Goal thermometer generator for fundraisers and savings

How to make a goal thermometer

It takes under a minute. Fill in four things and the thermometer draws itself.

1. 1

   Give it a title

   Say what it is for, like Band trip fund or Miles for the shelter. Keep it short so it reads from across a room.

2. 2

   Type the goal and the amount so far

   The tube fills to match. The marks on the side show a quarter, half and three quarters of the goal, with the amount for each.

3. 3

   Pick a money sign and colors

   Type any sign, or none at all for a goal counted in books, miles or hours. Then pick a color and a dark or light background.

4. 4

   Download it or print it

   The image is sized for a phone or a post. The print version fills one sheet of A4 or Letter.

How to use a goal thermometer for a fundraiser

Put it where people will see it, and update it often. A thermometer that sits at the same level for a month tells people nothing is happening.

Show the progress early. In one study, people with a coffee loyalty card bought coffee faster the closer they got to a free one. A thermometer gives your donors and your team the same view of the finish.

A head start helps too. In a test with 3,000 households asked to give to a university, saying 67% of the goal was already raised brought in nearly six times as much as saying 10% was. So if a few people give before you launch, start the thermometer there.

When you reach the goal, post the full thermometer and say thank you. If you raise more than the goal, the tube stays full and the poster says how much you went over.

Goal thermometer ideas

Anything you can count toward one number fits in a thermometer. A few that work well:

• A class trip fund: the cost of the trip as the goal, updated after each bake sale.
• A charity run or walk: the money the team raised, or the miles it walked.
• Savings: an emergency fund or a holiday. Work out a plan with the savings challenge calculator, then show its total here.
• Books read: a class or family goal, like 100 books by June.
• A food drive: cans or meals instead of money. Leave the money sign blank.

When a thermometer is not enough

A thermometer shows one number moving toward one goal. That is all it does, and it is why people get it in a second.

It does not show the steps along the way. For a goal you build a little at a time, like saving each week, a progress picture that fills one piece at a time shows more.

Saving with a set plan? Our savings challenge guide compares the classic plans, and these money challenge ideas have more to try.

Frequently asked questions

Is the goal thermometer generator free?

Yes. It needs no account and no email, and what you type stays in your browser.

Can I print the thermometer?

Yes. Press Print the poster. It fills one page of A4 or Letter and prints without the dark background. Pick Save as PDF in the print window to keep a file.

Can I use it for a fundraiser?

Yes, that is what most people make one for. Update the amount raised as gifts come in, then post or print the new version.

What if we raise more than the goal?

The tube stays full, and the poster says how much you went over, like $150 over the goal. The percent keeps counting, so 650 of 500 shows 130%.

Can I track something other than money?

Yes. Leave the money sign blank and count anything: books, miles, hours or cans of food.