INSIDE: LIFE LESSONS / BOOKS
BUZZ
THE
WHAT MATTERS NOW IN THE CITY
LI F E L E SS O N S
JORGE FERNÁNDEZ
For the longtime fundraiser, philanthropy is all about relationships
RICK HOVIS
BY ALLISON BRADEN
JORGE FERNÁNDEZ calls himself a late bloomer. His family immigrated from Cuba when he was 7 and eventually settled in Miami. He dropped out of college, reenrolled, worked in restaurants and sales, and tried his hand at teaching. After he moved to Charlotte in 1987, Fernández loved to listen to the local public radio affiliate, WFAE. Even though he had no experience in fundraising, the station’s general manager, Roger Sarow, hired him to lead a new program to solicit high-dollar gifts. In 2003, at age 49, Fernández at last found his career, one in which his skills led to hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue for an organization he was passionate about. North Carolinians donate about $5.9 billion per year to charitable organizations, including the more than 2,500 that operate in the Charlotte area. Nonprofits here include WFAE (where I worked with Fernández for two years) and International House, which offers legal aid and English and citizenship tutoring to the local immigrant community. Fernández left WFAE in 2017 and accepted a position as director of development at International House, where his job goes far beyond asking for donations. He researches and contacts prospective donors, maintains ties with existing ones, and forges links throughout the community. For example, before COVID, he coordinated
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