Tom’s already grumping about #GivingTuesday and it’s months away.

I’m not a big fan either. But I am blessed with a far gentler, docile disposition.

So, in the interest of foregoing a rant and instead give Agitator readers a head start on a better alternative to #GivingTuesday I refer you to a post we ran last year on #ThanksGivingTuesday.

Agitator readers with longer-term memories will recall the powerful message that came from Concordia College-New York.

This elegantly simple message of gratitude represented everything that #GivingTuesday — the Big Box Store approach to fundraising — does not.

You’ll recall the message was accompanied by a moving video of the College’s students thanking donors.

Beyond doing an effective job of thanking donors, the video represents a triumphant example of involving an entire organization in reaching out to not only its donors but also all its stakeholders.

Here’s how Heather McGinness, the VP of Advancement at Concordia, described the process:

“In addition to the e-mail which was sent to donors, alumni, friends, church partners, community members, parents, Regents and pretty much anyone who’s engaged with us in some way and shared their e-mail address, has a full day of giving thanks and sharing gratitude with internal and external stakeholders.

“It officially kicked off with a midnight breakfast that was served by College leadership (including the President, First Lady and myself) as a thank you to our students.  Other activities that you won’t see on the schedule include delivery of thank you cards to neighbors on the surrounding streets (the ones who deal with the College’s traffic, students, etc on a daily basis)…the President answering the College’s main phone line for part of the afternoon…thank you notes written by students to donors, and a “thank you takeover” on the main website (Concordia-ny.edu).

“And, lest I forget, there was also free ice cream waiting for everyone outside the Thank You Rally at the end of the day as an added surprise gesture of thanks.”

A year ago The Agitator’s reaction was: WOW! That reaction still stands.

The numbers speak for themselves.

• 15% increase in retention
• 58% increase in new donors
• 41% increase in recaptured donors
• 53% increase in revenue

Of course, it’s reasonable to assume that not all this increased performance is attributable to #ThanksGivingTuesday, but I’ll bet a substantial part of it is.

So, if you’re inclined to thank your donors rather than plunder them, you might give devote some planning to your own #ThanksGiving Tuesday.

Consider this your friendly Agitator Advance Notice Action Alert.

Roger

P.S. Here’s Heather’s schedule for Concordia’s #ThanksGiving Tuesday.