James Farley - Founder of NYS 501(c)3 Charity, Farley's Friends, Inc

Northwestern Mutual Financial Advisor and Community Organizer, James Farley, is a lifelong resident of the Rochester, New York area.

Growing up on the border of Wayne and Monroe Counties, Farley attended Charles W. Finney School in Penfield, NY prior to traveling and studying abroad.
Farley has always had a passion for entrepreneurship, From launching a private record label right out of high school, to helping build one of the Rochester Top 100 companies from the ground up. His focus, attention to detail and desire to help families and businesses realize their dreams of financial independence, led him to pursue starting his own financial planning practice as a Financial Advisor with Northwestern Mutual, where he has received numerous recognition and accreditation.

“Throughout my life I have been blown away by how many people that share a similar vision of making an impact in the community. They love this city. They want to be a part of positive change. But often, in a city with so many charitable organizations, it can be difficult to sift through them all to find a place someone feels is the best fit. That’s where Farley’s Friends comes in.”

— James Farley

Throughout his successful professional life, Farley has not always maintained a strong commitment to local community organizations that set the standard for arts and culture, but also charities and agencies that help serve the Rochester NY area.  He has always made it a point to lead by example when it comes to mentoring support and philanthropic endeavors.  Most recently in 2014, he received Causewave Community partners’ prestigious Spark Award, in addition to being named to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s “Rochester’s Finest” list. In addition serving on boards such as Rehema Home Orphanage, Fairport Baptist Home and the Rochester Advertising Federation, he also supports many visual and performing arts organizations in the Upstate NY region.

Recently, in late 2015, Farley formed a 501(c)3 charity called Farley’s Friends who’s mission believes in community betterment and striving to increase the reach and resources of select nonprofit organizations, charitable groups and community programs in Upstate NY through leadership, networking and strategic fundraising events.  This was the natural evolution of his successful eight year run of successful philanthropic events, which accounted for tens of thousands of dollars in additional monies for local organizations such as Gilda’s Club, Salvation Army, and Rochester Contemporary Art Center, to name a few.

Alyssa Belasco Appointed to Board of Directors of Newly Established Upstate NY Charity

As an experienced marketing, communications and nonprofit fundraising professional, Alyssa Belasco serves as the Director of Development and Programs for the Women’s Foundation of Genesee Valley.

Ms. Belasco is a native Rochesterian with a love for her city and a passion for rebuilding Rochester through promoting and supporting nonprofit organizations, local businesses, arts and entertainment. Ms. Belasco graduated Cum Laude from SUNY Brockport with a degree in Communications and Media Arts. She resides in the North Winton Village neighborhood of the City of Rochester with her husband Bill, and their two dogs, Biggins and Ollie.

In addition to her role at the Women’s Foundation, Ms. Belasco is a Freelance Writer, most notably for her column "The (Doing) Good Life" which is featured monthly in Rochester Magazine. She is also the Co-Founder of Flower City Philanthropy, where she hopes to start a charitable revolution by closing the gap between intention and action and inspiring people in the Rochester area to think and act charitably every day. Ms. Belasco has been referred to as a serial volunteer, enjoying giving back whenever possible.

In January 2016, Ms. Belasco was recognized as an ATHENA Young Professional finalist by the Women’s Council, a Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Affiliate, which honors emerging women leaders who demonstrate excellence, creativity and initiative in their business or profession, and in November 2016 she was honored as one of Rochester's Forty Under 40. In addition to Farley's Friends, she serves on the Board of Directors for the Women‘s Council and co-chairs their Communications Committee.

Six Reasons your Small Business should support a Charity

Inquire about upcoming events hosted by Farley's Friends.

Does your small business support a charity or non-profit group?

As you grow your business and become more successful, you will have requests from different groups in your community for sponsorship, donations, participation in events or other ways of giving. Most large corporations have programs for social responsibility and community involvement, and it is a great idea for small businesses, too.

Here are six reasons you should support a charity or non-profit endeavor in your community:

• The opportunity to give back. This is the top reason to seek out a charity to support. It allows you to share and pass on some of your good fortune and success. Doing so in your own community can bring business benefits, too.
• Community support and good will. Being part of a community is vital for small business. In the days of the mega stores and the internet, it can be difficult to sustain a small business. One way to ensure that your business thrives in your community is to help build a thriving community.
• Marketing opportunities. When you donate money, time, products or services, charity and non-profit groups usually have some sort of recognition program. Having your business name included is good promotion. It is one of the reasons you see children’s athletic teams with business names on their uniforms. People are more apt to support businesses they feel are part of their world.
• The opportunity to support causes you believe in. It is great if you can tie your business purpose to a particular charity, but if you cannot, you can pick a charity or community group that you are passionate about and support them. For example, a baby clothing store can support baby safety, prevention of child abuse, breastfeeding, and many other causes that “make sense” for a baby clothing business to support. But, if the owner has a passion to help animals, she can certainly promote those causes in a baby store, too.
• Contributions don’t have to drain your bank account. Many organizations, particularly those at the local level have needs for time and services as well as cash. Contact the group you would like to help and ask them if there are volunteer opportunities available.
• The opportunity to be involved. Getting involved in your local community is a great business strategy for many reasons. As you get to know others and work with others for a cause that you believe in, you will have fun and, you’ll become a part of the group. You will be involved and that can help you with marketing your business in many ways—you will know the needs of the community and be able to find ways to meet them. It’s hard to buy that kind of market research anywhere, but almost impossible for small businesses.

