WordPress Fundraising Thermometer: Quick & Easy Setup

Viewers decide quickly whether to donate. Seeing existing contributions and an attainable goal increases the likelihood of action.

A fundraising thermometer aids this by visually displaying your progress. Seeing proximity to the target motivates donors to help you reach it.

I’ve evaluated several WordPress fundraising plugins offering this feature, with some simplifying it remarkably. These track donations in real-time and integrate with any donation form.

In this guide, I’ll show you the quickest way to add a fundraising thermometer to your WordPress site so you can get more donations for your nonprofit.

What Is a Fundraising Thermometer?

A fundraising thermometer offers a straightforward, visual representation of your campaign’s progress toward its financial objective. Resembling a standard thermometer, the visual fills proportionally as contributions increase.

It provides a user-friendly and engaging method for conveying campaign advancement to your audience.

For example, with a target of $5,000 and current funds at $2,500, the display indicates you’ve reached the halfway point.

Consider featuring the fundraising thermometer on your main page, contribution page, or within a dedicated campaign widget situated in the sidebar area.

It’s also possible to embed it within the donation form itself, allowing donors to view the ongoing progress while they contribute, or showcase it on a distinct webpage to stimulate increased giving.

Many plugins offer automatic updates reflecting real-time donation accrual, thereby keeping visitors informed of the campaign’s current standing.

How Does a Fundraising Thermometer Boost Donations?

More than just a visual enhancement, a fundraising thermometer has a proven record of improving donation rates. Its efficacy on numerous nonprofit platforms stems from several key factors I’ve witnessed:

• Goal Gradient Effect: The visual representation of progress resonates with people. As campaigns approach their intended goal, support intensifies. This psychological element clarifies the surge in activity seen during a campaign’s final stretch.
• Social Proof: Witnessing contributions from others fosters confidence among potential donors. They may reason, “If others are giving, it must be worth it.” That’s social proof in action.
• Instant Motivation: Thermometers offer donors fast encouragement; watching the visual climb after donating is satisfying and boosts further support. Research indicates that progress visuals, like fundraising thermometers, can boost donations by 15%–30%.

I’ll now present 3 ways to integrate fundraising thermometers into your WordPress site.

Use the links provided to skip to a specific method:

Method 1: Add a Fundraising Thermometer With Charitable (Best Overall Option for Nonprofits)

Charitable is recommended as a top solution for accepting donations, managing fundraising initiatives, and showcasing a fundraising thermometer on your WordPress website.

This comprehensive donation plugin, designed for nonprofits, provides all necessary tools for creating and monitoring campaigns.

Key features making Charitable a standout choice:

• Built-in progress tracking:Monitor your advancement toward goals precisely.
• Automatic updates:The visual thermometer reflects incoming donations in real-time.
• Donor management tools:Centralize donor information efficiently.
• Automation options:Automate thank-you notes, handle recurring contributions, etc.

With all these features, the tool saves you time while keeping your fundraising campaigns visually engaging. If you want more details, take a look at our complete Charitable review.

Step 1: Install Charitable on Your WordPress Site

First, you need to install and activate the free Charitable plugin. For details, just follow our tutorial on installing a WordPress plugin.

If you choose the Pro plugin, then you will also need to enter your license key. To do this, head over to the Charitable » Settings page from the WordPress dashboard and paste it into the ‘License Key’ field.

You can get this information from your account on the Charitable website.

Step 2: Add a New Donation Campaign

Now it’s time to create your first fundraising campaign. For this, go to the Charitable » Add New page from your WordPress dashboard.

Start by giving your campaign a name. I suggest choosing something short and clear, like ‘Help Build Our Community Library’ or ‘Support Local Animal Rescue.’

This name will appear on your donation form and campaign page, so make sure it’s something your visitors can easily recognize.

Next, choose a campaign template. Charitable offers several pre-built options, and each one has a different layout and goal style.

For example, you might see Animal Sanctuary, Disaster Relief, Medical Causes, or Environmental.

To find out if a template already includes a built-in fundraising thermometer, simply click the ‘Preview’ button before selecting it. This helps you pick the design that fits your campaign best.

But if your chosen template doesn’t include a thermometer, don’t worry. You can easily add one to any template using the drag-and-drop builder.

