Giving feels good: Rob Walker

A WOSU fundraiser puts his money where his mouth is.

Every year, Rob Walker takes to the airwaves to fundraise for The Ohio State University. As Director of Membership at WOSU Public Media, he and his colleagues raise more than $5 million annually for the university’s noncommercial multimedia organization.

And for decades, Walker has backed up those calls for donations with his own giving to WOSU. “I've been giving to WOSU through payroll deduction for probably as long as I’ve worked here,” Walker says. “It’s simple. It’s easy. The money comes out, and it supports what we do at WOSU.”

To Walker, the act of giving isn’t about the dollar amount. “We don’t judge people based on how much they give,” he says. “It’s about making a commitment — throwing your rock into the pond.”

“You can see the great number of ripples that your little rock can create. At WOSU, if everybody we know is listening and watching just gave a dollar, we would never have to do another fundraiser ever again. That’s the impact of supporting something that you believe in,” he says. “But everyone has to take a first step.”

“I've been giving to WOSU through payroll deduction for probably as long as I’ve worked here. It’s simple. It’s easy. The money comes out, and it supports what we do at WOSU.” - Rob Walker