Lemonade Day is a national non-profit organization that empowers youth to become entrepreneurial minded kids by providing a network of support and development tools to help young children thrive in school, work, and life.

Since starting operations in 2007, Lemonade Day has expanded to 100+ communities in two countries and has helped more than 1.5 million youth work towards economic empowerment.

Find your local affiliate here and discover how you can get involved, mentor youth, support the organization financially, or help in other ways. If we are not operating in your community yet, learn how to start a Lemonade Day affiliate in your area!

Lemonade Day affiliate communities are empowering their local youth by offering them the opportunity to experience entrepreneurship through starting, owning, and operating their own lemonade stand business .

By applying to be a Lemonade Day licensed community, you’re engaging in a community-driven, national movement with the potential to transform the lives of local youth, revitalize the community, and unite citizens, civic and business leaders around a common aim of supporting youth in business.

Our goal is to create a structure of sustainability and mutual benefit within our licensed communities. By embedding programming that becomes ingrained into the culture of your community, multiple generations of youth benefit from the lessons and experience of Lemonade Day, ultimately equipping them with the tools they need to be prepared for life.

As you consider applying to be a Lemonade Day affiliate, please note the following restrictions:

1. The application window for the current year will close in May. Applications received after May will be considered for the following year. Curriculum toolkits and program packages are available as an alternate and small-scale method to start with the Lemonade Day program.
2. Before applying, click here to see if there is currently an affiliated Lemonade Day program in your area. If there is an existing program, we hope you will get involved locally as we will be unable to accept applications that have overlapping zip/postal codes with current licensed areas. 

As you plan your application, here’s some helpful information about our organizational structure and the Licensed Affiliate Community model.

Lemonade Day National

Licensed Affiliate Community

The Licensed Community model is one path for engaging with the National Lemonade Day organization. The structure and associated license fee is based on geographic location and population. The model requires that the Lemonade Day program be available to all youth in the geographic area and is defined by a culminating community event. Lemonade Day communities are an extension of the National program and serve as ambassadors of the organization.

The National Lemonade Day office, headquartered in Houston, TX, oversees the affiliate network of licensed communities by providing support, training, and resources. The National organization focuses on strengthening the Lemonade Day brand through programming, curriculum and resource development, and relationship building.

The community model is made up of various components:

License Holder (required) - A qualified non-profit/for-profit institution that signs and holds the Lemonade Day license. The license holder provides primary leadership, ensures the Lemonade Day brand standards are upheld, receives and distributes sponsorship dollars, and is recognized as the presenting organization for the local Lemonade Day program. (Examples of license holders include: Universities, Chambers of Commerce, Economic Development Corporations, Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA/YWCA, Foundations, Credit Unions, etc.)

City Director (required) - The program manager for Lemonade Day. This can be a part-time or full-time position depending on the size of the community. The City Director can be an employee of the License Holder or a 3rd party contracted to implement the Lemonade Day program. The City Director position requires a significant amount of planning, networking, organization, leadership, follow-up, training, communication, and technical skill.

Project Coordinator (recommended based on community size) - Additional personnel to support the City Director with Lemonade Day program implementation. This can be full-time, part-time, or seasonal/task-specific contract.

City Champion (recommended) - A highly influential and respected person in the community that supports Lemonade Day and is willing to speak to the needs and benefits of entrepreneurship education. The City Champion could be a local entrepreneur, government official, business owner, etc. They will act as a spokesperson for the program, garnering support from other influential leaders. A City Champion can be instrumental in helping identify and secure sponsors and/or underwrite program costs.

Lemon Council (recommended) - Members of the community with specific areas of expertise that are willing to serve as Lemonade Day volunteers and ambassadors. Working under the leadership of the City Director, Lemon Council members lend their time and talent to support program implementation and are critical to the development of their individual areas and overall success of the program. (Examples of Lemon Council members include: Educators, youth leaders, civic leaders, elected officials, marketing/PR experts, etc.)

Stakeholders - Lemonade Day’s local success is dependent on community, government, business, and civic leaders coming together to support youth. Whether it’s buying a glass of lemonade, offering a stand location, promoting events, or waiving permitting fees, everyone has a role to play in Lemonade Day.

