Three Questions with Melissa Taylor, VP, Relationship Leader, Osaic
Melissa Taylor, CIMA®, CPWA®, BFA®, is currently a Vice President and Relationship Leader within Advisor Engagement at the Osaic Home Office. Based in Arizona, she has been in the financial services industry for 23 years, including the past seven years with Osaic.
Melissa has been committed to giving back to her community since her teenage years, beginning as a hospital volunteer where she provided emotional support to AIDS and cancer patients in New Jersey inner-city hospitals. She later continued her service at two community food banks in Northern California. As the daughter of a Vietnam veteran, Melissa has also been deeply passionate about supporting veteran-related causes, and for the past four years she has volunteered with programs at a Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post in Arizona.
Building on this longstanding commitment to service, she shares several insights drawn from her participation in group volunteer events supported by the Osaic Foundation. These shared experiences continue to grow in popularity among our financial professionals, their staff, and home office employees—reflecting a strong and increasing interest in opportunities that combine community impact with meaningful connection.
Photo: Melissa Taylor (second from left) volunteers at the recent Maui reforestation project with (from left) Missy Nelson of Advisor Engagement, Trish Rafferty, Key Accounts at Prudential, and Courtney Wood, Succession and Acquisition.
In January, I joined colleagues from our Scottsdale office as a route volunteer for the Valley of the Sun Cycling Challenge, sponsored by the Foundation. This 50-cyclist event brought together advisors, employees, and 19 adaptive athletes—including several veterans—in support of a meaningful cause.
Our role was to staff rest stops, ensuring riders had refreshments and a warm welcome along the way. More importantly, we were there to show our appreciation for their effort and commitment. Seeing the smiles on their faces as they arrived—energized by the encouragement and support—was incredibly rewarding and a powerful reminder of the impact these moments can have.
At an Advisor Engagement Team conference in April, we selected a large Phoenix social service nonprofit, NourishPHX, for a team-building project. Our 70 attendees assembled 500 hygiene kits to help those in need. I loved being able to volunteer with our team. Everybody was so involved and excited, you could tell that the opportunity was meaningful to everyone. It was centered on giving back to others while deepening our connections with one another. We added a fun, friendly element by organizing participants into table teams and recognizing their efforts with awards.
Earlier this month, I joined our Ovation top producer conference in Hawaii, where we introduced a community outreach component for the first time. We heard from a local organization leading reforestation efforts in Maui following the devastating fires and floods. We then broke into small teams to plant seedlings in trays of narrow containers, which field teams will use to restore the impacted areas. It reinforced how meaningful it is to be able to give back in a tangible way.
A key takeaway from each of these events was the importance of intentional planning—specifically around setup, process, clearly defined roles, and structured activities. This upfront investment minimizes downtime and ensures the experience runs smoothly, maximizing both impact and engagement.
Equally important is having a strong partnership with a reputable charity. The Osaic Foundation plays a valuable role here by helping connect us with trusted local nonprofit organizations.
What stood out most to me was how much participants value opportunities where purpose and relationship-building intersect. Experiences like these are not only meaningful but also highly engaging, reinforcing a shared belief that they should remain a core priority moving forward.
Joint volunteer projects conducted as a group create a shared foundation of experience that carries directly into stronger, more relational workplace interactions. When advisors and employees come together outside of traditional business settings, it builds trust, humanizes one another, and fosters a deeper sense of mutual respect.
These experiences highlight the power of hands-on service in building authentic connections. Working side by side removes many of the formalities of a typical business environment, making future interactions—especially with senior leadership—feel more natural, open, and personal.
They also serve as a meaningful way to bring our firm’s values to life through real-world impact. In doing so, they strengthen the connection advisors and employees feel to the organization beyond transactional relationships, helping to deepen long-term engagement.
