Dear Kim Q&A Column Archive
October 2006
CAR WASH FUNDRAISER
Dear Kim:
My organization is thinking about having a car wash at the end
of this month. Do you think that is a good way to raise money?
And how can we receive more while we are washing cars?
--Don't Want it to be a Wash
Dear Wash:
Car washes by themselves don’t usually raise large sums
of money, but can be a good option for your group under the following
circumstances:
1.You’ve already asked people you know for a contribution
to your group and need to find a way to raise money from a new
source of supporters,
2.You have a group of volunteers willing to spend a few hours
washing cars,
3.You have a good location for the car wash, with enough traffic
to bring in the spontaneous consumer, and a place to safely dispose
of the runoff from the car wash that can otherwise pollute,
4.As you mentioned, you can add on other income-generating activities
to make the car wash more profitable. Here’s an example
of an extremely successful car wash that takes place every year
and raises a lot of money:
A music teacher at a public middle school in San Francisco organizes
an annual (one-day only) car wash as a fundraiser for the music
department. What makes this car wash unusual, and financially
very successful, is that it is organized as a pledge-raising
event. The students are recruited to wash the cars, and to ask
people they know to sponsor them for each car that is washed
that day. They set a goal of washing 200 cars, so, for example,
if someone pledges $.05 per car, their donation is $10. A total
of 250 students participate, at various levels. Each student
is asked to get a minimum of $25 in pledges. The cars are washed
for free, and they set up a donation box for people getting their
cars washed to make a voluntary contribution. In more recent
years, they’ve added a bake sale at the car wash, which
brings in additional funds. Now in its 10th year, they raise
about $12,000 from the pledges, another $1,000 from donations,
and $300 - $500 from the bake sale.
Good luck!
--Stephanie Roth
For more information on car washes and other fundraising strategies,
check out "The Accidental Fundraiser: A Step-by-Step Guide
to Raising Money for Your Cause" by Stephanie Roth and Mimi
Ho at the Jossey-Bass web site: http://www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0787978051.html
You can use "JBNPD" as the promotional code to
get 20% off the cover price!
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