A few things to consider before applying to start an affiliate community.

• It’s hard work! Starting Lemonade Day in your community is an exciting and rewarding experience but it’s a serious endeavor that takes time and commitment. You would become a valued member of a nationally-renowned non-profit organization, gaining access to a wide variety of resources, expertise, and support from Lemonade Day National and our network of affiliated communities:

• As an extension of our National organization, you must be passionate and committed to our mission.
• Opening a licensed community requires time, energy, networking, organization, and relationship building. You must have the ability to carry out different elements of the start-up process which may include legal, financial, and fundraising tasks.
• Starting a Lemonade Day community requires funding. The National office does not provide seed money nor can we give a guaranteed estimate of what local expenses might be. Budgets vary based on the community and existing resources. Depending on community size, program budgets can range anywhere from $25k to $250k.

• You will need to secure funding from a diverse array of sources to cover costs including but not limited to license and material fees, marketing, contests, events, swag/prizes, etc. In some instances depending on your program structure funding may also be needed for personnel or contractors, etc.

• You will be responsible for relationship building and networking in your community. This includes…

• Recruiting a reliable board of directors/Lemon Council, and volunteers.
• Building relationships with local government, health department, schools, youth organizations, and local businesses.
• Pitching media and sponsors.
• Interfacing with participants, parents, families, and mentors.
• Hosting community events to register participants and promote awareness.
• Connecting with other Lemonade Day licensed communities.

All licensed communities must:

• Have a qualified non-profit/for-profit institution that signs and holds the Lemonade Day license.
• Pay an annual license fee based on the size of your licensed area.

• License fees are based on community size to coincide with media market and sponsorship opportunities.

• Population >50,000 | $2,500
• Population 50,001 - 150,000 | $5,000
• Population 150,001 - 300,000 | $7,500
• Population 300,001 - 500,000 | $10,000
• Population 500,001 - 1,000,000 | $15,000
• Population 1,000,001 - 2,000,000 | $20,000
• Population over 2,000,000 | $25,000

• Make the Lemonade Day curriculum available to all youth in the community via the My Lemonade Day app, printed workbooks, or a combination of both.
• Abide by brand standards, trademark guidelines, license agreement, and policy guides.
• Report back to National by participating in surveys, providing feedback, and engaging with Regional Directors.
• Be willing to support the wider network of Lemonade Day communities through participation, contribution, peer encouragement, and referrals.

Licensed communities enjoy many advantages as part of our network including:

• Alignment with a well-respected non-profit that for 16 years has established an excellent reputation among the communities and stakeholders we serve.
• The right to use the “Lemonade Day” name, logo, brand, and mission - that is both recognized and esteemed.
• Custom Lemonade Day logo with your community name and a nationally affiliated website to facilitate event registration, support brand awareness, and promote local marketing efforts.
• Access to the Lemonade Day curriculum via the My Lemonade Day App at no additional cost. (NOTE: Printed materials are available for an additional fee.)
• Access to a vast collection of resources, materials, customizable templates, brand assets, graphics, best practices, guides, and programs to support your local efforts and promote consistency throughout the organization.
• Peer-to-peer networking and interaction with other licensed communities willing to lend their expertise and support.
• National marketing efforts that support local communities and increase brand awareness.
• Ability to leverage National relationships with donors, sponsors, foundations, and partners to support local efforts.
• Multiple opportunities to engage, connect, network, share, learn, and create community amongst peers and Lemonade Day leaders via regional and national convenings.
• Support from full-time, professional staff at Lemonade Day National. A Regional Director will offer custom support to your community with on-boarding, training, regular check-ins, email support, forums, and regional convenings. In addition, the National office has a staff with extensive experience in fundraising, marketing, social media, non-profit management, and technology that provide support for licensed communities while fulfilling our shared mission and strengthening the Lemonade Day brand.

QUICK LINKS

GET IN TOUCH

Sign up for newsletter

Home

Find Your City

About

Media

Activities

Resources

Get Involved

CONTACT US

1800 West Loop South, Ste 1875

Houston, TX 77027

(713) 626-5437

info@lemonadeday.org

With your help, we will plant the seeds that change lives.