Short answer: A fundraising thermometer is a tube drawn to the goal and filled to the amount raised so far. Use the maker below to set a title, the goal, the current total and a unit (dollars, laps, books or minutes), add up to four milestone labels and pick a color, then print it or download it as an SVG image. Update it on a fixed schedule, from deposited or confirmed totals only, and show the whole school's progress rather than any one child's.
This guide is part of how to plan a school fundraiser. A thermometer only works if the goal behind it is realistic, so set that first with the fundraising goal calculator. Then use this page to make the thermometer, decide what it measures and keep it accurate until the last update.
Thermometer maker
Loading the thermometer maker. If it doesn't appear, use the printable thermometer below.
Type a title, the goal and the amount so far, and choose the unit: dollars, laps, books or minutes. You can label up to four milestones and pick one of four colors. Give a milestone an amount and its mark sits at that amount on the tube; leave the amount blank and the maker spaces the marks evenly. The maker draws the thermometer as you type. Print it, or download it as an SVG file, a drawing format that stays sharp at any size, so a print shop can enlarge it to poster size or you can drop it into a newsletter or slide. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
What a good thermometer shows
Families glance at a thermometer for a second or two, so it should answer three questions at once: what is this for, how close are we, and what happens next. A title like "New books for every classroom" does more than "Fall Fundraiser." The goal belongs at the top of the tube, and the amount so far should be printed as a number next to the fill, since a colored bar alone is hard to read from across a hallway.
Dollars, laps, books or minutes
Dollars are the obvious unit, but for students the activity is often a better one. A child can add laps or books; a child can't add dollars without being reminded of what their family can give.
| Unit | Fits | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Dollars | Any fundraiser; the version for families, the board and the newsletter | Deposited cash and checks plus the online giving report |
| Laps | Walk-a-thons, jog-a-thons, fun runs | Class lap totals from event day; see how to count walk-a-thon laps |
| Books | Read-a-thons, library drives | Class reading logs; the read-a-thon reading log has a format |
| Minutes | Read-a-thons, math-a-thons, practice challenges | Logs collected weekly by teachers |
Many schools post two: a dollar thermometer at the front office and in emails for adults, and a laps, books or minutes thermometer in the hallway for students. Make both with the maker by changing the unit and the numbers. Keep the goal for the activity unit realistic too, by multiplying participants by a typical count from last year rather than guessing.
Choosing milestones
Milestones turn one long climb into several short ones and give you a reason to send a progress update. The maker lets you label up to four. Good milestone labels do one of two things:
- Name a piece of the project. "$3,000: books for the first grade" shows families what each step pays for, and makes a partial result easy to explain.
- Name a school-wide reward. Extra recess, a pajama day or a principal challenge rewards everyone together. Ideas that don't cost the group money are in principal challenges for school fundraisers.
Example A $12,000 goal with milestones at $3,000, $6,000 and $9,000 splits the drive into even quarters, with the goal itself at the top. An early first milestone, such as $2,000, gives the kickoff week a quick win. Get any reward approved by the principal before it goes on the poster, because a printed promise is hard to take back.
If you pass the goal, set a stretch goal tied to something specific, make a new thermometer with the higher goal, and say so in the next update. Announcing a stretch goal on day one makes the real goal look like a minimum.
Keeping the number honest
A thermometer that runs ahead of the bank account causes trouble at the end, when the report shows less than the hallway did. Decide in advance what counts and say it on the poster or in the update.
- Pick collected or pledged, and label it. Pledge events often show pledged totals during the event. Say "pledged so far" if you do, and switch to collected once money comes in.
- Count cash only after the count. Add cash and checks once two people have counted and recorded them. The cash handling guide sets out the routine.
- Count sponsors when committed in writing, not when someone says "probably."
- Show gross, then report net. The thermometer shows what was raised. The results report shows what costs took and what the school keeps. The results report guide covers that last step.
- Use the same number everywhere. The hallway, the email and the social post should match on any given day.
