# Set a fundraising goal

Use the goal wizard to turn a fundraising target into ask amounts and donor numbers, then track progress on your dashboard.

Source: https://www.fundhero.com/help/set-a-fundraising-goal/
Updated: 2026-10-20

The fundraising goal wizard asks for your target, your largest expected gift and your fundraising period, then splits the target into ask amounts with a suggested number of donors for each. Your dashboard then tracks how many donors you have at each level.

## Open the wizard

On your dashboard, select the **Set your Donation Goal** card. It's visible only until you have saved a goal. The wizard greets you with "Let's set your donation goal!" and notes that you can adjust your goal later.

## Step 1: your goal

Answer three questions. **Next** becomes active when all three are filled in.

- **How much would you like to raise?** Enter the **Fundraising Goal** in dollars.
- **What is the largest single donation you expect to get?** Enter the **Max Contribution** in dollars.
- **What's your fundraising cycle?** Choose a start and end date for the **Fundraising Cycle**.

The side panel shows budget tips for your campaign. FundHero notes that the figures are general guidance and estimates only.

## Step 2: your donor distribution

FundHero suggests how many donors you need at each ask amount to reach your goal. You can:

- Edit the **Fundraising Goal** and **Max Contribution** under **Key Assumptions**.
- Change any **Ask Amount** or **Donors** value. The **Fundraising Projection** updates as you type.
- Select the bin icon to delete a row.
- Select **Add ask amount line** to add a row.
- Select **Restore default distribution** to go back to FundHero's suggestion.

Below that, **Contacts Needed** shows how many prospects you need to contact for each ask amount. FundHero's note says about 50% of prospects won't close, so you need to contact roughly twice as many potential donors as you need donors.

Select **Save and Close**. You see "Fundraising goal saved" and return to the dashboard.

## What the ask amounts mean

Each row is a fundraising tier, also called an ask amount. Grouping donors by how much you plan to ask them for is often drawn as a donor triangle. In the wizard, the largest tier is your **Max Contribution**, and lower tiers have smaller ask amounts and more donors. The wizard's explanation mentions the 80/20 rule, the idea that most donations come from a small share of donors.

## Track progress on the dashboard

After you save, the dashboard shows a **Fundraising Goal** card. Each row is one ask amount and shows:

- Two progress bars: **Amount Raised** (progress toward the donors needed at that level) and **Amount Prospected** (contacts you have assigned that ask amount).
- The percentage reached, and the donor count against the number needed, for example `3/10`.

Select the card to reopen the wizard and change your goal.

## Assign ask amounts to contacts

Next to the goal card, the **Add Prospects** card says "Assign contacts in your donor CRM to your donor triangle to track progress." Select **Add Prospects & Ask Amount** to open your contacts. Each contact has an **Ask Amount** field that places them in a tier.