How Nonprofits Can Maximize Event Data to Power Fundraising Success

Fundraising events are more than just one-night wins. They’re long-term growth opportunities. But to truly capitalize on their potential, nonprofits need to think beyond ticket sales and auction proceeds. The real power lies in the data.

From guest lists to transactions to table hosts and email open rates, every data point generated by your event holds valuable insight. And when nonprofits know how to harness that information effectively, they can increase retention, drive bigger gifts, and transform first-time attendees into lifelong supporters.

Here’s how to make your event data work harder and smarter for your mission.

Why Event Data Matters for Nonprofits

It’s no secret that fundraising events can be resource-intensive. But when done right, they offer more than just short-term gains. They’re a pipeline for new donors, a spotlight for your cause, and a treasure trove of data.

With the right strategy, nonprofits can use event data to:

• Retain donors by personalizing future outreach.

• Identify and cultivate major gift prospects.

• Build donor networks by tracking who’s connected to whom.

• Generate new gifts from attendees who didn’t donate at the event.

• Capture the next generation of givers, including younger corporate and civic attendees.

But none of that is possible without intentional data collection.

What Event Data Should You Track?

Capturing the right data is the foundation. Here's what should be making its way into your donor database after every event:

1. Attendance

Don't just track who bought a ticket—track who showed up. Especially:

• Guests of table hosts or corporate sponsors

• Non-paying attendees who are invisible in transaction records

• Guests’ affiliations or relationships with existing supporters

Julep tip: With Julep’s Invite Management features, you can track who was invited by your organization and who was a guest of those invitees. It’s easy to track what event your guests and who invited them. This helps trace influence and identify new donor networks.

2. Transactions

From ticket purchases to auction bids and donations:

• Attribute every transaction to a constituent record

• Connect each gift to a specific campaign/event for year-over-year analysis

• Assign soft credits to those who influenced the gift, such as a board members or table hosts)

This gives you a clearer picture of your donor ecosystem and helps recognize key advocates.

Julep tip: Julep allows you to easily track and attribute soft credits on People Profiles.

How to Use Your Data Strategically

Once you’ve captured the data, here’s how to put it to work:

1.   Tailor Your Communication

Was this their first event? Were they invited by a board member? Did they attend but not donate? Use these details to customize follow-ups and increase engagement. Pull a list of first-time attendees and send them thank you notes or send information about your organization to guests of your donors or ticket-buyers.

2.   Drive Future Fundraising

Knowing that someone attended with a family member or friend or as a guest of a sponsor can spark deeper conversations about legacy giving or corporate partnerships. A past event attendance might even be the link that secures a planned gift.

3.   Expand Annual Giving

Don’t let new contacts go to waste. Including event attendees and first-time donors in future appeals can pay off. One small nonprofit saw a 13% increase in annual giving simply by adding event-acquired contacts to its year-end campaign.

Make Technology Work for You

To make this possible, you need the right tools. Luckily, affordable event management software, like Julep, makes it easier than ever to:

• Capture attendee data, even for non-donors

• Sync data directly to your CRM or donor management system

• Track connections between guests and hosts

• Personalize communications and analyze engagement trends

A/B Testing: Optimize for Better Results

To get the most out of your event strategy, don’t stop at data collection! Experiment with how you market and structure events. A/B testing allows you to improve key elements like:

• Event landing pages (CTA placement, design)

• Email campaigns (subject lines, send times)

• Social ads (image vs. video, copy style)

• Registration forms (single-step vs. multi-step)

• Pricing strategies (early-bird discounts or donation-based models)

Testing small changes can yield big improvements in attendance and engagement.

Data Is Your Donor Pipeline

Your events aren’t just moments. They’re momentum. And when you treat the data from those events as a strategic asset, you can unlock long-term fundraising growth.

From identifying new donors to cultivating deeper relationships and optimizing future outreach, the insights are already there. You must harness them.

The takeaway? If you’re hosting events, you’re already doing the work. Make sure the data you collect does the work for you, too.

Need help organizing your donor data or integrating event tools with your CRM?

At Julep, we make it easy for nonprofits to capture, track, and act on the insights that move missions forward. Let’s talk.