Fundraising works in car washing for one simple reason:

You’re not asking people to buy something random.

You’re asking them to buy something they were already going to purchase - and now it supports a cause.

That’s powerful.

When you combine that psychology with Rinsed’s Checkout Forms, voucher functionality, and campaign tools, fundraising becomes structured, trackable, and scalable.

Let’s walk through what that actually looks like inside the platform.

Why Fundraisers Convert So Well for Car Washes

Before we get tactical, here’s the strategic angle.

When a parent sees:

“Buy a wash. $5 supports your child’s baseball team.”

The decision shifts from price comparison to purpose.

That increases:

• Conversion rates
  
  
• Average order value
  
  
• Brand goodwill
  
  
• First-time customer acquisition
  
  

And because the transaction happens online, it doesn’t disrupt tunnel operations.

Now let’s talk execution.

Step 1: Create a Dedicated Checkout Form

Inside Rinsed, fundraisers are powered by Checkout Forms.

Instead, you create:

• A dedicated Checkout Form for that specific organization
  
  
• Campaign-specific items tied to your POS
  
  
• Voucher fulfillment tied to the product sold
  
  

We strongly recommend one Checkout Form per fundraiser. That keeps reporting clean and reconciliation simple later.

When you look at Online Sales reporting, you’ll be able to isolate revenue by that specific form.

Step 2: Use Voucher Add-Ons to Sell Multiple Washes

One of the most common questions operators ask:

“How do I let someone buy 2 or 3 washes at once?”

You use voucher configuration on checkout items to accomplish the same goal.

Here’s how that works conceptually:

• You create a POS item (often a “dummy” item used only for payment collection).
  
  
• Inside the Checkout Form, you configure a voucher to attach to that item.
  
  
• You define how many vouchers the customer receives upon purchase.
  
  

For example:

• 1 Basic Wash = 1 voucher
  
  
• 2 Basic Washes = 2 vouchers
  
  
• 3 Basic Washes = 3 vouchers
  
  

When the customer checks out, they receive the correct number of digital vouchers automatically.

From their perspective, it feels simple.
From your perspective, it’s fully trackable.

It’s structured. Clean. Repeatable.

And it allows you to increase average order value without complicated configuration.

Step 3: Capture Contacts Through Short Codes or Forms

Fundraising becomes significantly more valuable when you intentionally grow your CRM list alongside revenue.

There are two simple ways to do this in Rinsed:

Option 1: Short Code Keyword

You can promote a keyword at an event:

“Text BASEBALL to 12345 to support Sudsy Bats.”

When someone texts in:

• They are added to a specific contact list.
  
  
• They can automatically receive the fundraiser link.
  
  
• You now own the contact for follow-up marketing.
  
  

This is extremely effective at games or in-person events where QR code scanning might be inconsistent.

Option 2: Embedded Form on Your Website

You can embed the fundraiser Checkout Form on a landing page that:

• Explains the campaign
  
  
• Highlights the organization
  
  
• Shows how much is donated per wash
  
  
• Captures additional context if desired
  
  

This allows for:

• Better storytelling
  
  
• Visual branding
  
  
• Cleaner social sharing
  
  

And everyone who purchases becomes part of your CRM ecosystem automatically.

Step 4: Promote Strategically

Promotion is where fundraising succeeds or fails.

Inside Rinsed, you can:

• Send targeted campaigns to specific audience segments
  
  
• Push the fundraiser link via SMS or email
  
  
• Promote to non-members only
  
  
• Target lapsed retail customers
  
  
• Segment by geography (if relevant to the organization)
  
  

Outside of Rinsed, organizations can distribute:

• QR codes
  
  
• Direct links
  
  
• Group chat messages
  
  
• Social posts
  
  

The key is alignment. Both the wash and the organization should promote consistently during the campaign window.

Step 5: Measure and Reconcile

After the fundraiser ends, use the Online Sales and Online Sales Detail reports inside Rinsed Analytics.

You can view:

• Total revenue generated by the fundraiser Checkout Form
  
  
• Units sold
  
  
• Line-by-line transaction details
  
  
• Exportable reporting
  
  

From there, calculate the agreed-upon donation and distribute it externally.

Why This Becomes a Long-Term Growth Lever

Here’s what most operators miss.

The fundraiser isn’t the finish line.

It’s the entry point.

Every supporter who purchases:

• Is now in your CRM
  
  
• Can receive follow-up messaging
  
  
• Can be offered membership
  
  
• Can be retargeted later
  
  

If someone buys three washes during a fundraiser and redeems them over a few weeks, that’s multiple touchpoints with your brand.

Pair that with:

• A thank-you follow-up
  
  
• A reminder when the last wash is redeemed
  
  
• A well-timed membership offer
  
  

Now your fundraiser turns into a subscription acquisition funnel.

That’s where the real ROI lives.

The Smart Operator’s Approach

The best-performing operators:

• Keep the product offering simple
  
  
• Use voucher configuration to increase order size
  
  
• Isolate each fundraiser with its own Checkout Form
  
  
• Capture contacts intentionally via short code or embedded form
  
  
• Follow up after redemption
  
  

Fundraising doesn’t need to be complicated.

With Rinsed’s Checkout Forms, voucher add-on functionality, segmentation tools, and reporting, you already have everything needed to run measurable, repeatable campaigns.

The operators who win aren’t the ones who run a fundraiser once.

They’re the ones who turn it into a structured part of their marketing calendar - and treat it like the acquisition channel it actually is.

Learn more specifics in our Help Center.