Greetings from Northeast Pennsylvania! My name is John Anthony Farkas, Jr., and I serve as the Major and Planned Giving Officer for WVIA Public Media in Pittston, Pennsylvania. I come from a family of fundraisers and grew up in the nonprofit world, so I always hoped I could carve my own path in this field. Originally born in Pennsylvania, we moved to Marietta, GA, just outside of Atlanta, when I was only a child. I was raised on the campuses of the former Atlanta College of Art, the Alliance Theater, the Atlanta Symphony, and the High Museum of Art. I attended alumni luncheons, exhibit openings, symphony productions, and more as a child. We moved back to Pennsylvania when I was a teenager, and I feel extremely fortunate that I had the experience of growing up in two different parts of the country. Fundraising is in my blood, and I learned at a young age that you could only be successful if you believe in the mission of the organization for which you work.
My career has led me in many different directions, ranging from serving as the Manager of Development and Alumni Relations for a private school system to the Fundraising Manager for an organization that focused on work in the Middle East. When I began working for WVIA, as their Major and Planned Giving Officer, I had the incredible opportunity to build a major gifts program from the ground up. This was the challenge I had been waiting for! The most rewarding part of my role is knowing that I contribute to an incredible organization. Not only do I rely on my own experience and expertise, I use an entirely new form of fund development by incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) in my work. Meeting our prospects and donors, learning about their stories and passion for the station, and befriending them as well is the greatest part of my job.
Great accomplishments take time, but I am glad I took a focused and direct course of action to build the major gifts program and help promote a culture of philanthropy at WVIA. In the process, we have accomplished amazing things. In two years, we have practically doubled the number of major gifts we receive at WVIA and further built our presence throughout the regions we serve.
The fundraising advice that has stayed with me throughout my career is that it is always important to remember that donors come first. The friendships and relationships you develop with supporters are always more important than any donation at any dollar amount. Another piece of advice that I appreciate is to break down silos if they exist in your workplace. Developing friendships with your colleagues helps you grow collectively as professionals and achieve greater success. Every time a colleague pushes me out of my comfort zone, immediate growth soon follows.
WVIA Public Media has an incredible staff, amazing supporters, and allowed me the opportunity to create something from scratch, while growing both professionally and personally. I hope to continue building a program with more and more success every year. I am determined to advance professionally and I realize how lucky I am to work in this field. As I said before, it is impossible to raise funds for something in which you do not believe. I believe in public media and am confident that I can make a difference for my station, the regions we serve, and, hopefully, others who are just getting started.
