Established on 08.01.2019 by Friends of John Pierce in honor of his retirement and 50th work anniversary at Concordia College
John Pierce began his storied career at Concordia College October 1, 1969, as Assistant Director of Alumni Relations. Hired, after eight interviews, by Roger Swenson, Director of Development, and promoted, after ten months on the job, John became Executive Director of the C-400 Club. The Club, already thriving when John became its leader, doubled its membership, from 1,970 to over 3,900 members, during John’s five-year tenure. John introduced three new awards, the Mission Medallion Award, the Soli Deo Gloria Award and the Founder’s Award, presented in recognition of C-400 members’ personal giving and enlistment of new or re-enlisted C-400 Club members. John brought dozens of famous personalities to campus, who addressed thousands of Concordia’s supporters and their guests, including Charles M. Schulz (creator of Peanuts), Louis L’Amour, Bill Gates, Walter Cronkite, William F. Buckley, Red Skelton, Paul Harvey, Charlton Heston, Bobby Unser and Colonel Harland Sanders (Kentucky Fried Chicken). John has always believed if an institution has a parade of greats across its stage, its constituents will tend to associate that institution with greatness.
In 1975, John transitioned from executive director of the C-400 Club to raising major gifts from individual donors. By that time, C-400 had existed for 20 years; many of its members, having become acquainted with Concordia, were in a good position to consider major gifts to the college, and John was the man to make those requests. From July 1, 1975 to December 31, 2019, John traveled the nation, seeking major gifts, outright and deferred, for Concordia College and Concordia Language Villages (CLV). While it is hard to quantify just how much money John has raised for Concordia over his 50-year career, it is not difficult to believe that number is more than $100 million. John’s motto for his fundraising career has always been, “I want to be a better friend to a person who makes a major gift tomorrow than I am today.”
Four mentors have been especially instrumental in John’s exceptional fundraising career. Roger Swenson taught John the art and science of fundraising and how to find evidence of gift prospects’ wealth. President Joseph Knutson taught John important life lessons, including knowing what his ideals were and how to have the courage to stand for them. President Paul Dovre showed John how to work side by side with a President while remaining focused on Concordia’s priorities of teaching and learning excellence. Most important, Donna Pierce, John’s wife, showed John unconditional love, mercy, grace and patience. When he met and married Donna, he became a rich man in so many ways. Donna and their daughter, Kristina ‘98, have supported John’s strong calling to serve Concordia through his fundraising career spanning over 50 years.
The purpose of the John S. Pierce ’65 Endowed Award is to recognize committed Concordia supporters who embody the characteristics of John S. Pierce: persistence, loyalty, resilience and love for Concordia College. Recipients of the John S. Pierce ’65 Endowed Award will demonstrate their support for Concordia through volunteerism, philanthropy, recruitment and partnerships.