In any business marketing or strategic plan, you must always complete the operation and evaluate what you have learned. Those companies and non-profit groups who do will use this information to propel themselves in the market. Those who do not will be doomed to repeat past follies time and time again. Car Wash Fundraisers are no different. Here is advice after doing hundreds of car wash fundraisers for your post evaluation and collection of funds.
COLLECTING PLEDGES
Try to make sure the same people that received the pledges knock on the same doors to collect them. With corporate pledges, the leader of your group or the treasurer should go to the company to personally collect the funds and thank them for supporting your group. If your members are reluctant to go back to collect pledges, send them in teams of two or three and cover all of their corresponding areas. If someone refuses to pay, act very sad and tell them how hard you worked. Obviously you are not going to sue them, if they fail to pay and threatening them makes no sense, there are just really scummy people in the world and that perhaps is a lesson all in itself?
EVALUATION
Try to be objective. If you cant, just tell everyone they did a perfect job and pat yourself on the back. If you think you can be a little objective, ask yourself:
What went wrong?
Did you meet your ticket goals?
How were pledges?
Did anyone complain and if so about what?
Was the property owner happy?
Did you use due diligence with wash water run off?
Did you cause a traffic problem?
How long was the line of cars?
Was your team exhausted?
Did anyones temper get out of hand?
Did everyone enjoy themselves?
How much money did you make?
Could you have made more?
This will give you a very good start in evaluating your car wash fundraisers success. Then ask yourself these questions:
What could you change for next year?
What problems would that solve?
Would this create other problems?
Write down four to five pages. Be honest. This information will truly be invaluable for next years car wash fundraiser group. Send your evaluations to our author. Fax them to 1-888-WASH-GAL. Is there anything left out of this book that you believe was significant? If you belong to a national organization send your basic plan and evaluation to them also. Other chapters of your organization may be planning a car wash fundraiser. No sense in making the same mistakes twice. These other chapters will have similar make ups of people types, ages and values that are different than other organizations. I have visited hundreds of organizations. I have watched them make mistakes at car washes that I myself hadnt thought of. Most of these mistakes are mentioned in this book. But there will always be new pitfalls. If you do everything in this book you can be successful and beat your projections even if you make a few mistakes along the way. Share your information and your wealth.
New additions to this book can be found on the Car Wash Guys International, Inc. corporate web site. The address is:
http://www.carwashguys.com/fundraisers/LAschools.html
SET A TENTATIVE DATE FOR NEXT YEAR
Put your evaluation pages in a folder with a piece of paper recommending a tentative date for next years car wash fundraiser. Put a big rubber band on the folder so nothing falls out. Write across the folder Top Secret - Car Wash Fundraising Information at a 45 angle. On the tab on the folder write the month of your tentative date; give this folder to the treasurer of your group. This way it wont get lost and it will be automatically transferred to next years treasurer. Even if you are not involved in the group next year, your car wash fundraiser events legacy will live on. The treasurer in any group will generally be very responsible and will also know the reality surrounding your groups financial picture. They will surely bring this folder to the groups attention if they get low on funds. When picking a date for next year, stay away from three-day weekends, religious holidays, county fairs and predominately rainy months. Copy the e-book and stick it in the folder as well.
ANNOUNCE YOUR EARNINGS
Tally up the number of cars washed, ticket sales and donations. Let everyone know how much they earned. This is a form of instant gratification. Remember this is a country built on capitalistic value. By announcing the money made and an ata-boy, members will feel good about what they have done. The money represents success. Everyone wants to be a winner. Tell them they are winners. You did it! No excuses. You just did it. You accomplished something great through teamwork. If your group can do this, they can do anything. If you are a sports team youve united your team. If you have an upcoming game, you have a much better chance to win. If youre another kind of group youve built unity and confidence in the group and a Were in it to win it attitude.
Your post evaluation and announcement of your success is important to the future of the group. Think on this.
Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
