My advice to the Pokken community:
If you guys are serious, if these donations came from people who actually want to see that game played and see that scene grow, you guys have a ton of momentum right now. Y'all might not be going to EVO but that doesn't mean that game has to die.
Take this momentum, and start locally. Start hosting local tournaments again, get Pokken noticed. Get TOs of majors/regionals to start hosting the game again, and when they do, START GOING OUT TO THEM. Show them that people will actually come out and play. And if you can't do that, then at least watch the streams. Share tech, be a part of the online community.
Rebuild and come back. So many games out here are thriving without EVO (KI, Skullgirls, Melee for a bit, etc.).
Make it so Pokken doesnt need EVO, make it so that EVO needs Pokken.