Fundraising Thermometer FAQs

What is a fundraising thermometer?

Fundraising thermometers are tools used in online campaigns to help nonprofits measure their success. Additionally, they provide a visual representation of a nonprofit’s campaign progress, which motivates donors to give.

More often than not, they look like thermometers. As donations increase, the “temperature” of the thermometer increases accordingly. 

For most people, donation totals in the thousands can be rather difficult to envision. Fundraising thermometers make otherwise abstract totals such as how much your campaign raised and how much you need to achieve your campaign goals clear at a single glance.

When researching nonprofit software, you may come across these terms used for donation fundraising thermometers:

• Donation thermometers
• Goal thermometers
• Crowdfunding thermometers
• Fundraising widgets
• Donation trackers
• Pledge thermometers

Regardless of what they’re called, fundraising thermometers are a helpful tool for your campaigns because they provide a useful visual for your team and your donors alike.

When should you use a fundraising goal tracker?

Donation trackers have been around for decades and are a proven fundraising method that can be adapted to meet your nonprofit’s needs. 

To start, fundraising thermometers can come in two formats: 

• Physical. Nonprofit technology has come a long way, but before fundraising software was widely available, fundraising thermometers only came in one form: physical. These are typically used in community fundraisers where you display the progress on a large board. As more money is raised, one of your team members continuously fills in the thermometer.
• Digital. Used in more modern fundraising, digital donation trackers update in real-time. They can be embedded on your website, campaign page, or almost anywhere your supporters will check in on your fundraisers. With each donation, your digital fundraising thermometer will update to reflect the contribution automatically. 

These thermometers can then be tailor-fit to your specific campaign. For instance, during long-running campaigns, display your fundraising thermometer in a prominent place that will see a lot of either physical or digital traffic. If you’re using a physical fundraising thermometer, with permission, place it where the whole community can see it, such as outside of your office or outside a park along a high-traffic road. For digital fundraising thermometers, post them on your eye-catching campaign page or well-designed website.

By contrast, for live events, put your donation tracker somewhere onsite. For instance, you can keep your digital thermometer visible on a presentation screen during galas, concerts, and other events with a stage or central location that draws attention.

What are the benefits of fundraising thermometers? 

Fundraising thermometers drive donations and help nonprofits reach their revenue goals. Here’s why these fundraising tools work: 

1. Fundraising thermometers appeal to our visual senses.

Humans are visual creatures. Simply hearing that a campaign is a third of the way towards its fundraising goal can often mean the same as if it were a fifth or a seventh. Visual representations help fill this gap in understanding and can demonstrate just how much your campaign is earning, driving excitement. 

Not to mention, It’s gratifying to see the differences we make. Fundraising thermometers tap into our need for visual confirmation.

2. Fundraising thermometers keep track of fundraising goals.

Setting goals is essential for compelling and organized fundraising. Particularly successful fundraisers even set stretch goals that can be earned after reaching their initial goal. 

Dividing your fundraiser into goals helps motivate supporters to continue giving, especially if you have a fundraising thermometer showing how close they are to unlocking the next milestone. This helps gamify the giving process, providing donors with something new and exciting every so often during your campaign. After all, once one goal is reached, they’ll want to see the thermometer climb all the way to the next one. 

3. Fundraising thermometers show progress and impact to donors.

Whether your fundraiser takes place over several days or happens all in one night, your donors should be able to check in on how close you are to reaching your goal. A fundraising thermometer makes a donor’s impact feel concrete, even before their funds are actually put to use. 

Remember that donors are making an investment in your nonprofit when they give, which means they want to see you succeed and reach your fundraising goal. Fundraising thermometers provide a transparent and engaging way for donors to check in on your progress, motivating them to continue giving and get their friends and family involved. 

4. Fundraising thermometers encourage giving through social proof.

Donating is a more social activity than you might assume. Donors want to give to campaigns that are likely to succeed and already have momentum. Fundraising thermometers visually indicate that others are giving, and watching your thermometer climb in real-time shows that supporters are actively participating.

When donors see that others have already contributed, they’ll be far more likely to give themselves. Then, when you start getting close to your goal, even if there isn’t much time left in your fundraiser, donors will be incentivized to give more to push your campaign forward.