Once the Campaign Builder opens up, you’ll see a form preview on the right with form fields in the left column. Simply drag and drop these fields to rearrange, edit, or remove them.

You can also add images, videos, and a short description to tell your story and inspire people to give.

Plus, you can customize fields like donation amount, donor name, email, and payment options to fit your campaign. Everything is editable, so you can design the form exactly how you want.

For more details, see our full tutorial on how to create a recurring donation form in WordPress. It explains how to add advanced fields and options to make your forms more flexible.

Step 3: Add and Customize Your Fundraising Thermometer

Charitable makes it super easy to add a fundraising thermometer to any of your donation forms. It comes with a built-in Progress Bar field that you can drag and drop into the form preview.

You can place it anywhere you want — at the top of the form (great for visibility), just above the donate button (to motivate donors before giving), or at the bottom (to wrap up the form with a sense of progress).

Once you add the Progress Bar field, click on it to open its settings in the left column.

Begin by entering a headline for the fundraising thermometer. This text is displayed above the progress bar, so a straightforward title such as ‘Our Goal So Far’ or ‘Help Us Reach $5,000’ is recommended.

This allows potential donors to quickly grasp the significance of the progress bar.

Then, activate the ‘Show Donated’ and ‘Show Goal’ toggles. These options make visible the total amount raised and the overall fundraising objective.

Displaying both the current amount raised alongside the final goal gives donors a clear understanding of the campaign’s progress and the impact their donations can have.

Afterward, navigate to the ‘Goal Label’ field. This text will be shown next to the fundraising thermometer, informing donors about the fundraising target.

For instance, you could enterGoal: or Our Target:

The numerical goal (e.g., $5,000) will be dynamically populated next to this label after you configure it in the settings.

Beneath that, you’ll find the ‘Donate Label’ field. This text is displayed alongside the current total of funds raised. Customize it with a phrase likeRaised so far: or Donations collected:to suit your campaign’s branding.

The amount adjacent to this label will automatically update as donations come in, removing the need for manual edits.

Also, fine-tune the width and alignment settings to ensure the fundraising thermometer integrates smoothly within your form’s design.

Lastly, select the ‘Advanced’ tab located at the top to customize the thermometer’s visual appearance.

In this section, you can select the visual style, dimensions, and color scheme to harmonize with your site’s overall aesthetic or the branding of your specific campaign.

Step 4: Set a Goal for Your Fundraising Thermometer

With the thermometer now integrated into your donation form, you’re ready to define your fundraising objective and adjust other key campaign parameters.

Navigate to the Settings » General Settings tab, located in the left-hand menu. Within this section, specify your fundraising goal in the designated ‘Goal’ field.

This specifies the total amount your thermometer will track. It dynamically updates as donations are received, providing donors with a live view of the campaign’s advancement.

It’s also advisable to specify an end date for your campaign. Including a firm deadline can instill a sense of urgency, as individuals tend to be more inclined to contribute when aware that time is limited.

Then, proceed to the Marketing tab to link your campaign to your preferred email marketing platform, for instance, Constant Contact.

This facilitates automated follow-ups with donors, the sending of thank-you messages, and the sharing of campaign progress updates.

Lastly, access the Payments tab to integrate your chosen payment processors, including options such as Stripe, PayPal, and Braintree. After integration, donors can securely make contributions on your website through your donation form.

Refer to our guide detailing the process of accepting international donations using WordPress for detailed instructions.

Step 5: Launch Your Fundraiser Campaign

When your campaign is finalized, you can launch it.

To launch, set the form status to ‘Publish’ and save your changes by clicking ‘Save’.

After that, you can embed your fundraising form anywhere using the Charitable block in the block editor.

Just open any page or post, add the ‘Charitable Campaign’ block, and select your campaign from the dropdown.

Once configured, click ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’ to finalize the settings.

Here’s a brief look at how a fundraising thermometer could appear on your website:

Step 6: Manage and Track Your Fundraising Thermometer

The WordPress dashboard allows for straightforward monitoring of your campaign’s performance.

Navigate toCharitable » Donationsto view a list of all campaigns, each displaying a real-time fundraising thermometer.

You may also navigate to theReportspage for a comprehensive performance overview after setting up the thermometer.

