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Does your youth group need to raise money quickly?   Perhaps you would benefit from a fast, free fundraiser to generate revenue. The amount you make will largely depend on preparation time, participation and execution.

Here are three tried and true projects to raise some fast cash:

1.  Car Wash Fundraiser

Car washes have proven to be great community fundraisers.  You will need willing volunteers, a high traffic, visible location, and some terrific signage.

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Choose a location with good main road frontage.
• Ensure you have proper water access.
• Prepare a list of supplies – hoses, buckets, wash towels, dry towels, and squeegees.
• Assign each volunteer with a task and the appropriate supplies from the list.
• Make 8-10 eye catching signs in high-contrast colors.
• Schedule the volunteers in 2-hour shifts.
• Wash cars for six hours, preferably on a Saturday.
• Have two lines so you can wash two vehicles at once.

Weather will play an important part in the success of your fundraiser.  If you are able to wash 12 vehicles an hour (one every ten minutes per line), you will easily raise over $500 in one day.

It would also be beneficial to prepare a flyer, which outlines the purpose of your fundraiser and the price per car wash.  You may even wish to offer additional services, such as tire dressing or interior cleaning, for an additional charge.   

Alternatively, you can also advertise a free car wash and ask for donations for your cause. Although this can be a bit of a gamble, many groups often find that this method raises more cash than a specific asking price.  It is not uncommon for people to be more generous when they see a group of volunteers working hard and having a good time.

Be sure to get the word out.  You’ll want to post your fundraising event on Twitter, Face book, Myspace, etc.  As well, be sure to let friends and family know and ask them to help you spread the word.  Advertise in your local newspaper, and get permission to post signs a few days in advance.  Always keeping safety in mind, have some of the volunteers hold and wave signs toward passing traffic.

2.  Yard Cleanup

A yard cleanup fundraiser is extremely fast and easy to put together. Simply create a set of instructions for your group detailing what to offer, what to say, and how much to charge.

Like most fundraisers, the target market, for a yard cleanup fundraiser, is family, friends, and neighbors. Depending on the age of your volunteers, the offerings could range from simple lawn care to mulching flower beds and pruning trees. Fall is a great time for this type of fundraiser, because leaf cleanup is always a necessity during this season.

You’ll want to prepare a flyer describing your fundraiser, as well as the objectives, and clearly list your prices for the various cleanup tasks. Assign a quota to each volunteer.

As incentive, a pizza party or movie passes to the best performers can definitely improve overall results.

3.  Community Cleanup

A community clean up, is also known as a trash bag fundraiser.  You will be performing a valuable community service while earning significant revenue for your cause.  

Organizing a community cleanup project is a terrific way to raise funds, while sending a positive message about your group.

This type of fundraising event is normally a weekend event.  The group participants will solicit pledges from family, friends, neighbors, and local businesses.   As well, you’ll want to approach local businesses to donate trash bags and recruit parents and relatives with trucks to haul the trash.

Pledges are tied to a specific attainment goal such as the number of pounds of trash collected or the number of road miles cleaned of debris. You'll need to create a one-page overview of your cleanup program and a pledge signup sheet.

When you prepare your flyers, be sure to include a suggested range for donations.  For example, you may ask anywhere from a penny to a dime a pound for larger projects. Large amounts of garbage can be collected from a local stream or illegal dumping area, so you may also put a maximum limit on pledge amounts of $20.

Assuming you have 50 volunteers, each with five pledges of a penny a pound, a ton of garbage will raise $100 per participant or $5,000 for your cause.

You’ll raise a ton of cash for disposing of a ton of garbage and you’ll be doing a world of good for the community. 

Each of these fundraising tips is fast and easy to put together, as well as being a reliable source of revenue for your group. For safety purposes, please ensure you have adult supervision for any youth group event.  Start planning your free and easy fundraisers today!

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