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Your Big Event is Over—Here's What Comes Next

  • Writer: Maribeth Canning
    Maribeth Canning
  • Jul 23
  • 6 min read

Imagine your nonprofit just hosted a small fundraising event. Maybe it was a living room gathering, an intimate dinner party or an open house meet-and-greet. Whether you had a few dozen attendees or just a few curious guests, you pulled it off, and that’s no small feat.

But here’s the truth: what you do after the event is just as important as what happened during it. Small events are often the spark that begins a donor relationship. A thoughtful, strategic follow-up plan can turn that spark into lasting support. To help you make the most of the momentum you’ve built, here’s a 4-step plan designed for nonprofits that want to cultivate deeper relationships and close the loop after a fundraising event.


Step 1: Embrace the Power of Small

It’s tempting to feel discouraged if attendance wasn’t as high as you hoped. But don’t cancel or underestimate the value of a more intimate event. In fact, small gatherings often deliver better results when it comes to fundraising and donor cultivation.

Here’s why:

  • Guests are more likely to have meaningful conversations with your leadership and board.

  • Attendees feel personally seen and appreciated, which strengthens trust and connection.

  • You can tailor the messaging and engagement to the group in real time, making the experience feel more authentic and less scripted.

Even if only a handful of people came, consider it a win. Those one-on-one moments can lead to transformational gifts, future board members, or long-term supporters.


Step 2: Keep the Invitations Going Until the End

If your event hasn’t happened yet, there’s still time to boost attendance without feeling pushy or overwhelmed. Don’t worry if you’ve only gotten a few RSVPs so far. It’s normal for people to reply late or need multiple nudges.

Here’s what you can do:

  • Resend the Invitation: If you have a digital invite or email template, send it to anyone who hasn’t responded yet. Keep the tone warm and personal.

  • Enlist Your Board or Hosts: Ask your board members, co-hosts, or event partners to reach out to their networks with a short email, text, or phone call. Personal outreach is almost always more effective than a mass email.

  • Use Simple Language: You don’t need fancy marketing copy. Just be real:

    “I hope you’ll join us this Wednesday at 6pm for a special gathering to learn more about [Your Organization]. It will be an inspiring and hopeful evening. I know you’ll be glad you came.”

Pro tip: If some of your board members are hesitant to do outreach, you can still invite them to lend their names as co-hosts to add credibility and encourage attendance.


Step 3: Plan for Strategic, Friendly Reminders

Once your invitations are out, keep the momentum going with thoughtful reminders. A simple nudge can make the difference between someone forgetting or following through.

Here’s a suggested reminder schedule:

  • 3–4 Days Before the Event: Send a reminder to all invitees who haven’t RSVP’d. Make it short and compelling.

    “We’d love to see you this Wednesday for a meaningful gathering hosted by [Your Hosts]. You’ll meet some amazing people and learn more about the impact of our work. Hope you can make it!”

  • Day Before the Event (for RSVPs): Confirm attendance and help guests feel welcomed.

    “Thank you for RSVPing! We’re looking forward to seeing you at 6pm tomorrow at [Host's Address]. Here’s a link to directions and contact info if you need anything.”

  • Day Of Reminder (Morning): One last nudge—light and hopeful.

    “Tonight’s the night! We’re so excited to welcome you to [Host’s Name]’s home for an evening of connection, conversation, and community. See you at 6pm!”

If you’re working with limited time or staff, prioritize personal outreach to your top prospects or major donor targets. A single phone call from someone they trust can be the deciding factor.


Step 4: Follow Up Like It Matters (Because It Does)

This is where the real work begins. Your guests showed up, heard your story, and experienced your mission firsthand. Now it’s your job to keep the conversation going.


Send Thank You Notes

Ask each host, committee member, board member, or staff person to personally follow up with the guests they invited. The message can be as simple as:

“It meant so much to see you last night. Thank you for coming. I'm glad you got a chance to meet [Host/Attendee]. I hope you found our event as inspiring as we did!”

Handwritten notes are a nice touch, but emails or texts work just as well when sent promptly and personally. Always create a thank you note draft before the event that you can customize for different guest. This allows you to react quickly and send highly customized thank you notes out in a timely manner.


Whenever possible, tailor your message to the individual. Reference something specific about their interests, professional background, or past connection to your work.

For example:

“I know you care deeply about housing equity, and I thought of you during the discussion about [story/program].”

Even small personal touches can go a long way in making someone feel seen and valued.


Schedule Follow-Up Conversations

Identify guests who seemed particularly engaged or curious. Use this as an opportunity to invite them to coffee or a one-on-one meeting. Your goal isn’t to make a hard ask right away, but to deepen the relationship. Use a simple call script or email template like:

“I’d love to grab coffee sometime in the next few weeks to hear your thoughts on the event and share a little more about what we’re working on. When might you be available?”

Remember: your event wasn’t just about fundraising. It was about relationship-building too. Following up personally shows that you value your guests’ time and attention. Feedback from guests can be as valuable as dollars. This is the best time to begin building deep, non-transactional, authentic relationships.


Reconnect with No-Shows

Just because someone didn’t attend your event doesn’t mean they aren’t interested. In most cases, life simply got in the way. Calendars fill up, last-minute conflicts arise, or the email invite slipped their mind. Whatever the reason, their absence doesn’t mean the door is closed.


In fact, your invitation was a meaningful first step. Even if they didn’t make it, you’ve already signaled that you value their involvement. Now is your chance to follow through and turn that initial outreach into a relationship. Reach out with a gracious follow-up:

“We missed you at the event last week, but I’d still love to connect and share what we discussed. I especially think you would have loved our speaker [Speaker], who told a moving story about [Subject]. Would you be open to a quick call or coffee?”

Your initial invitation was the start of a cultivation process. Don’t let the trail go cold.


Make sure to customize your follow up whenever possible. This can be done with a simple reference to a past interaction or interest of the individual. Us an example like this:

“We had a great conversation about community health last time we spoke. I’d love to share how that came up at the event.”

Offer a Second Chance to Engage

Not everyone will be available for a follow-up meeting right away, and that’s okay. Provide alternate ways for them to stay involved:

  • Share a short video or highlight from the event

  • Offer to send a brief recap with key takeaways

  • Invite them to your next small gathering or virtual info session

  • Mention an upcoming opportunity to volunteer or learn more

Give them options so they can choose the level of engagement that feels comfortable. Your goal here isn’t to make up for their absence or push for a gift. It’s to continue the conversation and build trust. That may lead to a future donation, but first it builds understanding and connection.



Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Keep It Moving

Many nonprofits pour their energy into planning and hosting events, only to stall afterward. Don’t let that happen. The real value of a small gathering lies in what you do next.

With just a little intention, some timely reminders, a warm thank you, and a few one-on-one follow-ups, you can transform a single evening into a long-term pipeline of supporters who care about your mission. Once you’ve used this 4-step follow-up plan once, you can adapt it for every future event. It works whether you have three guests or thirty, and it just might be your secret weapon for building a stronger, more loyal donor base.

 
 
 

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