This area provides charts and statistics, including donation totals, donor counts, average donation values, and more, giving you insight into campaign success.

You can modify the fundraising goal or extend the campaign duration within the campaign settings if adjustments are needed.

This adaptability enables you to sustain momentum and modify targets in response to the fundraiser’s growth.

Method 2: Employing the Donation Thermometer Plugin to Implement a Fundraising Thermometer (Top Free Choice)

If you are seeking a swift and cost-free solution for showcasing your fundraising achievements, the Donation Thermometer plugin represents an excellent choice.

It’s streamlined and very user-friendly. Remember that you will need to manually adjust the amount raised as donations are received.

This method is suited for modest community fundraising events, educational initiatives, or individual charitable campaigns that do not necessitate functionalities such as donor monitoring or payment system integration.

Step 1: Install and Activate the Donation Thermometer Plugin

You can start by installing and activating the Donation Thermometer plugin.

To accomplish this, navigate to the Plugins » Add New page and search for ‘Donation Thermometer.’

For more comprehensive guidance, refer to our tutorial on installing a WordPress plugin.

Step 2: Configuring Your Fundraising Objectives

After activating the plugin, access the Settings » Thermometer section within your WordPress admin panel. This is where you will define the objective for your fundraising thermometer.

In the ‘Thermometer Values’ section, start by entering your ‘Target Value’. This is the total amount you want to raise for your campaign (for example, 50000).

Following that, input your ‘Raised Value,’ which indicates the amount already acquired (e.g., 25000). If no funds have been collected initially, you may leave this field empty for the time being.

Just keep in mind that this plugin does not update the raised amount automatically.

Whenever a donation comes in, revisit the settings. Manually adjust the ‘Raised Value’ to show your updated total.

Step 3: Personalize How Your Fundraising Thermometer Looks

Once you’ve specified your fundraising target and the amount already raised, configure settings to ensure your thermometer is clear and attractive.

Begin by choosing the thermometer’s orientation.

Opt between portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal). Portrait generally works best, mirroring the traditional thermometer layout donors easily understand and anticipate.

Then, ensure the percentage, goal, and current amount are visible by selecting ‘True’ from the provided dropdown.

The percentage offers donors an immediate sense of your progress, while displaying target and raised figures enhances transparency and fosters confidence.

Afterward, choose a fill color that will make the thermometer visually distinct on the page.

For a softer effect, you can incorporate a secondary fill color to produce a gradient.

Lastly, refine the number formatting so amounts are neat and readable.

This includes setting your currency symbol (like $), choosing a thousands separator (, is generally the clearest choice), and specifying the number of decimal places (typically 0 for integers).

These basic changes will result in a professional-looking thermometer effectively conveying your fundraising status. I suggest exploring the additional settings and tailoring them further to suit your needs.

Once you’re happy with everything, click the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings.

Step 4: Add the Thermometer to Your Site

Now it’s time to put your fundraising thermometer where your visitors can see it. Since this plugin only displays a thermometer and doesn’t include a donation form, I recommend adding it to your sidebar for maximum engagement.

Sidebars are typically displayed on most pages, so visitors can easily track your progress while browsing your site.

To do this, go to the Appearance » Widgets from your WordPress dashboard. Once there, expand the Sidebar section, and add the ‘Shortcode’ block from the menu on the left.

Then, paste the following shortcode to display your thermometer.

[thermometer]

After that, click the ‘Update’ button to store your settings.

This is how your fundraising thermometer will appear on your website.

Keep in mind that if you’re using a block theme, the classic Widgets menu won’t appear in your dashboard. In that case, head over to Appearance » Editor and open your Homepage template.

This will open the Full Site Editor on your screen. Here, click the + icon to open the block menu, and drag and drop the ‘Shortcode’ block wherever you want your thermometer to appear.

Paste the following shortcode into the block and click ‘Save’ at the top.

[thermometer]

Now, you can visit your site to see how your fundraising thermometer looks.

Method 3: Employ Formidable Forms to Integrate a Fundraising Thermometer (Ideal for Intricate and Tailored Donation Forms)

For crafting intricate and highly customized donation forms incorporating fundraising thermometers, Formidable Forms presents an excellent solution.

