Run Nonprofit Events on Autopilot (Registration to Thank You)

Manage your entire nonprofit event-from registration to thank-you emails-on autopilot using Google Forms and Sheets. No Eventbrite fees.

Eventbrite charges 3.7% + $1.79 per ticket. For a $50 fundraising dinner with 200 guests, you’re losing $700+ in fees. That’s a scholarship. That’s 50 meals. That’s operational cost you can't afford.

You don't need a ticketing platform. You need a database that talks to email.

Here’s What We’ll Build

A Google Form collects registrations. Apps Script auto-generates ticket IDs, sends confirmation emails with those IDs, and logs dietary restrictions. No manual intervention.

The Code: Registration & Ticketing

1. Setup

Google Form: Questions: Name, Email, Meal Preference.
Google Sheet: Destination spreadsheet. Add a header "Ticket ID" to the last column (e.g., Column E).

2. The Script

// CONFIGURATION
const EVENT_NAME = "Annual Gala 2025";
const TICKET_PREFIX = "GALA-";
 
function onFormSubmit(e) {
  const sheet = e.range.getSheet();
  const row = e.range.getRow();
  
  // 1. Generate Unique Ticket ID
  const uniqueId = TICKET_PREFIX + Math.floor(1000 + Math.random() * 9000); // e.g. GALA-4921
  
  // Write ID to the specific column (Check your sheet for the exact column index!)
  // Here we assume it's Column 5 (E)
  sheet.getRange(row, 5).setValue(uniqueId);
  
  // 2. Get Guest Details
  const responses = e.namedValues;
  const name = responses['Name'][0];
  const email = responses['Email'][0];
  const meal = responses['Meal Preference'][0];
  
  // 3. Send Confirmation Email
  sendTicketEmail(name, email, uniqueId, meal);
}
 
function sendTicketEmail(name, email, ticketId, meal) {
  MailApp.sendEmail({
    to: email,
    subject: `Your Ticket for ${EVENT_NAME}`,
    htmlBody: `
      <h2>You're confirmed, ${name}!</h2>
      <p>We are excited to see you at the ${EVENT_NAME}.</p>
      <div style="border: 2px dashed #333; padding: 20px; background: #f9f9f9;">
        <h3>TICKET ID: ${ticketId}</h3>
        <p><strong>Guest:</strong> ${name}</p>
        <p><strong>Meal:</strong> ${meal}</p>
      </div>
      <p>Please show this email at the door.</p>
    `
  });
}

3. Set the Trigger

Extensions > Apps Script.
Triggers (Clock) > Add Trigger.
onFormSubmit > From spreadsheet > On form submit.

Post-Event: The Automatic Thank You

Don't copy-paste 200 emails the day after the event. Add a second function sendThankYous() that iterates through your "Checked In" column and sends a personalized "Impact Report" PDF or video link.

Code Snippet:

function sendThankYous() {
  const sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
  const data = sheet.getDataRange().getValues();
  
  data.forEach((row) => {
    if (row[CheckedInColumn] === true && row[ThankyouSentColumn] === '') {
       MailApp.sendEmail(row[EmailCol], "Thank you for coming!", "Here are the photos...");
       // Mark sent
    }
  });
}

Save the Fees. Keep the Data.

Stop renting your attendee data from ticketing platforms. Own it in Google Sheets, and put that $700 back into your mission.