P4L dba Lemonade Day

Entrepreneurs take risks, believe they can realize their dream if they work hard, take responsibility, and act as good stewards of their resources. Today’s youth share that optimism but lack the life skills, mentorship, and work experience necessary to be successful. Based on this premise, in 2007, entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, Michael Holthouse founded Lemonade Day.

Lemonade Day is a national nonprofit whose mission is to help prepare youth for life through fun, proactive, and experiential programs infused with life skills, character education, and entrepreneurship. The organization offers a free program that targets kids grades K-8, with an adaptable program for all youth. Kids are introduced to entrepreneurship through real-world experiences of starting their own business—a lemonade stand— where they learn the skills to set a goal, make a plan, work the plan, and achieve their dreams. Evidence-based curriculum encourages kids to spend some on themselves for their hard work, save some and open a bank account, and share some with a charity or cause in their community.

Lemonade Day is an innovative and successful nonprofit focused on empowering today’s youth to become tomorrow’s entrepreneurs. With a national office based in Houston, in 16 years, Lemonade Day has grown to become licensed and independently operated in 100+ communities across North America, serving over 1.5 million children to date. Several of our alumni have applied their knowledge and experience to achieve their own national and worldwide business success.

Lemonade Day has grown through licensing local programs that have the right to operate and publicize it in their communities and agree to abide by branding and program standards. Community partners utilizing the Lemonade Day program include nearly 450 schools plus 75 Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts troops, 50 Boys and Girls Clubs, and 25 YMCAs and YWCAs, among others. Each community fundraises to garner financial support from local businesses, corporations, individuals, and foundations for their respective programs. National oversees all city programs and provides technical staff support for the funding of partnerships, intellectual property through creative programming, educational materials, a branded website, training, graphic design, and an annual conference (plus periodic regional market gatherings).

The annual operating budget for the organization is approximately $2 million. The revenue model is supported by philanthropic dollars and sponsorships plus earned fees through the sales of licensed programs and materials.