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Fundraiser - First/Last

Red Baron

Red Baron

Active member
Allowing 2 SS bays of my 3/1 to be used today for a high school fundraiser. Took the Fundraising page off my website 2 hours after the fundraiser began. lol

It has virtually shut me down on what should have been a very good wash day - light rain early this am, and nice the remainder of day.

Kids have been going to the window of customers in my auto bay line, recruitign them to use "their" bay. I decided not to tell them that this takes money right from my pocket...but I'll never do one of these again.
 
I've only had two fund-raisers and will be glad to have more. I felt that they may try to recruit "my" customers also. I told the parents up-front that they could place kids out by the road waving signs, but no soliciting of customers that did not go to "their" bay. I set up some cones to guide "their" customers in and turned on the far end bay for them to use as they wished. I also kept their buckets filled with soapy water from my tanks. I had no problems at all and had a pretty good time watching them. It was well worth the little effort and cost for all of the good will it generated. Why did you give them two bays anyway?
 
Started out with one but they complained that it was taking too long. They had double lines out to the highway for much of the time 10-3. I should have ran through around 90-100 cars in my IBA and will be lucky to have done 30. My most popular bay was left for my customers - it stayed dry almost all day. I figure the gig cost me around $600. I would be better off to tell them, in the future, "No thanks, but here's $200 for your fundraiser."
 
For my fund raisers I prefer to have them sell wash tokens for my automatic bays and I let them keep 1/2 of the proceeds and I keep half. It intorduces new customers to my wash and does not close me down on my busiest days.
 
Sorry Red about your experance. I don't let kids get involved with washing any cars or standing by the road or any activity other than selling tickets for a charity wash. If some group wants to have a charity wash I donate 100% of the sales to them at a loss to me of the water & chemicals. Last month was a Middle school band who sold tickets for $5. They keep 100% of the money. All I ask is a letter stating how much they raised as a "donation" on their letter head with thier 5013C #. I get free advertising and a nice write off for my 28 cents per car! No kids get in the way.... no lanes get shut down.

Every February for the last 5 years the local Catholic Church does one at my wash and raises over $3000. I give them a whole month. They begin to sell the tickets in January and the washes are good from Feb 1-28th. They announce the "charity wash" at 3 services on Sunday and on Sat evening and mail out over 3000 buletins a week! That's advertising that I can't pay for and someone else is doing it for me!

I do about 5-6 charity washes a year that last a whole month. They raise at least $10,000 for local groups, mostly Churches and the schools bands. I only did the hands on kids thing once... it was too much work and scared the hell out of me for their safety that I had to think of another way of doing it.
 
Red Baron said:
Started out with one but they complained that it was taking too long. They had double lines out to the highway for much of the time 10-3. I should have ran through around 90-100 cars in my IBA and will be lucky to have done 30. My most popular bay was left for my customers - it stayed dry almost all day. I figure the gig cost me around $600. I would be better off to tell them, in the future, "No thanks, but here's $200 for your fundraiser."
Click to expand...

What iba do you have that can run 100 cars in 5 hours?
 
Ric said:
What iba do you have that can run 100 cars in 5 hours?
Click to expand...

90-100 for the whole day on a day like yesterday. I probably lost 25-30 durign their wash, + those who wouldn't wash later in the day because they're now clean. 60 cars lost is a very conservative estimate.

I like Doug's approach.
 
A better estimate now: I washed 39 cars in my IBA yesterday. It was the perfect setup for a busy day, light rain in the morning (not enough to make mud), cleared out by 9am and very nice the rest of the day. Should have done 90 minimum: 90 - 39 = 51 cars lost @ $7 = $357 + plus the $200-$300 I should have done in the SS bays.

It sure sounds like I'm whining, but I'm not; I went into this with my eyes open. I just made some mistakes on my first one. If I do this again it will be token note sales for my IBA only. That said, I'm leanig toward not doing any more fundraiser washes.
 
Welcome, the screw up. You are smarter today than you were yesterday and it didn't kill you. A friend of mine has been in a wheelchair since age 19 (now 53), because of a mistake that no one thought could happen.

Mistakes are what make you successful, you learn nothing when your plan goes right. :)
 
pitzerwm said:
Welcome, the screw up. You are smarter today than you were yesterday and it didn't kill you. A friend of mine has been in a wheelchair since age 19 (now 53), because of a mistake that no one thought could happen.

Mistakes are what make you successful, you learn nothing when your plan goes right. :)
Click to expand...

That's a great attitude towards life, and I agree. They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger -- I should be the strongest guy around. lol
 
Looking to do Fundraisers....

I guess I will have second thoughts about them after reading these threads. I have a page on my site just for FR, I figured it would be a great way to drive the business and get new customers as well as give back. Anyone have any good stories or ways to have a good fundraiser.

www.thesocalway.com
 
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