National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Donate money or time to supporting cancer research, or directly supporting children all around the world who tragically have to battle cancer every day.
Drive corporate donations and employee volunteer engagement by positioning childhood cancer support as a meaningful cause-marketing opportunity aligned with family values and corporate social responsibility.
- Partner with St. Jude or ACCO to match employee donations during September
- Share survivor stories and family testimonials to humanize the cause and inspire giving
- Launch a month-long awareness campaign highlighting research breakthroughs and how donations directly fund treatment
- Host virtual or in-person fundraising events (walks, galas) to mobilize community support
Campaign ideas8
- Gold-themed in-store and online donation rounds at checkout (Domino's, Chili's, Buff City Soap model) with limited-edition 'childhood cancer' products and matching donation options
- Corporate walk/run event sponsorships (St. Jude Walk National Series, Million Mile challenge) with employee team participation and merchandise bundles
- Social media profile picture frame campaign – distribute gold ribbon frames for people to add to avatars throughout September to create unified visual awareness (#GoldSeptember, #GOLDSTRONG)
- Partner with local hospitals & pediatric oncology departments for 'Light It Up Gold' events – illuminate building facades in gold lighting or display prominent gold ribbons
- Milestone fundraiser campaigns tied to emotional storytelling – 'Fund for the 47' (children diagnosed daily), daily survivor/fighter spotlights, or personalized nameblock merchandise
- Team sports & entertainment activations – MLB Childhood Cancer Awareness Day (Sep 7), Cruise line deck parties, sports events where athletes wear/display gold ribbons
- K-12 school-led fundraiser toolkit – simple coin drives, bake sales with gold theming, classroom awareness activities tied to survivor stories
- Limited-edition product collaborations (gold-themed apparel, accessories, nail art, freezer pops) where portion of sales goes to research organizations
Social angles6
- 'This September, GO GOLD for the kids fighting childhood cancer' – Share a gold photo, wear gold, donate, tell your story. #GOLDSTRONG #ChildhoodCancerAwareness
- Survivor spotlight series – Feature real childhood cancer survivor stories with hope-focused messaging: 'Meet [Name], 5 years cancer-free. Turn the world gold September 1-30. #ShowYourGold
- 'Every 59 seconds a child is diagnosed with cancer. This September, transform your social profile – add our gold ribbon frame & join thousands standing with these warriors. #GoldSeptember2025'
- Call-to-action: 'Raise your hand to fight childhood cancer – Join the Million Mile Challenge, host a fundraiser, or shop gold merchandise. Link in bio to get involved.'
- 'Gold isn't just a color – it's a promise. The promise that every child deserves a cure, not just hope. Wear gold. Share gold. BE GOLD for childhood cancer awareness. #GoGold'
- Local activation angle: 'Help us Light It Up Gold! Our hospital/building/office lights up gold in September for childhood cancer. Join the #GoldSeptember movement in your community.'
Ad copy starters5
“Every 59 seconds, a child is diagnosed with cancer. This September, GO GOLD to support lifesaving research.”
“Gold symbolizes hope. Gold symbolizes courage. Gold symbolizes OUR children. Wear it. Share it. Donate it. #GOLDSTRONG”
“1 in 5 kids with cancer won't survive. Your September donation funds the research that changes that statistic.”
“Make childhood cancer history. Shop gold. Support research. Save lives. This September on [brand name].”
“Turn September gold—for the kids still fighting, the survivors thriving, and the families who need us. Donate at checkout.”
Tips4
- DO: Lead with authentic survivor and family stories—these drive emotional engagement and donations far more than statistics alone. DO center the perspective of the children themselves, not just parents or medical teams.
- DON'T: Use overly dark or depressing messaging that triggers compassion fatigue. Balance the urgency of the cause with hope-forward narratives about survival rates improving and breakthroughs happening.
- DO: Make action easy and accessible—clickable donation buttons, one-click social sharing, pre-made graphics, simple 'add gold frame' tools. Low friction = higher participation.
- DON'T: Neglect partner organizations—coordinate messaging with St. Jude, CureSearch, ALSF, ACCO and other nonprofits to amplify reach and avoid donor confusion. Co-brand when possible.
ACCO, The American Childhood Cancer Association, has been deeply involved with National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month since the first one in 1990. President Bush proclaimed October 1990 as National Awareness Month for Children with Cancer, but it was only for that year and that month. In 2012 Barack Obama issued a proclamation that September would be, then and always, National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month isn’t just for those children who are fighting this horrible disease, but for those who have lost that fight and their families. Cancer takes over a family’s life when even when it’s an adult patient, when it’s a child everything is overturned. Even with organizations like St. Jude who do everything they can to help children battle the disease and remain in good spirits, life outside the hospital moves on, and medical bills continue to crop up.
Survivors who have lost children to this disease are also in need of support, and the ACCO works hard to provide that as well. National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month raises awareness not just of the epidemic that is Childhood Cancer, but at the effects it has on the family that is fighting it right along with the child they love and cherish.