- Don't round up. $6,850 is more convincing than "almost $7,000."
Where to post it and when to update
Put the big one where adults wait: the front office, the pickup line, the entrance families walk through. A smaller copy goes in each update email and on social media. Some schools put a class-sized version on each door with the activity unit.
Update on a schedule families can predict, such as every Monday and Thursday during a two- to three-week window, and date each update. Tie the updates to the messages you're already sending: the halfway reminder and last call in the parent letter templates both have a blank for the amount so far. The guide to promoting a school fundraiser lays out the full message schedule. Unveiling the thermometer at the kickoff assembly gives students a picture of the goal on day one.
Class thermometers without singling anyone out
Class-by-class thermometers can build friendly competition, but they can also make a child feel responsible for a family's budget. Measure classes by something every child can contribute to: participation (the share of families who took part at any amount), laps, books or minutes. Never post individual students' dollar totals.
Some states put this in law. Rhode Island's statute on school solicitation requires approved fundraising to be voluntary, and says students can't be required to meet individual fundraising targets to go on a field trip (R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-38-6). Other states and districts have their own rules. Ask your principal what your district allows before posting class or grade-level standings, and follow the school's policy on student names and photos. The guide to district rules and approval lists what to ask.
Printable thermometer to color in
If the maker doesn't load, print this one, write in the title, goal and milestones, and color it in by hand. It has ten equal sections, so each line is one-tenth of the goal. It also works for a participation goal: label the top 100% and each line 10%.
Fundraising thermometer
Goal ÷ 10 = the value of each line. Write the values on the right, from the bottom up.
Making a hallway poster by hand
- Draw the tube to scale
On poster board, draw a tall tube with a round bulb at the bottom. Mark ten equal sections with a ruler; on a tube about 30 inches tall, each section is 3 inches.
- Label from the bottom up
Write the goal at the top and one-tenth of it at each line. Add milestone labels beside the matching lines.
- Use a fill you can move
A strip of colored paper slid up behind a slot, or tape added on each update, is easier to change than marker and can't be overcolored.
- Add the number and the date
A small card next to the fill ("$6,850 as of Monday") makes the poster readable from a distance and shows it's current.
- Keep the final version
Photograph the finished thermometer for the thank-you letter and the results report, then file the photo with next year's plans.
Related planning guides
- CalculatorSetting a fundraising goalThe number at the top of the thermometer.
- TemplatesParent fundraising lettersReminders with a blank for progress so far.
- PrintablePlanning checklistEvery task from launch to the debrief.
Sources
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-38-6: Commercial activities and solicitation in schools, State of Rhode Island General Assembly (accessed 2026-10-30)
Frequently asked questions
How do you make a fundraising thermometer for a school?
Enter a title, the goal, the amount raised so far and a unit in the maker on this page, add up to four milestones and pick a color, then print it or download it as an SVG file. To make one by hand, draw a tube with ten equal sections, write one-tenth of the goal at each line and fill it in as money arrives.
Should a fundraising thermometer show pledges or money collected?
Either works if you say which. Pledge events often show pledged totals while the event runs, labeled "pledged so far," then switch to collected totals once money comes in. Add cash and checks only after they've been counted and recorded, so the thermometer never shows more than the group will report.
Can a thermometer track laps, books or minutes instead of dollars?
Yes. The maker offers dollars, laps, books and minutes. An activity thermometer is a good choice for students because every child can add to it whatever their family can give. Many schools post a dollar version for adults and an activity version in the hallway.
How often should we update the thermometer?
On a predictable schedule, such as twice a week during a two- to three-week fundraiser, and always the same day as a progress email. Date each update. Updating constantly is more work than it's worth; never updating tells families nothing is happening.
Is it OK to post each class's or each student's progress?
Post class or grade progress by participation, laps, books or minutes rather than dollars, and never post individual students' dollar totals. Some states restrict how fundraising involves students; Rhode Island, for example, bars requiring individual targets for field trips. Ask your principal what your district allows.