Choosing the Date and Venue
Choose a date and time to hold the car wash event. Be sure to check that the weather is good because people won't want to get their cars washed on (or right before) rainy days. Weekends are also a good time because most people won’t be rushing to and from work or school. Make sure the day you pick will work for everyone in your group.
Find a location for the car wash that has necessary amenities. Think about all the amenities you’ll need for the car wash and choose a location that offers those things. For instance, you’ll need a place where you can set up a hose line or fill buckets with water. Parking lots are typically the best option for car washes. You might also want to have access to a bathroom or shade nearby (especially if it’s a hot day) for your volunteers and customers.
Choose a location with lots of visibility to get the most customers. Pick a spot that’s visible and easily accessible to drivers. For instance, a parking lot on the side of a busy road near an intersection will likely get more customers than a lot on a quiet residential street. If you’re organizing the event for your church or highschool, try to be near your own neighborhood for the sake of convenience and safety.
Ask the property owners about letting you use the space. Tell the property owners you'll be working for a charity or school and they'll be more likely to let you have the space. Let them know the date and time of the car wash and, if necessary, whether your volunteers and customers might want to use their amenities. Be friendly and understanding if they say no. Make sure that the date and time you've chosen is good for them, too.
Coordinating Volunteers
Create a sign-up sheet to keep track of your volunteers. Determine how many people from your group or community are willing to participate. You can post a sign-up sheet in common areas like hallways or designated school, work, or church bulletin boards. You can also use an online signup sheet like VolunteerSpot or ScheduleOnce. Be clear about the timing on the sign-up sheet and dedicate a column for people to write down the times they’re available if you need to break the day into shifts.
Create a list of roles and tasks for your volunteers to sign up for. Have volunteers sign up for particular tasks and be clear about various duties associated with each role. For example: “Sign holders will be stationed on the sidewalk greeting people,” or “Ushers will collect money and direct cars into the washing zone.” You’ll probably need the following roles: Sign holders and greeters - Have a few volunteers stationed on street corners near the car wash with their signs. Instruct them to stand about half a block away from the car wash so they can direct people into the area, if necessary. They’ll need to be energetic and be able to speak about the cause to draw people in. Car washers - Dedicate at least 2 people to be washing cars. 4 or 5 washers is ideal so 2 people can be working on a single car at the same time. Washing multiple cars can be exhausting, so they’ll need to have some physical stamina. When it comes to this task, the more people, the better! Cash collectors - Designate 1 person as the official cash collector. They’ll be the ones doing cash and credit transactions either at car windows or at a table. They’ll need to be friendly and be able to talk about the cause. Concession vendors (optional) - If you choose to sell drinks and snacks at the carwash to collect more donations, you’ll need to have 1 person to be stationed at the table. They’ll also need to have a cash box or pouch.
Break up the day into shifts for your volunteers to sign up for. People have busy schedules, so breaking up the day into 1 to 2 hour shifts can increase the numbers of volunteers you get. Also, washing cars is hard work and other roles might be deemed boring, so your volunteers probably won’t want to stick with any single task for more than an hour or two. If you like, leave space for volunteers to list their preferred tasks. Be clear about the timing of each shift so your volunteers know the exact times they’re signing up for. For example:Molly: Cash collector - shift 1 (12:00PM - 1:00PM), Car washer - shift 2 (1:00PM - 2:00PM)Jared: Sign holder / greeter - shift 1 (12:00PM - 1:00PM), Cash collector - shift 2 (1:00PM - 2:00PM).
Gather volunteers ahead of time to do a practice run, if possible. Schedule a day where your volunteers meet up to practice washing cars before the actual event. This act as a way to ensure adequate speed and quality of the wash. Consider switching around the roles if some people are naturally better at other tasks. For instance, if a car washer is low in energy and needs some food, allow them to swap roles with the cash collector or someone at the concessions stand (if you have one). Use a timer on your smartphone to see how long it takes your volunteers to wash a single car. This is important to know if you want to advertise it as a quick wash or if drivers are in a hurry.
Managing Budget and Pricing
Determine a fair price for your car wash or make it donation-based. Usually, $5 is a good amount, but be sure to adjust the price for special services like waxing or interior detailing. You may also up the price when it comes to large SUV or vans. Alternatively, you can ask for donations, which can sometimes result in more revenue than charging for the wash outright. Keep in mind that you’ll also need to designate a volunteer to candle cash.
Plan a detailed budget that covers supplies and other materials. Determine your budget before you go shopping for supplies. Most of the funds should be allocated towards necessary materials. Then, if you have some left over, you can think about non-necessities. If you are offered discretionary funds from your school or organizations, whoever approved the funds will probably want to see and approve a copy as well. For instance, if you have a budget of $50, allocate $30 to $40 towards buckets, soap, polishing tools, and anything else you might need. Then, spend around $10 on posters, markers, and other items needed for advertising. Whatever’s left over can be spent on extra supplies or, if applicable, concessions. If you’re working with a strict budget, go to the store where you plan to purchase items first to tally up the prices.
