Paddle raise calculator
Enter your goal and get the levels to call from the stage, how many gifts each one needs, and where you land if every level fills.
Fill every level and you raise $282,500 from 294 gifts, 113% of your $250,000 goal.
| Level | Gifts needed | Subtotal | Running total |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | 2 | $50,000 | $50,000 · 20% |
| $10,000 | 4 | $40,000 | $90,000 · 36% |
| $5,000 | 8 | $40,000 | $130,000 · 52% |
| $2,500 | 15 | $37,500 | $167,500 · 67% |
| $1,000 | 40 | $40,000 | $207,500 · 83% |
| $500 | 75 | $37,500 | $245,000 · 98% |
| $250 | 150 | $37,500 | $282,500 · 100% |
$25,000, $10,000, $5,000, $2,500, $1,000, $500, $250
How the levels are worked out
The top level is the largest round amount at or under an eighth of your goal: $25,000 for a $250,000 goal. The levels step down from there through amounts a host can call from the stage, to about a thousandth of the goal, eight levels at most.
Each level carries an equal share of the goal. The number of gifts a level needs is that share divided by its amount, rounded up to a friendly number, and never fewer than the level above it. That gives the familiar pyramid of a gift range chart: a few large gifts at the top, many smaller ones at the bottom.
Before the night, line up the top gifts with the people who can make them, so the first paddles go up the moment the host calls the level.
Frequently asked
What is a paddle raise?
A paddle raise, or fund-a-need, is the live appeal at a gala. The host calls giving levels from the top down, and guests raise a numbered paddle to give at that level.
How does this calculator pick the levels?
The top level is the largest round amount at or under an eighth of your goal. Levels step down to about a thousandth of the goal, eight at most. Each level carries an equal share of the goal, so the gifts it needs are that share over its amount, rounded up to a friendly number.
Why does the chart land over my goal?
Gift counts round up, so a chart where every level fills raises a little more than the goal. Most charts don’t fill every level, which is why the extra room helps.
What are chai amounts?
Multiples of 18, the number for chai, life, in Hebrew. Jewish community dinners often call $180, $360, $1,800 and $3,600 instead of round numbers.
Run the paddle raise in Ovante
Put the levels on the big screen, let volunteers enter paddles from their phones, and collect every pledge after.
See the paddle raise