Use Outreach Forms for RSVPs and Event Registration

Outreach Forms can be used to collect RSVPs and event registrations when you need to gather attendee information without collecting payment. They are especially useful for free events, volunteer gatherings, informational sessions, receptions, open houses, workshops, and other events where your organization needs to know who is attending and collect registration details.

Each submission creates a Form Response in DonorDock and can also create or update the associated Contact. You can collect standard Contact information, ask event-specific questions, apply Badges, offer Marketing List subscriptions, and use Automations for follow-up after someone registers.

When to Use an Outreach Form for an Event

Use an Outreach Form when registration does not require a payment.

• Free event RSVPs

• Volunteer orientations

• Community gatherings

• Open houses

• Workshops

• Informational sessions

• Donor appreciation events

• Free webinars

• Program registrations

• Event interest forms

If attendees need to pay as part of registration, use an Online Giving Form instead. Online Giving Forms can collect payment and create a Gift in DonorDock, while Outreach Forms collect information without a transaction.

Plan the Information You Need to Collect

Before building the form, decide which information should become part of the Contact record and which information only matters for this particular event.

For most event forms, you will likely use a combination of standard Contact fields and Form Response Custom Fields.

Use Contact Custom Fields for information that should remain part of the person's Contact record after the event. Use Form Response Custom Fields for information that belongs specifically to this registration.

Create the Event Form

1. Navigate to "Forms" in DonorDock.

2. Open the "Outreach" section.

3. Create a new Outreach Form.

4. Give the form an internal name that clearly identifies the event.

5. Configure the Form Setup, Content, Fields, Custom Fields, Contact Tracking, and Marketing Lists as needed.

An internal name such as 2026 Annual Dinner RSVP or October Volunteer Orientation Registration makes the form easier to identify later when reviewing responses.

Add the Event Details

Use the "Content" section to explain what the event is and what attendees should know before registering.

The "Form Headline" should clearly identify the event or action, such as:

• RSVP for the 2026 Annual Dinner

• Register for Volunteer Orientation

• Join Us for Our Community Open House

Use the "Form Message" to provide any supporting information, such as the event date, time, location, registration deadline, parking information, attendance limits, or other instructions.

Keeping these details directly on the form helps ensure supporters see the important event information before they submit their registration.

Collect Contact Information

Use the "Form Fields" section to add the standard Contact information you need from attendees.

For most event registrations, this may include:

• First Name

• Last Name

• Email Address

• Phone Number

Only collect the information you actually need for the event and your follow-up process. A simple RSVP may only require a name and email address, while a larger event may require additional contact details.

Information collected through standard Contact fields can be used to create or update the associated Contact in DonorDock.

Add Event-Specific Questions

Use Form Response Custom Fields for questions that apply specifically to this event.

• How many guests will be joining you?

• Which session would you like to attend?

• Do you need any accessibility accommodations?

• Who will be attending with you?

Form Response Custom Fields preserve the answer with that individual registration instead of treating it as permanent Contact information.

This is especially helpful when someone attends multiple events over time. For example, a donor's meal choice for one event should not overwrite or replace their meal choice from a previous event registration.

Decide Whether You Need an Attendance Question

Depending on how you plan to share the form, you may or may not need a separate RSVP question. If you're sending the form only to people registering to attend, submitting it may be enough to indicate they are attending.

If you are using the same form to collect both Yes and No responses, create a Form Response Custom Field that asks whether the person plans to attend.

For example:

Will you attend the 2026 Annual Dinner?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure yet

This allows you to preserve everyone’s response and later review or export the registrations by answer.

Apply an Event Badge

Use the "Contact Tracking" section if you want every person who submits the form to receive the same Badge.

For example, you might apply:

• 2026 Gala RSVP

• Volunteer Orientation Registration

• Community Open House Interest

Badges configured in the Outreach Form are applied to every Contact who submits the form, so they work best when submitting the form itself is enough to qualify for the Badge.

If you only want to apply a Badge based on a specific response, use an Automation instead.

For example, if the form includes a Will you attend? question, you could create an Automation that applies an Event Attendee Badge only when the response is Yes.

Offer Event-Related Marketing Lists

You can also use the "Marketing Lists" section to let registrants subscribe to future communications.

• Event Updates

• Volunteer Opportunities

• Monthly Newsletter

• Program Announcements

After adding a Marketing List, use the settings wheel to control whether the option should be prechecked when the form loads. The supporter can then decide whether they want to remain selected or remove themselves from the list before submitting the form.

This is separate from the event registration itself and can be useful when the event provides an opportunity for supporters to opt into future communication.

Publish and Share the Event Form

1. Review the form in the preview.

2. Save your changes.

3. Publish the Outreach Form.

4. Open the "Sharing" section.

5. Choose how you want supporters to access the form.

You can share the event registration using:

• The direct form link

• A QR code

• The Script Embed Code

• The Iframe Embed Code

The direct link can be included in emails, social media, text messages, invitations, or event webpages. QR codes can be useful for printed invitations, posters, signage, or other in-person materials.

Review Event Registrations

You can review all registrations for a specific event directly from the form.

1. Navigate to "Forms".

2. Open the "Outreach" section.

3. Locate the event form.

4. Select "View Response Report" to the right of the form name.

You can also open the form itself and select the blue "View Responses" button at the top of the form settings page. The response report includes each submission received through the form, along with the response date, associated Contact, and the responses collected through the form fields.

Use the "Columns" icon to add or remove information from the report, then export the responses to CSV, Excel, or PDF if needed for event planning.

Use Automations for Event Follow-Up

Form Responses can also be used to start an Automation after someone submits an event form.

For example, an Automation could:

• Send a registration confirmation email

• Create a follow-up Task for staff

• Apply a Badge only to people who selected a specific response

• Send different follow-up emails based on attendance or interest

• Begin a reminder sequence before the event

• Start a post-event communication process

Because Automations can use information from the Form Response, the follow-up does not have to be identical for every person who submits the form.

For example, attendees who selected Yes could receive event reminders, while people who selected No could receive a different follow-up message.

After the Event

Once registration is closed, archive the Outreach Form if you no longer want to accept new responses.

Archiving removes the form from public use while preserving the form and its existing response history in DonorDock. This allows you to return to the response report later without leaving an outdated registration form available to supporters.