How to Organize a Successful Car Wash Fundraiser

Car washes are a great way to earn money for any organization, whether it be for a school, church, sports club, community service, or other group. However, organizing a car wash can be difficult, and if you're hoping to earn more than a few hundred dollars, takes a bit of organization and planning ahead.

As a middle school teacher, I've organized car washes for the past 7 years. My students and I earn funds every year to pay for our the Science and Math Day events at Six Flags Magic Mountain, a worthy cause for educators, as your students put their scientific minds together in various competitions against other middle schoolers, and for the students themselves, whom, after they compete, have the rest of the day free to explore the concepts of gravity, kinetic energy, potential energy, momentum, inertia, and friction while riding the many roller coasters that Six Flags has to offer!

Because of California's ongoing budget crisis for education, I usually have my students pay for their tickets. Those that cannot afford it, but want to go, can talk to me privately, and some of the car wash money will be set aside for them; often, parents also offer to make donations to students who cannot pay for their ticket. In the end, all students who want to and can go are given the opportunity to go, which is a precious teaching opportunity at this day and age where middle school field trips are becoming rarer and rarer. However, as a group, we must pay for transportation. Each bus can cost anywhere between $400 to $600, and since we normally take about 3 buses, our goal is usually to earn about $1800. A regular car wash of kids yelling "Caaaarrr Waaaaash!" on the sidewalk can raise anywhere between $300 to $800, but as a class, we'll need much more than that. So to increase our income on this project, my students will pre-sell car wash tickets to their customers.

Pre-sale tickets work to generate more funds in more than one way. Often, customers will buy the tickets, but never bring their car to be washed in by a middle schooler, fearing for the safety of their car. Buying the ticket though, is their way to offer a donation to a worthy cause, and $4 or $5 is an affordable donation. Sometimes, customers buy the tickets with the intention to bring in their car, only they may not be able to show up. And often, those that do show up to have their car washed will often give an extra tip if they're happy with the job. You can have a trusty, enthusiastic student be in charge of the tip jar, who will bravely and happily sing a short "Thank You!" to those that donate tips to our group! Last but not least, unexpected visitors always show up, and sometimes, they will pay us more than we expected for the car wash. By pre-selling tickets, we always generate the amount that we've needed. As a reference point, when I have only 50 students going on the trip, we can earn about $1200; with 100 students, we can earn up to $2200! With the extra money, we throw ourselves a Pizza Banquet, usually right after school, for all car washers and helpers, complete with a slideshow from our competition, the car wash, certificates for completing the event, and medallions for any winners we may have!

The car wash also builds camaraderie amongst my students every year, as they learn how to work together as a team, and wash the cars well. Therefore, successful organization of the car wash is a MUST. My general expectations include NO playing with the water when even one customer is present, as we are there to wash their cars first and foremost. Students are also separated into a Dry Team, and the Wash Team. In the Dry Team, students are split into a windows team, car body team, and tires team, so that each of them are using specific materials and responsible for a certain part of the car.

In the Wash Team, I split the students into two teams (as I generally have two hoses). Each team must have one person responsible for the hose, whose job is to make sure the water doesn't dry on the cars, and that soap is completely removed before having the car move to the Dry station. The rest are in charge of the car body, tires, and windows. I also allow a few students from each team to rotate in and out in one hour periods to hold the signs up and yell "Caaaaarrr Waaaashhh!" to cars passing by. However, they must follow rules for doing this - no harassing cars while they're stopped, and certainly no running out into the street. Last but not least, if you do not have another adult to help, assign one of your most responsible students to be in charge of collecting tickets and/or money from cars coming in to the car wash. This student will also be responsible for directing cars into the Wash station.

If you have more parent helpers, have a parent stay by a table where students can place their things, and another to man the snack bar. Yes! You must feed your hardworking car washers! I often ask for students and parents that want to bake or bring refreshments for everyone, and we usually get a very good turnout. One year, a parent even offered to wash and dry half of our towels, which was especially helpful. Now, I have enough towels to rotate through, but a suggestion is to have your own set of towels to start off with, as well as asking students to bring some in. If they want it back, they should put their names on it and have it with them at all times. If they don't want it back after the wash, consider it a donation to your stock of towels. For me, these towels are handy year-round for our science labs, and we use them in class and at the car wash as well. I also place my towels in crates, so students can turn the crates over and lay the towels on top so they can dry if needed.

Other necessary things to have around - trash bags/containers for trash that will be generated from the paper towels for drying the windows, and trash from the refreshments and torn car wash tickets. Students can be asked to bring step ladders, long brushes, car wash soap, sponges, buckets, window cleaner, and anything else you may want to have for a car wash. I use two hoses, as stated earlier, and usually bring one of those "Y"-shaped valves that connect to the outside water faucet, so that two hoses can be extended from the one faucet port. Remind students to wear sunblock and as this is a public school event, I remind them that should NOT wear white t-shirts or swimsuits without any clothing on top, or I will send them home, and they won't get credit for the fundraiser. That's right - they get --credit for the fundraiser! In order to participate in the competitions at Six Flags, they fully participate in the fundraiser, which means that they sell 10 tickets and help wash cars. Unless there's a valid reason that includes a note from their parent, they're expected to be at the car wash.

Students are to aim to sell 10 tickets. We pre-sale the car wash tickets for $4 (regular cars) and $5 (trucks, SUVs, etc.), and on the day of the car wash, it costs $5 and $6, respectively. Each student is assigned a series of tickets, and expected to turn in their unsold tickets and money earned a day before the car wash, so that no "embezzlement" happens. I actually have a trusty class representative from each period, who helps me after school in numbering and assigning these tickets. As a public school teacher, I know that not every student will end up selling 10 tickets - some will only be able to sell 4, and have done the best they can. In that case, don't worry - this often balances out with the overzealous student (or parent) who sells a ticket to everyone they know, and end up getting 20 extra tickets from you to give to their patrons. In the end, every year, we are never short of what we need, and usually have enough to honor our scientists with something extra - whether it simply be a medallion for the winners, a Pizza Banquet for everyone, or a potluck on the last day of school for every class where the money is used to buy something special for the class, and they supplement it with a home-cooked dish from home that everyone can enjoy.