All in all, supporting a charity or non-profit group can help your business grow, but most of all, it can be a great way to give back to your community and help support causes that need your help.

Whether you support battered women’s groups, veterans causes, animal rights, rain forest preservation or ending world hunger, be sure to research your group first. Ask your local Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, or other local supporters about them. Or, try to look them up at Charity Navigator.

I usually recommend picking one “preferred” group that you support with most of your available time and money. But, for a small business, keep a small amount of money in your monthly budget for other charities. Usually, you can sponsor a hole in a charity golf tournament, buy small ads in programs for $25 and up, donate auction or raffle items, supply food and beverages and even volunteer your staff. These little bits of money can buy a ton of goodwill and public relations.

Why Everyone Should Join a Nonprofit Board

Re-posted from nonprofitpro.com

I have a big chip on my shoulder. It’s not very attractive.

It’s about folks who have time but do not volunteer to serve on a nonprofit board.

And I’m not just talking about folks who are retired, are philanthropic, and have time. I’m talking about pretty much everyone who doesn’t have babies spitting up on them or elderly parents living with them.

OK, I’m exaggerating but I’m trying to make a point. Everyone is busy and there are always excuses.

I am here to tell you that solid citizens who are committed to making their community, their school, and their world a better place — those willing to raise their hand for board service — are among the single biggest needs in our society.

So I thought I’d take a different approach to the pitch. I’m taking my cue from Joe Landau, my guest on this week’s podcast A Day In The Life of A Board Chair. He is a busy professor at Fordham Law and still made the time to serve on a board and then didn’t hide in the rest room when it was time to vote for a chair.

He loved being on a board. Yes, that’s what I said. He loved it. And it made me think that people misunderstand the value proposition of joining a nonprofit board.

I’m here to say that there are at least 10 great reasons to join a nonprofit board. And they are not about the organization. They are about YOU.

Here you go.

LET’S BUST SOME MYTHS

Recently at a cocktail party, I was chatting with a well-educated woman in her 50s who was neither poor nor Mark Zuckerberg.

I love talking about what I do (OK, I actually just love talking – ask my wife) and the topic of board service came up. This woman actually said, “It must be hard for organizations to find the really rich people they need to serve on boards.”

I probed.

Do you think you have to be very wealthy to join a nonprofit board?

She responded quickly, “You do, don’t you? Organizations want their biggest donors and the most influential people (read: could be their next biggest donors) on their boards, right?

This is a myth. Let’s bust it right now.

First of all, nonprofit boards are not like corporate boards.

Second, not all nonprofit boards are alike.

The board of the PAWS Montclair is not looking for the CEO of Citibank to join the board. But UNICEF might be looking for someone in that league. And nonprofits in between are looking for board members that are somewhere in between.

Of course organizations hope to recruit board members with capacity. But I’d take a passionate board member with connections and a broad sphere of influence any day of the week.

For example, I’m trying to get my college friend Joe to join a nonprofit board. One of his dearest friends had a disabled son who loved horses. Joe is neither poor, nor is he Mark Zuckerberg. But I believe if he joins the board of the Naples Equestrian Center (near to where he recently moved) he will be far richer for the experience. And so will the organization.

10 REASONS TO JOIN A NONPROFIT BOARD

Shall we do it David Letterman style?

1. You will learn patience. A group of smart and passionate folks sitting around a conference room table can argue and pontificate. They can say stupid things and make the most brilliant observations. And you will learn patience to wade through it.

1. You will learn how to ask for money. You did it when you were eight years old carrying that orange UNICEF box but the skill might have lain dormant since. I believe every grownup should know how to ask for money for a worthy cause. I’ll take it one step further. I’d argue that until you ask for money for a worthy cause, you have not reached “grownup” status.

1. You will have an experience that enriches your resume. OK, this one is a bit selfish but it’s true and it’s OK to be honest about it.

1. You will meet interesting people who will add to your sphere of influence. People who join boards are a wonderful breed. They have chosen to get off the bench and onto the field. You will be enriched by being in their company.

1. You will learn to play nicely in the sandbox. This is about diplomacy and making sure that your colleagues get their say (even if you think your comment said it all). The very best board members are teams.

1. You will learn to appreciate that assets = liabilities. I mean this quite specifically. You will be able to read and understand financial statements and ask a related question or two that actually makes sense.

1. You will have another excuse to skip the gym. OK, just wanted to be sure you were paying attention.

1. You will learn how to run an effective meeting of people who don’t work for you. Perhaps you will find yourself as a committee chair. Trust me, you learn a very different set of skills than in a staff meeting. These fellow board members are volunteers, not paid employees, and they may have more business experience than you do.

1. You will stretch all your intellectual and emotional muscles. Board service at its best allows you to bring your full self to the organization – your emotional connection to the work, your commitment to the overall sector, your life experience, your skills, and the good head you have on your shoulders. There are precious few tables you will sit at that will need all of what you bring the way a nonprofit does.

1. You will fall more in love with your organization. The closer you are to the work of your nonprofit, the more that work comes to life for you, the more passionate you will become. And you will feel another emotion.

You will feel lucky.

---

FIND A BOARD or committee TO JOIN

Has this article inspired you to join a nonprofit board? Why not start with Farley's Friends. We could certainly use your help to make an impact in the Rochester Community!

---