins, for helping with early organizing and planning local structures.

◊ Rose Bloomberg-Rissman, for creating the Real Diaper Circle program and nonviolent communications training materials.

◊ Eddy Ammar, for a mammoth job of clean scripting.

◊ Real Nappy Association and Women's Environmental Network in the UK, for their pioneering work in advocating cloth nappies and for encouraging us.

◊ Ipswich Real Nappy Network in Suffolk, England, for a truly inspiring local view of how parents can organize for cloth diapers, for letting the American into a real-life Nappucino meeting, and for ongoing advice and encouragement.

◊ Heather Sanders, for more than 1000 hours of volunteered time and experience as a Founder, Board member, and organizer of RDA.

◊ Stacey King and Doodle Media, for creating a gorgeous full-page ad for Mothering Magazine and giving us a new design direction when we needed the boost.

Lori Taylor runs two cloth diaper manufacturing businesses.  She is also a writer, social activist, cultural historian, and university teacher.  Lori has a straightforward, yet respectful, approach in communication making her perfect for articulating the heart of the RDA philosophy.  Her children have left their beautiful cloth diapers behind them.

Angelique Mullen is a former school teacher who now works for a consulting firm doing research and data analysis. In addition to promoting cloth diapers, she is also a graduate student in Library and Information Science at San Jose State University. She has a passion for environmental issues and hopes to pass that along to her daughter and cloth-diapered son.

Need to reach an RDA representative, please contact us.

Are you interested in joining RDA?  To begin the membership process, please click here.