Credit unions’ May diaper drives create a gameplan to help meet babies’ needs

Nearly half of U.S. families with children in diapers still can't count on a clean change— and in May, several community-owned credit unions proved how much difference one month of organized giving can make.

Over five busy weeks, Royal Credit Union, ELGA, Landmark, Fox Communities, and DuTrac branches turned their lobbies into collection depots, moving tens of thousands of diapers and wipes to more than 20 Midwest diaper banks and social service partners.

Diaper need, by the numbers

Forty-six percent of U.S. households with children under age four were diaper insecure in 2024. Prices have climbed roughly a third since 2019; the typical package now costs about $22, pushing monthly out-of-pocket spending toward $80 or $100 per child. Some families even have to choose. Twenty-eight percent of parents said they skip meals, and 19% delay rent or mortgage payments to buy diapers.

Childcare centers typically require families to supply a full day's diapers; when parents come up short, they lose work hours and pay. A National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) survey found one quarter of diaper insecure parents miss five workdays a month, erasing roughly $296 in wages at minimum-wage levels.

What the May drives accomplished

Although each cooperative tailored its approach to local needs and branch resources, five campaigns stood out for their scale, creativity, and geographic reach across the Upper Midwest.

  • Royal Credit Union (Wisconsin) collected diapers and wipes at 70 branches for three regional food banks, urging donors to focus on hard-to-find sizes.
  • Fox Communities CU (Northeast WI) staged the "Royal Rump Rumble," building diaper block castles and letting the public vote on the best display while stocking 11 nonprofits. More than 30,000 diapers were collected, and Kimberly Clark matched that with an additional 30,000—for a total of 60,239 donated to the nonprofits.
  • ELGA CU (Flint, MI) devoted May 30 to a one-day "ABC12 Diaper Drive" that filled the Flint Diaper Bank pipeline through all 14 branches.
  • Landmark CU (Milwaukee County, WI) cosponsored their local United Way's Spring Diaper Drive, feeding 12 diaper bank hubs through May 17.
  • DuTrac Community CU (IA/IL/WI) ran its second annual, monthlong drive, with a mobile branch ensuring donations stay local to each county served.

Other documented credit union drives in the past 13 months have already delivered more than 51,000 diapers—with at least 22,000 from Fox Communities' 2024 "Royal Rump Rumble." Final May 2025 tallies from Royal, ELGA, Landmark and DuTrac are still pending.

Other similar efforts in the previous 13 months by MidWest America FCU (Fort Wayne, IN), Penn East FCU (Scranton/Wilkes‑Barre, PA), Valley CU (Billings, MT and branches in WY), and Day Met CU (Dayton, OH) totaled 29,382 more diapers collected to assist needy families.

Playbook: how credit unions make it happen

From turnkey toolkits to social media showdowns, these field-tested tips spell out exactly how credit unions turn good intentions into thousands of diapers and wipes.

These tactics share a throughline: reduce friction, add fun, and be clear about what local agencies need most.

"Every pack dropped off keeps a baby dry today and lets a parent stay on the job tomorrow," Royal's Community Engagement Coordinator Heidi Cornelius said, echoing a sentiment shared across the cooperative sector. For families caught in the diaper gap, those lobby side donation boxes may be the difference between choosing groceries, rent—or a clean start to the day.

Bottom line: May's regional drives showed how quickly a cooperative network can convert lobbies into lifelines. With a few proven tricks and a month on the calendar, almost any credit union can copy the playbook and close a basic needs gap.