Pool your group’s resources to borrow or buy necessary items. Ask your school or community center if they have advertising materials like poster boards and markers. Also, ask your volunteers if they already have some of the materials you’ll need or if they’re willing to chip in to buy said items. Things like rags and buckets are pretty common household items, so it doesn’t hurt to ask if you’re working with little or no budget!
Buy 1 or 2 cash boxes or pouches to collect donations. Go to a value-priced or secondhand store to purchase a secure cash box to collect dollars and coins. You can also get a fanny pack so the cash collector can wear it around while doing other tasks (like washing cars!). You can use a shoebox or other vessel to hold the cash, but just make sure to put it in a location that’s not too conspicuous or accessible by passersby. If you’re only designating 1 person to collect cash, only have 1 box or pouch. If you have 2 collectors (1 for the car wash, 1 for nearby concessions), get 2 different vessels.
Get a credit card swiper to take non-cash payments and donations. If possible, buy a bluetooth or plug-in card reader that’s compatible with your phone so you can take credit cards. Or, ask your school, organization, or group of volunteers if you can borrow one for the event. Magnetic stripe card readers cost anywhere from $4 to $10, so incorporate that into your budget if you plan to get one. Not everyone carries cash these days, so you’ll probably bring it way more funds with a card swiper!
Marketing the Event
Meet with your group to create posters a week before the event. Ask some of your volunteers to meet up to make some posters and signs for the event. Be sure to include the price and mention the cause you’re supporting. People may be more willing to get their car washed if they know that the money is going to a good cause. Feel free to make the signs and posters colorful, but make sure larger signs are readable so people driving by can read them from a distance. Be sure to check with the property owner if you’ll be using stakes or trees to hold up the signs.
Use social media to advertise your charity car wash. Make an event page and share it with your friends and family (and ask them to share it with their friends as well). Mention the cause you’ll be raising money for on the page and, if possible, provide a link to the charity or organization. Make sure to list the time and date correctly on the event page. Let people know the prices and any special services that will be available (like waxing or interior detailing).
Pre-sell tickets to friends and family. Pre-selling tickets online via an event page or fundraising platform is a great way to raise money from people who can’t show up for the car wash. Use platforms like PayPal or GoFundMe to talk about your cause and reach a wider audience. It’s also a great way that faraway friends and family can support your cause.
Garner more attention by using quirky traits or gimmicks. Be sure to advertise what’s special about your car wash. For instance, if it’s eco-friendly, be sure to put that on signs. If you’ll be washing cars in less than 5 minutes, emphasize how fast it is. Do anything you can think of that might entice people to stop in and support the cause. You can even consider certain gimmicks that might draw people in. Try to make it relate to your cause, if possible (e.g., all of your volunteers might wear animal onesies to raise money for wildlife protection).
Ask local businesses to put up fliers about the event, if possible. Go to restaurants, coffee shops, and other privately-owned businesses to see if they’ll put up some of your flyers in their window. Let them know about the cause you’re supporting to make it more likely that they’ll say yes. Don’t put up posters in various places without asking first!
Setting Up
Ask your volunteers to arrive at least 20 or 30 minutes early. Requesting people come early will give you enough time to set up the area and remind people of their duties. It will also give you time to reallocate tasks in case some people have to cancel at the last minute. The more people you have showing up early, the easier the setup will be! If the venue has a restroom, you might want to show the volunteers where it is so they don’t have to disrupt others in order to ask or spend time wandering around.
Choose a washing zone that’s near a gutter or drainage vent. The washing zone is going to be wet and have lots of dirty run-off, so choose a spot that’s closest to a gutter or other drainage system. It should also be an area where there’s enough room to fit both large and small cars. If you’re not sure, ask the property owner for their suggestion.
Put the concessions table and rest area away from the washing area. If you plan to have a rest area for drivers to get out while their cars are being washed, set up some chairs in a shaded area (especially if it’s a hot day). Place your concessions table far enough away from the wash zone so water isn’t spritzing the snacks! Also, make sure it’s not downhill from the wash zone—people won’t like stepping in inches of dirty water!
Fill buckets with water and, if applicable, set up the hose line. Ask your volunteers to help you fill up multiple buckets with water from a nearby spigot and carry them into the washing area. Or, if there’s a hose-line hookup or hose nearby, unwind it and extend it into the washing zone so it’s ready to go. Place the buckets in an accessible area right next to where cars will be parking. If you’re using buckets, it’s important to show your volunteers where they can refill them.
Distribute necessary materials to the car washers. Equip each car washer with all of the materials they need and let them know where they can get more supplies if they need them. For instance, give each person at least 1 sponge and dry rag for washing and drying. Keep extra supplies close enough to the washing zone so volunteers have quick and easy access.
Station your sign holders on the sidewalk according to ideal traffic flow. Watch how traffic is flowing so you can find the best spot to station your sign holders. For instance, stationing them on the same side of the road (facing oncoming traffic) is going to be more effective than on the opposite side because drivers can easily enter the wash area without having to make a U-turn. If you’re stationed near an intersection, plant sign holders on each corner or on a large grassy median. Just be sure that the sidewalk or space is safe for your volunteer!
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