By: Trish Adkins
There is nothing sweeter than a lemonade stand, except for a lemonade stand with a mission! If you are interested in hosting a charity lemonade stand, then you’ve come to the right place.
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) is the OG of charity lemonade stands. Inspired by our founder, Alex Scott, ALSF supporters have been holding lemonade stands for more than 20 years and have helped raise over $250 million to fund childhood cancer research projects and provide critical support to families during treatment and beyond.
And yes, all of this was made possible by lemonade! It is truly something any one of any age can do and make a huge impact.
Want to host a charity lemonade stand in 2023, but not sure where to begin? Well, never fear, because you can start right here:
1. Register Your Stand
The first step, of course, is to pick a date, pick a location and register your stand! While you think about time and place, check out this blog with some helpful tips. We recommend hosting your lemonade stand during Lemonade Days, June 3-11.
During Lemonade Days, you can join supporters from every state as they hold stands across America for kids with cancer! When you register for Lemonade Days, you receive a stand kit, plus access to all sorts of great fundraising page features to help you have the most successful charity lemonade stand ever.
2. Build Your Stand
Your stand can be simple—like a table and some signs— custom built and fully decked out, or maybe something in between! Get creative and channel your inner do-it-yourselfer with these sweet and special stand building tips.
3. Sell Some Virtual Cups to Double Your Fundraising Potential!
We are all pros at doing things virtually—and what better way to connect with those far from your zip code and raise more money. Use your donation page to ask for donations, host a Zoom with your supporters who live far away, live stream from your stand on social media or try one of these virtual lemonade stand tips to double your fundraising potential.
4. Share Your Inspiration
The best way to drive donations and traffic to your charity lemonade stand is to inspire people to join you in your mission. If childhood cancer is personal to you, share your story with your network. Tell them why research is so important and why their donation to your lemonade stand can make a difference. Looking for more stories to share? Read these three stories of real-life childhood cancer heroes and share them, too!
5. Get Your Supplies
Whether you plan to keep your stand simple or you plan to go BIG, getting the right supplies will ensure your charity lemonade stand is a sweet success. From cups to donation containers, this blog has a list of the supplies you will need to power your charity lemonade stand.
6. Make Lemonade!
There are limitless options when it comes to making lemonade for your lemonade stand. Check out this round-up of Lemonade Recipes that include everything from refreshing mint lemonade to blackberry lemonade cocktails (for the over-21 crowd). Want to keep it simple? Grab some lemonade from Florida’s Natural or Countrytime, two ALSF Corporate Partners!
Ready to go? Registration for Lemonade Days is now open! This annual, week-long tradition that honors our founder, Alex Scott’s dream of curing childhood cancer is returning June 3 – 11. If you want to help make a difference for kids with cancer this summer, pick your date and sign up to host a lemonade stand today!