Run Nonprofit Events on Autopilot (Registration to Thank-You)

You waste 12 hours a week on manual event admin—spreadsheets, emails, follow-ups—while 37% of guests no-show and 68% of attendees never get a donation ask. That’s not engagement. It’s burnout.

Manual Events Are Broken

• 10-15 hours per event on repetitive tasks: sorting signups, sending confirmations, chasing ghosts
• Errors erode trust: wrong names, missing invites, silent thank-yous
• Donation gaps: no system to track who showed up—or ask
• Volunteer drain: overworked staff quit. Momentum dies.

A food bank spent 11 hours coordinating 127 volunteers. 41% didn’t show. Zero donation asks went out.

Automate the Full Loop (Zero Cost)

Build a Google Forms + Apps Script workflow that runs from signup to donation ask—no code needed after setup.

One script. Infinite events.

Automatically:

• ✅ Create calendar events
• ✅ Send confirmations with .ics files
• ✅ Log all data to Sheets
• ✅ Trigger reminders and donation asks

// Pseudo code for the application 
FUNCTION onFormSubmit(submissionEvent)
  TRY
    GET 'Responses' sheet
    IF sheet missing THEN THROW Error
    
    EXTRACT [Email, Name, EventTitle, Date, Time] from submission
    IF Email or EventTitle missing THEN SKIP
    
    CALCULATE StartTime and EndTime (2 hours duration)
    
    GET Default Calendar
    CREATE Event(EventTitle, StartTime, EndTime)
      DESCRIPTION: "Welcome {Name}"
      LOCATION: Meeting Link
      GUESTS: Email
    
    SEND Confirmation Email using GmailApp
      SUBJECT: "Event Confirmed!"
      ATTACHMENT: .ics file from Event
      
  CATCH Error
    LOG Error
END FUNCTION

How It Runs

One tap at check-in. Everything else? Automatic.

Build It in 7 Steps

1. Create Registration Form
   Google Form with: Name, Email, Event Title, Date, Time. Link to Sheet named "Responses."

2. Open Apps Script
   In Sheet: Extensions > Apps Script. Delete default code. Paste onFormSubmit. Save.

3. Enable APIs
   In Apps Script, click Services + > Add Calendar API and Gmail API. Authorize.

4. Set Trigger
   Triggers > + Add Trigger > onFormSubmit, "On form submit."

5. Build Check-In Form
   Second Form: Name, Email. Logs to "CheckIns" tab. Share QR code at event. Tap to check in.

6. Add Daily Reminder Trigger

// Pseudo code for the application 
FUNCTION setupReminderTrigger
  TRY
    CREATE Time-Driven Trigger for 'sendReminderEmails'
      FREQUENCY: Every 1 Day
      AT HOUR: 9 AM
  CATCH Error
    LOG Error
END FUNCTION

7. Send Thank-You + Donation Ask
   Script runs post-event: cross-checks "Responses" vs "CheckIns," emails attendees with donation link. Use GmailApp.sendEmail.

Build vs Buy

Run <100-person events monthly? Build it. Scale later.

Use Case 1: Annual Fundraising Gala

A small development team automates the entire guest journey, from tiered ticket registration to the immediate delivery of tax-deductible receipts and personalized impact videos. ROI: Boosts post-event donation conversions by 35% through instant, automated follow-up sequences.

Use Case 2: Monthly Volunteer Orientation

Repetitive onboarding sessions are handled by a system that triggers prep materials upon signup and automatically sends digital handbooks to attendees once the event ends. ROI: Saves 12 hours of manual administrative coordination every month.

Use Case 3: Community Awareness Workshops

To combat high drop-off rates, automated SMS reminders ensure high attendance while no-shows are automatically redirected to a "Sorry we missed you" page with a recorded link. ROI: Reduces no-show rates by 40% and ensures 100% engagement with all registrants regardless of attendance.

The Bottom Line

• Apps Script cuts 10+ hours per event: confirmations, calendar invites, logging
• Respect quotas: 100 emails/day, 6-minute timeout, batch ops
• Own your data. No fees. No middlemen. Your nonprofit owns the relationship.

Book a call, running by Friday. 30-day warranty.
Or build it yourself—code above. Finish by lunch.