Perhaps most importantly, these moments give us perspective. In an industry that can sometimes feel insular, they reconnect us to the broader world we serve—reminding us why our work matters and who it ultimately impacts. They are grounding, humbling, and deeply energizing experiences that inspire us to lead with greater purpose. I feel this is something we should continue to prioritize and protect—not just as an initiative, but as a defining part of who we are.
$525,000 in grants awarded to 288 charities
The Foundation spread out this year's $525,000 in grants to eligible nonprofit charities in 230 communities across 41 states, more than $35,000 in additional funding over last year. Since the start of the grant program in 2023 more than $1.5 million has been disbursed to recognize the volunteerism of Osaic-affiliated financial professionals, staff and home office employees.
The 2026 grants were distributed in May to multiple health and human service organizations, education initiatives, arts & cultural activities, and civic service groups in the local communities where Team Osaic volunteers its time and expertise. The hours of volunteer service by these applicants totaled 2,678 hours (equivalent to $93,167 in donated service, per Independent Sector tracking data).
Selection Process
All charities receiving grants were nominated by Financial Professionals, their staff or home office employees who practice hands-on volunteerism. Applications were reviewed by four regional volunteer Selection committees comprised of Financial Professionals, their staff and home office employees, and ultimately approved by the 10-member Osaic Foundation Board of Directors. While reviewing and scoring applications, committee members took into consideration the nominator’s level of hands-on volunteer involvement and other factors. We express our appreciation here for our 47 reviewers in four regions, and also our seven volunteer writers who helped compile the summaries below.
View our 2026 Grant Recipients
Questions?
If you have questions about the Local Grant Program or the Osaic Foundation, we’d love to hear from you! Email us at OsaicFoundation@osaic.com.
Volunteer opportunities to elevate your impact
Check out these wonderful group opportunities to network, build relationships and ensure an outstanding outcome for our participants and the nonprofits! To learn more or offer your help on any program below, follow the links for each, or drop a quick email indicating your interest to: osaicfoundation@osaic.com.
Join a “Team Osaic” city team… now forming for “Making Strides…” walks this Fall for American Cancer Society
Gather your co-workers, family and friends and join one of our teams now forming once again for our largest national volunteer effort: Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. A great way to network and have fun while supporting a worthy cause.
Support Veterans during their Honor Flights to Washington D.C.
Join with your Osaic peers in giving a warm “welcome home” to veterans visiting their service memorial in Washington D.C. We also write personalized letters of appreciation that are shared on each flight.
Photo: Chris Grassel (FP), Laurie Allen (asst) and Rich Balch (FP) of Woodmen Financial Resources, Green Bay, WI, helped welcome veterans home April 7 in Appleton
Become a certified Red Cross volunteer to aid in disaster relief
Multiple roles are available for you to prepare to assist when a disaster or weather emergency strikes your community. Becoming certified ahead of time speeds your ability to assist.
Play softball among the skyscrapers Aug. 20 to benefit two 9-11 nonprofits
Join Team Osaic at New York City's Battery Park Fields, Thursday, Aug. 20 from 4-6 pm for a friendly benefit softball game & networking reception with your peers. No participation fee -- just bring your own glove.
The Foundation will make grants on behalf of all Osaic participants to two local 9-11 charities, Tunnels 2 Towers and Home for Heroes. Both serve veterans and first responders and their families. Don’t want to play? Come and cheer on your colleagues: Spectators welcome! Arrive by 3:30 p.m. Game followed by a meet-up reception.
Mentor young women at VE “Winning Futures” NYC leadership conference
Join our Team Osaic volunteers at this annual December event for young women in high school, sponsored by Virtual Enterprises VE), a major grant recipient of the Foundation.
In career panels, Q&As and breakouts, Team Osaic members will share their wisdom on personal branding, professional presence, communication, and financial empowerment.
Join our Atlanta volunteers to prep lunches and snacks for summer youth meals
Two opportunities this summer:
Thursday, July 9:
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Town Center at Cobb
400 Ernest W. Barrett Parkway NW, Kennesaw, GA
Osaic volunteers will join others to assemble Summer Lunch Kits for children. The deadline to register is July 2.
