Wash A Thon, Car Wash Fundraiser Strategies
By Lance Winslow IV
Car wash fundraisers are great ways to raise money for non-profit groups. If
you are careful in your strategies during the organizing of your car wash
fundraiser you stand to make considerable amounts of money. The main goal in a
wash-a-thon style car wash fundraiser is to collect the most pre-sale sponsors
for the number of cars washed and to wash as many cars as possible.
If you don’t want to subject your group to selling tickets because they have
been selling tickets to other events and selling candy all year, there is
another way to make a lot of money at your car wash fundraiser. Wash all the
cars for free. You say, "Hey, wait a minute, we want to make money." That’s
right. Have your group go around and ask people to get pledges for each car
washed. While getting pledges give out free car wash coupons to your pledgers.
You may also want to give coupons to those people who refuse to pledge. This
will make them feel cheap or guilty. If they come to your car wash they will
more than likely donate to your organization anyway.
In wash-a-thon car washes you will ask people for one cent to five cents per
car washed. Have family members of pledge drivers sign up first. Normally they
will pledge a higher amount per car. If your other customers see high pledges
they will be more apt to also pledge a higher amount per car. You should put
fifteen to twenty people on a page. Ask pledge drivers to fill out 2 1/2 to 3
1/2 pages each.
We did a car wash like this with the Boy Scouts in Northern California. Four
different troops, same car wash. They used the money to travel to the annual
National Scout Jamboree. Each young man got an average of fifty-one pledges.
The average pledge was four cents each. We washed 262 cars and had a total of
63 boys in the four groups. They went door to door in their neighborhoods in
uniforms in teams of two. Do you have a calculator? 63 Boys times 51 pledges =
3,213 Total Pledges times $ .04 per car = $ 128.52 For Every Car Washed, times
262 cars washed = $33,672.24
Wow! When was the last time you made that much money in a car wash fundraiser?
They all had a lot of fun at their jamboree. Remember, when asking for
pledges, cute little boys and girls will get pledges more easily. The older
they are the more difficult it becomes.
We have also had success with older kids such as cheerleaders, drill teams and
‘Say no to drugs’ groups. You should also note that if you’re not diligent in
collecting pledges right away your collection percentages will drop to ten to
thirty percent un collectable. Some of your members will be reluctant to go
back and collect. Remember, going back twice is twice the work. You may want
to give pledgers an option of paying a flat rate, but be careful. If you
collect a flat rate in advance such as $3.00 to $4.00 you may be cutting your
earnings in half. In the case of the Boy Scouts versus dirty cars, their
average was $8.48 per car. At four dollars average flat rate, they would have
lost $4.48 per car washed. Over one-half. Pledges are better but do require an
extra trip.
Now does this mean you refuse money? No, don’t refuse money. Try for pledges
first. If that doesn’t work, pull out a different sign up sheet and have them
fill that out. Keep those flat rates off your pledge sign up sheets. They will
cause others to break ranks and cause you lost revenue. People tend to pledge
or donate what other people pledge or donate. It’s kind of like follow the
leader. If on one page you get a couple of people giving you a flat rate, ten
more people will also go for the flat rate when they see that page.
I hope these tips help make your car wash fundraiser the most successful ever.
If you want more information on “Car wash fundraisers” then search it on
Google and find a complete online book.
Lance Winslow IV
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