How To Part 02: Car Wash Fundraiser Preparation

To Help Your Fundraiser Be Successful

How To Part 02: Car Wash Fundraiser Preparation
Lance Winslow

Are you considering a car wash fundraiser for your group? We all no it is getting harder and harder to raise the funds for non-profit groups these days. Especially kids groups such as youth groups, sports teams, high school bands and scouts. Now more than ever it is important that we take special care to mentor our youth. One of the most important things you need to do to insure a successful car wash fundraiser is to pay special attention to the pre-planning preparation.

As with almost anything, the amount of preparation you do will be in direct proportion to the success of your fundraiser. Pre-planning preparation is the key between just another car wash and an unforgettable experience. Let us discuss the necessary steps you must go through to insure a successful car wash.

PICKING DATES AND TIMES

You should pick a date six weeks or more in advance if at all possible. Obviously, if everything could be coordinated correctly, this would be easy. Unfortunately we all know that if it’s the end of the year or season and your budget is in the hole and you’re short a couple of thousand dollars, you really have no choice. You may even have less than a week or two to prepare. Don’t worry. Simply sped up the time line. Try cutting everything by a third.

Check the Calendar Section of your local newspaper. Are there any major community events occurring on the same day as your planned car wash fundraiser? A conflict of interest may cause a decrease in the same day attendance. A decrease in cars could cause as much as twenty to thirty percent in lost revenue. If, on the other hand, you coordinate a time, date and location that corresponds to the other event, let’s say down the street a half a mile or less, you could add fifty percent more cars. You might try to put your car wash fundraiser across the street in a parking lot, gas station, etc. Better yet, ask the other group if you can have your fundraiser in their parking lot. Offer them ten percent of the proceeds if their event is also a fundraiser. How can they say no? This could almost double the number of cars washed.

RAIN DATES

What about rain? That’s a great point. You should have a rain date. Perhaps the following week or two to three weeks later. Three weeks later is good because you may want to do another fundraiser even if it doesn’t rain. Your group may need more money. If they had fun or you didn’t reach one hundred percent of projected earnings another fundraiser car wash might be the way to go. Make sure that your rain date doesn’t conflict with any big events either.

I wish you success in your car wash fundraising event and there are some good resources online too if you search “car wash fundraiser” on Google. Thank you for helping the kids.

Lance Winslow IV