MAIN Your Money Fundraising

How To Make Your Car Wash
Fundraiser A Shining Success

During the warmer months car washes pop up everywhere. What better way to raise money for your organization and provide a service for your neighbors at the same time?

Car wash fundraisers aren't too complicated, and don't require a lot of up-front costs to organize. With a little planning - and lots of soap and water! - you, too, can raise both funds and public awareness for the cause by following these 'been there' tips:

• Location, location, location: When choosing your location make sure that there is a water spicket available. Gas stations are the most common sites, but look around. Any building in a high traffic area with a decent parking lot will work, just make sure to get the proper permission from the proprietors.
  
  If the site is on a corner, position volunteers with signs announcing your car wash far away enough from the driveway so that any takers will have time to turn in to the correct entrance. For safety, keep off medians and do not approach any vehicles that haven't signaled that they want to make a donation.
  
  
• Advertising: Think big, bright and bold! While it is important to have signs it is also important that the passers-by be able to read them.
  
  Instead of having all the information on one card, put key phrases and important times and amounts on two or three cards. Then have two or three people hold them so that as cars pass by, they get all the information they need.
  
  Also important is scheduling enough time to get the word out. Print out fliers a week ahead of time put them on windshields of cars that park in the area. Word of mouth is also good advertising, and friends and family are usually more than willing to step up and help out when they can.
  
  
• Staffing: Don't make the common mistake of having too few on your volunteer car wash crew. There should be one or two people to wash tires, four to six people to wash cars, another four to six to dry cars, and then someone to work the hose. If a splitter is used on the hose then you need at least two people to handle both hoses.
  
  The greater the number of well-equipped volunteers the better your chances of providing quicker service and more satisfied customers. And that translates into bigger donations for the speed, quality and care that has been put into their car.
  

Remember that if you have a worthy cause most people will always want to help, and the passion and drive you exhibit will inspire them to respond in kind.

Good luck!

More about car wash fundraisers around the Web:

Fundraiser Help - Car Wash Fundraiser - More tips on making the most of your organization's car wash.

How to Run a Successful Car Wash Fundraiser - Everything you need to know from soup to nuts for a sure fire successful car wash.

Summertime Car Wash Fundraising - What should you wear to be comfortable while you wash cars for hours on end? Who should you get to volunteer? What supplies do you need?

USAFundraising - What else can you do besides wash cars at your car wash?

also see in Teens -> Teen Volunteering

Prom Planning & Fundraising