This sophisticated form builder empowers you to design diverse forms, encompassing donation forms, event registrations, nonprofit sign-ups, and numerous other applications.

Featuring a Charity Tracker template, it streamlines the setup of a fundraising thermometer while granting extensive customization capabilities.

Unlike plugins exclusively for donations, its capabilities extend beyond fundraising. It may be excessive if a donation form is your only requirement.

Nevertheless, it stands as an optimal choice if you also require complex forms like volunteer applications or event sign-ups, or if you seek a more complete form-building platform.

Consult our comprehensive Formidable Forms review for a more detailed exploration of its functionalities.

Step 1: Install And Activate Formidable Forms

Initiate the process by registering for Formidable Forms (Business plan or a higher tier). This grants access to advanced features like the Visual Views addon and application templates, both essential for displaying your fundraising thermometer.

After registering, navigate to your WordPress dashboard. Proceed to install and activate the complimentary Formidable Forms Lite plugin, a necessary foundation for complete functionality.

Refer to our tutorial on WordPress plugin installation for detailed guidance.

Then, go to the Formidable »Global Settings page and enter your license key. You can find this information in your Formidable Forms account on their website.

Next, head to the Formidable » Add-Ons screen in your WordPress dashboard. Here, you need to find the ‘Visual Views’ addon and switch the toggle to activate it.

This add-on is the key to displaying your donations in a beautiful fundraising thermometer. It takes the form data — including each donation — and shows it as a progress bar that updates automatically.

With Visual Views, you can fully customize how your thermometer looks and where it appears on your site, giving you both functionality and flexibility for your fundraiser.

Step 2: Add and Configure a Payment Gateway

Since you’re already in the Add-Ons section, I also recommend installing your preferred payment add-on.

This step is important because I’m going to show you how to create a donation form that comes with a built-in payment field. Connecting a payment gateway ensures that people can actually donate through the form.

Formidable Forms supports popular options like Stripe and PayPal, so you can choose what works best for your nonprofit or fundraiser.

For most users, Stripe is the easiest choice. It handles multiple payment types, like credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, and keeps donations secure.

After activating the add-on, navigate to the Formidable » Global Settings » Payments page from the dashboard and click the ‘Connect to Stripe’ button.

You can now link your account to Formidable Forms.

Once completed, you’ll be redirected back to WordPress, and a green checkmark will confirm that your Stripe account is connected successfully.

Now, donations collected through your charity template will update your fundraising thermometer automatically.

Step 3: Use the Charity Tracker Template

Now, it’s time to install the Formidable Forms Charity Tracker Application Template. I’ve tried this template with a few demo campaigns, and it really cuts down on setup time.

It automatically creates all the components you need to start fundraising quickly:

• Donation and charity forms – to collect donor information and track donations.
• Thermometer, circle, and horizontal progress bar views – to visually display fundraising progress.
• Pre-built pages for donations and progress tracking – ready to publish or customize.

To get started, go to the Formidable » Applications page and find the ‘Charity Tracker’ template.

Here, click the ‘Add’ button.

This will open a popup, where you’ll need to click ‘Install Application.’

Once you do that, another popup will appear asking you to name your application.

You can use any name that helps you recognize your campaign later if you ever want to edit or delete it. After that, click the ‘Install Application’ button again to confirm.

Formidable Forms will now create your full charity tracking setup, which includes:

• Charity Details Form
• Charity Donation Form
• Charity Donation Horizontal Progress Bar
• Charity Donation Circle Progress Bar
• Charity Donation Thermometer Progress Bar
• Charity Donation Submission Page
• Charity Progress Trackers Page

Each of these components is already linked and ready to use. From here, simply click the ‘Open Application’ button.

This will take you inside your newly created application, where you can see your forms, pages, and progress bar views.

Step 4: Set Your Charity and Fundraising Goal

Now that your template is set up, it’s time to configure the forms that power your fundraising thermometer.

I recommend starting with the Charity Details form since this is where you’ll define your campaign’s name and fundraising goal.

To do that, go to the Formidable » Entries page. You’ll see both the Charity Details and Charity Donation forms already created for you.

Here, click ‘Edit’ under the Charity Details form to open it.

This will take you to a new screen where you can enter a Charity Name — for example, the name of your cause or campaign. You can also set your Charity Goal, which is the total amount you want to raise.

