Two charities founded by parents who lost their children to cancer have joined to continue their battle against childhood cancer. Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ASLF) and I Care I Cure (ICIC) announced a merger. The two entities have partnered in the past to fund 24 cutting-edge research projects.
“We are seeing more of this consolidation of nonprofits within the childhood cancer community, especially during the pandemic, as an effort to increase awareness and funding while saving resources,” said Liz Scott, founder and co-executive director of Alex’s Lemonade, located outside Philadelphia. “We are deeply committed to funding research info safe, less toxic treatments and the combined strength of our two foundations will help us make a more powerful impact.”
ALSF will assume the assets of ICIC and manage operations of the newly combined entity. The founders and board members of ICIC will establish an advisory board to continue annual fundraising events and young professional programming. Future monies raised will go toward grants within ICIC’s mission, through ALSF.
ALSF in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., is the larger of the two organizations, reporting $26.5 million in revenue in the most recent fiscal year, ending 2019, and awarding grants of more than $19 million. It has about 50 employees and had to furlough several earlier this year, according to Scott. ICIC is primarily a volunteer-run organization that until recently had two employees.
Davie, Fla.-based ICIC reported total revenue of about $250,000 in 2018, the most recent year available. Net assets were $177,509 compared with $14.6 million reported by ALSF. “With the pandemic and from a succession standpoint, they felt it made the most sense to consolidate resources by joining our organization,” Scott said.
“By aligning forces, we can expand the synergies to raise even more funds to find gentler cures and increase awareness of this dreadful disease,” Beth Besner said via a press release. She and her husband, Brad, co-founded ICIC in 2007 in honor of their son, Ian, who was diagnosed with T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in January 2006, a week before his 11th birthday. He died May 2006 after becoming infected with meningitis following chemotherapy that weakened his immune system.
ICIC is the fifth organization within the past decade to merge into ALSF, according to Scott. Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia Foundation joined earlier this year, Childhood Cancer Guides Foundation merged in 2019, and in 2013, Supersibs Foundation and Cord Foundation both became part of the organization.
ALSF emerged from the lemonade stand of 4-year-old Alexandra Scott, who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma before her 1st birthday, and wanted to raise money to find cures for children with cancer. She died in 2004 at the age of 8 and the organization was founded in 2005. Since its inception, ALSF has raised more than $200 million for childhood cancer since its inception, funding more than 1,000 research projects at nearly 150 institutions.
