Why RGS Chooses Holiday Giving Over Gifting for Clients
As 2025 comes to a close, many firms look for ways to thank their clients. At RGS Associates, that gratitude has taken a different form for several years now, one that reflects the firm’s broader commitment to community, stewardship, and shared values.
Rather than sending traditional holiday gifts, RGS once again made a $10,000 donation to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank (CPFB) on behalf of our clients. It is a decision rooted not in convenience, but in purpose.
“We made a conscious choice years ago to move away from physical gifts,” said Mark Hackenburg, Principal at RGS Associates.
“Instead, we wanted to do something that aligned more closely with who we are as a firm and the communities we serve.”
A Gift That Extends Beyond the Season
Food insecurity affects families across Central Pennsylvania year-round, not just during the holidays.
According to the CPFB, more than 268,000 neighbors now rely on its services each month, a figure that has grown steadily alongside rising food costs, housing pressures, and tightening household budgets.
By directing its year-end giving toward the CPFB, RGS is supporting an organization that operates across 27 counties, working through nearly 1,100 partner programs to reach families, seniors, veterans, and children where the need is greatest.
While the donation itself is significant, the intent behind it is just as important. By making the gift on behalf of RGS clients, we recognize the role they play in shaping communities and supporting the people who live within them.
A Choice That Resonates with Clients
For many clients, that approach resonates deeply.
“It just makes all the sense in the world,” said Andy Dula, President of EGStoltzfus, an RGS client and strategic partner. “We get a lot of stuff this time of year, and most of it fades quickly. This doesn’t. It reflects something more meaningful.”
For Andy, the gesture speaks to a deeper alignment between RGS and the organizations it works alongside.
“When you step back and think about it, it reinforces that there’s a shared philosophy,” Andy said. “It’s about values, culture, and responsibility to the community. Seeing a partner do this reminds you that you’re aligned in how you think, not just in the work you’re doing together.”
Giving as a Broader Commitment
The CPFB donation is one expression of a broader approach to giving at RGS. Earlier this year, the firm’s leadership team shared an overview of its community support efforts with staff, outlining both where and how RGS invests its resources across the region.
Those efforts span several categories, including senior living benevolent care funds, local community services, healthcare organizations, professional organizations, and national or international initiatives. Taken together, RGS’s financial contributions across these areas totaled $67,000 over the most recent reporting period.
The intent behind sharing that information internally was not for recognition, but transparency.
“We wanted our team to understand that this isn’t isolated,” Hackenburg said. “Giving is part of how we operate as a firm, just like collaboration or problem-solving. It’s woven into the culture.”
Turning Gratitude into Measurable Impact
For the CPFB, financial support translates directly into tangible outcomes. In the most recent fiscal year, the organization distributed more than 70 million pounds of food, supported school pantries, senior nutrition programs, mobile food distributions, and MilitaryShare sites serving veterans and active-duty families.
Those numbers go beyond logistics. They represent stability for households facing difficult tradeoffs between food, healthcare, and housing.
That collective support has been especially important this year. In a recent correspondence to RGS leadership, CPFB Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer Matt Lane noted that strong donor participation throughout the giving season was “critical, given the challenges our families are facing right now,” adding that recent campaigns saw a meaningful increase in fundraising over the prior year.
For RGS, this reinforces the idea that gratitude should extend beyond symbolic gestures.
“We’re not interested in just checking a box,” Hackenburg said. “We want our actions to mean something, to support work that’s already happening and making a real difference.”
Shared Responsibility, Shared Values
Many RGS clients operate with similar philosophies. Senior living organizations often maintain benevolent care funds to ensure residents are supported regardless of changing financial circumstances. Others invest in education, environmental stewardship, or affordable housing initiatives. While each organization’s mission is unique, the underlying commitment to serving others is often shared.
“This isn’t about spotlighting individual clients or sectors,” Hackenburg said. “It’s about recognizing that many of the people we work with care deeply about the same things we do. Community impact is a common thread.”
That sense of responsibility extends internally as well. Throughout the year, RGS staff members support a variety of causes, from food drives and fundraising efforts to environmental conservation initiatives, coaching youth sports and professional education programs. These efforts are not mandated. They are driven by individuals who bring their own values into the workplace, creating a culture where service and stewardship are simply part of who the firm is.
A Different Kind of Thank You
As RGS looks ahead to the coming year, the firm remains focused on partnerships built on trust, shared values, and long-term impact.
The annual donation to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank is one visible example of that philosophy in action. But for clients like EGStoltzfus, it is a meaningful one.
“It actually makes you pause and think,” Andy said. “It challenges you to consider how you give and what kind of impact you want to make. That’s a good thing.”
In a season often defined by excess, RGS continues to choose intention, making gratitude something that extends far beyond the holiday calendar.