Keep in mind that this form is for internal use only. Visitors won’t see it, so it’s just for you or your team to manage and update.

Once you’ve entered your details, click the ‘Update’ button to save your settings.

Next, you’ll need to check the entry for the Charity Donation form. On this same page, click the ‘Edit’ link under the ‘Charity Donation’ form.

Here, make sure that the ‘Status’ field is set to ‘Approved’ from the dropdown menu.

This ensures that test or pending donations will appear correctly on your fundraising thermometer once they come in.

You don’t need to adjust any other settings in this form because it’s already set up to work with the Charity Tracker template.

Next, go back to the Formidable » Applications page. Now it’s time to customize your Charity Donation Thermometer Progress Bar.

Formidable gives you three styles to choose from: a thermometer, a horizontal bar, or a circle progress bar.

I prefer the thermometer view because it’s visually engaging and instantly communicates progress toward your goal.

Click the ‘Edit’ link under the Charity Donation Thermometer Progress Bar.

This will open the Formidable Views builder, where you can adjust the thermometer’s appearance.

From the left-hand panel, you can customize its typography, background color, border radius, padding, and more to match your site’s branding.

The best part? The thermometer is already linked to your donation form — so you don’t need to manually connect it or configure any extra settings.

Once you’re happy with how it looks, click the ‘Update’ button at the top to save your changes.

Step 5: Display Your Donation Form and Thermometer

Now it’s time to display your donation form and fundraising thermometer on your website.

To do this, go to the Formidable » Applications page and click the ‘Edit’ link under Charity Donation Submission.

This will open the block editor, where you’ll see that your donation form has already been added automatically.

Next, open the block menu from the left column and search for the ‘Formidable Views’ block. Drag and drop it into your page.

Once it’s added, use the dropdown inside the block to select the fundraising thermometer you created earlier.

When you’re happy with the layout, click the ‘Publish’ button at the top to save your changes.

That’s it — your donation form and fundraising thermometer are now live on your site.

I recommend visiting your WordPress site to preview the page and make sure everything looks the way you want.

You should see both the donation form and the fundraising thermometer displayed on the same page, updating automatically as new donations come in.

💡Bonus Tips to Boost Your Donations in WordPress

Now that your fundraising thermometer is live, donors can see your progress in real time.

However, there are a few more things you can do to encourage even more donations. I’ve found these tips really help make fundraising campaigns more effective:

• Enable Recurring Donations: Encourage donors to give automatically each month to create a consistent revenue stream.
• Activate Fee Recovery Options: Allow donors to cover transaction fees so that your nonprofit keeps the full donation amount.
• Create Urgency with Campaign Deadlines: Use clear end dates or countdowns to motivate faster donations as the goal approaches.
• Use Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: Encourage supporters to create their own mini-campaigns and share them with friends and family to expand your reach.

These tips can help you make the most of your fundraising efforts.

Frequently Asked Questions About Adding Fundraising Thermometers in WordPress

Adding a fundraising thermometer to your site is pretty straightforward, but I’ve been asked a few questions about how they work and what you can do with them.

Here are some quick FAQs to clear things up.

Does a fundraising progress bar update automatically when donations are received?

Yes! Most WordPress fundraising plugins, including Charitable and Formidable Forms, automatically update the thermometer in real time whenever a donation is made. This means your donors always see the current progress.

However, if you use a simpler tool like the Donation Thermometer plugin, you will need to update the amount manually.

Can I have multiple fundraising thermometers for different campaigns?

Absolutely. You can create as many thermometers as you need for different campaigns, each with its own goal, style, and placement on your site.

What payment methods does Charitable support?

Charitable integrates with popular payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal, making it easy to securely accept donations directly on your site.

Can I track offline donations in my fundraising thermometer?

Yes. You can manually add offline donations so that your thermometer accurately reflects all contributions, not just online ones.

Is there a limit to how many fundraising campaigns I can create with Charitable?

No. You can run multiple campaigns simultaneously, allowing you to manage and track different fundraising goals at the same time.

I hope this article helped you learn how to easily create a fundraising thermometer in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on adding a PayPal donate button in WordPress or our tutorial on creating a donor portal in WordPress.

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