Online fundraising pages are a must-have for most non-profits, as are the tools - such as goal thermometers - that can be implemented on these digital forms. In this article, we’ll share why fundraising thermometers are important as well as why and how they work to encourage additional donations and raise more money.
For most nonprofits, online fundraising pages have become essential. And an online fundraising page is not complete without a fundraising thermometer. No matter how creative and fun your fundraising ideas are, without a fundraising thermometer, your supporters would never know how much they’ve raised or how far you are from reaching your goal.
Often underutilized, fundraising thermometers (otherwise also known as donation thermometers, goal thermometers, crowdfunding thermometers, donation trackers, or fundraising trackers) are fundamental to online fundraising campaigns. Their ultimate goal is to help raise more money for your nonprofit.
A fundraising thermometer measures progress toward a fundraising goal. In most cases, an online fundraising thermometer looks like a thermometer. As donations increase, the “temperature” of the thermometer increases accordingly.
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Many online fundraising tools offer a free fundraising thermometer. So, you should look for this feature when it comes to choosing one.
Goals are more likely to be achieved if donors can clearly see the fundraising progress on a fundraising thermometer and they can easily visualize their impact.
People remember only 10% of what they hear out loud and 65% of what they see in a visual. This statistic shows why, regardless of the type of campaign, more people positively respond to visuals (images and videos). It also shows why nonprofits must add more visual content to their fundraising pages, including donation thermometers.
Visuals are also more shareable.
This means that donors are far more likely to share your donation link if it includes an immediately recognizable image like a thermometer.
Seeing the fundraising thermometer rise gives donors a rush of instant gratification, making them more likely to give again.
Everyone likes to be a part of something successful and working. Donation thermometers paint that picture to donors. Nonprofits can use fundraising thermometers for validation purposes and immediately eliminate donor concerns.
Before even thinking about installing a fundraising thermometer, make sure you plan your campaign.
Begin your campaign with a list of clear objectives. This includes financial and other fundraising goals (like more new donors, an increase in recurring donors, etc). Once you have your goals, build a team that will help you create fundraising objectives, create compelling content, and craft your marketing strategies for each donor type.
Pro Tip: A strategic plan will increase your fundraising campaign’s chance of success. We’ve created a step-by-step guide to help you create a strategic plan for your fundraising campaigns and nonprofit here.
Remember, you need to lead people to your fundraising thermometer, even if it sometimes can be used as a tool on its own.
Before installing your fundraising thermometer, work on recruiting supporters for your campaign.
Send emails and call your current and previous volunteers, friends, and supporters of the organization, staff, past fundraisers, etc). This is where your fundraising team can really shine. Ask them to share their personal and professional contacts to recruit more supporters for your campaign.
The idea is to generate momentum and create a sense of progress before launching the campaign (and revealing the thermometer) to a wider audience.
As mentioned before, people are attracted to success.
Make sure your fundraising thermometer widget is featured prominently on your website and any other social media posts that have to do with your fundraiser.
If you’re organizing a fundraising event, project the large fundraising thermometer on a big screen. If you have a location that regularly receives visitors, you can add a fundraising thermometer to a poster or sign that everyone walks by.
To get the most out of your fundraising goal thermometer, especially if you feature it prominently, make it easy on the eye.
Don’t use harsh or bright colors (like yellow) on your fundraising thermometer and use sans serif fonts. Colors can have a significant impact on people’s response to your donation thermometer. Color increases attention span in viewers by 82% and messages in color are 39% more likely to be remembered than black and white.
Be sure to include relevant information about how supporters can donate.
Send out occasional reminders to your donors and supporters.
Make sure to include a link to your fundraising thermometer in the email.
As you reach different milestones (you’re $500 away, $100, etc.), make announcements on your social media channels and via emails to point out the rising thermometer.
Show where each donation amount will go (e.g. “This will provide 6 children with stationery”). Donors appreciate knowing where their donations are going and how they’re making an impact.
Pro tip: Donorbox makes it easy to add amounts and donation details to your donation form.
Make sure to feature links to all social media channels you are present on to make it easy for donors to share the donation thermometer.
Since live fundraising thermometers are very motivating, it can happen that you not only hit your fundraising goals but bust through them.
In that case, feel free to raise your campaign goals. Don’t do this more than once or twice during one fundraising campaign.
A great way to make the most out of your fundraising thermometer is to create a donor roll.
A donor roll is a list of donors, visible on your landing page next to your donation thermometer.
The donor roll can also be “live”, showcasing donations as they happen. This makes donors feel good and inspires potential donors to give as well.
A donation thermometer loses a lot of its usefulness if you’re not tracking donations coming in from multiple sources: text-to-give, online, email, and more.
Fundraising thermometers can be created “offline” too. And you can get very creative with them.
However, having your donation thermometer online has its advantages. It can reach larger audiences, you don’t have to update it manually, you can track donations flooding in from various sources more easily, and you can reach donors in more distant geographical locations.
And if you think that to add an online goal thermometer, you’d need a graphic designer or HTML code knowledge, then no! Some tools (including Donorbox) make it as easy as just entering the goal amount at the backend, and your goal meter will show up on your page.
Tarjimly uses Donorbox’s free fundraising thermometer alongside the Donorbox donation form on its donation page to inspire people to help them reach their goals.
So far, they have reported that donors have been more encouraged to give, being able to see how close they are to meeting the target amounts.
If you would like to upgrade your fundraising efforts, get a Donorbox free fundraising thermometer. Setting it up is easy.
In the fundraising page editor, all you need to do is enter your campaign fundraising goal and a donation thermometer will automatically appear!
A fundraising thermometer is a simple-to-install and effective fundraising tool. It can seamlessly fit into a variety of campaigns, regardless of the size and the mission of your nonprofit. And with Donorbox, you get a free fundraising thermometer with every campaign you create.
Sign up for Donorbox here and get started!
Ilma Ibrisevic is a content creator and nonprofit writer. She’s passionate about meaningful work, sustainability, and social movements. If she’s not working, she’s obsessing over coffee or cooking. You can connect with her on Linkedin.
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Ilma Ibrisevic