To help, contact: Leslie.Cuccia@osaic.com
Tuesday, July 28:
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Rainbow Village Campus
3427 Duluth Highway #120, Duluth, GA
Osaic volunteers will assemble snack bags for the Academy afterschool program used by children living at the homeless shelter.
To help, contact: Leslie.Cuccia@osaic.com
American Red Cross recognizes Osaic Foundation volunteers in Nebraska
David Peterson, Chief Compliance Officer at WealthPlan Group in Omaha, NE, represented Osaic Foundation volunteers March 3 at a local “Meet the Heroes in the Heartland” event hosted by the American Red Cross for those who “exemplify the Red Cross humanitarian spirit.”
David is a Board Member for the local ARC chapter, and co-chairs its community mobilization committee. He also serves with its executive committee, a local disaster shelter and is a relief volunteer. For the Osaic Foundation, he cochairs its Disaster Relief sub-committee. Additionally, employee volunteers at our La Vista office site have hosted 60+ blood drives over the past 5+ years, collecting more than 2,300 units of blood for use in critical operations and life-savings efforts at Omaha area health facilities.
The Osaic Foundation has supported these efforts with nearly $20,000 in disaster relief grants to the ARC the past three years.
Pictured with David is Jill Orton, executive director of the Nebraska/Iowa region of the ARC
Osaic volunteers mentor students at Junior Achievement “Business Town”
On March 23, seven Oakdale home office employees devoted 35 volunteer hours at the local “Business Town” financial literacy and business education event, hosted by Junior Achievement for 100 elementary school students. Their effort also led to a $2,500 grant from the Osaic Foundation to JA.
The volunteer director at JA North in St. Paul, MN, wrote afterwards, “Your involvement meant that students from Central Park Elementary experienced a day that was immersive, eye-opening, and full of possibilities. With your guidance, they stepped into real-world roles, made decisions, worked as a team, and discovered strengths they may not have known they had. These are experiences that will stay with them long after they leave JA BizTown!”
Pictured left to right are (first row): Nicole Hartmann and Cinthia Cervantes; second row: Jessica Westerberg, Michelle McGlade, Martin Fosvick and Lee Underdahl; third row: Jack Faust.
Nesting boxes built for endangered Long Island birds by advisors and clients
Rob Martino, financial advisor and Partner at SteadWise Wealth Advisors, Hauppauge, NY, led a March 29 volunteer project for his firm and several clients at Seatuck, a nonprofit Long Island environmental conservation nonprofit. Their effort also led to a $1,000 grant from the Osaic Foundation to the charity.
The team of 28 volunteers devoted four hours to building 100 special nesting boxes for the Rosairo Tern flock of birds. The boxes will be installed at Great Gull Island in the LI Sound to protect the smaller, more meek bird that experiences high predation.
Three firms and home office staff join for group volunteer event in Bethlehem, PA
Twenty Osaic volunteers from two firms and several home office employees joined together April 9 for a four-hour community service project at New Bethany, a leading nonprofit provider in the Lehigh Valley aiding individuals and families who experience poverty, hunger, and homelessness.
Led by Michael Fisher of Client 1st Financial and Amber Carrick and Eric Nikles of Keystone Financial Management, the group helped re-stock a food pantry with items they had collected in previous weeks, met staff members and then toured the facility.
The regional team effort led to a $2,500 grant from the Osaic Foundation to New Bethany.
Oakdale Highway Clean-up
Nine home office employees in Oakdale volunteered their time May 14 to help pick up debris along a nearby stretch of road after the winter. This has been a service project for several years at the site sponsored by its Employee Activities Committee and utilizing the Osaic Volunteer Time Off benefit available to employees.
Pictured left to right (front): Nicole Hartmann, Cristian Aguilar and Erika Fitzgerald (back): Zachary Brantner, Ashley Tyson, Jake Stodolka, Michelle McGlade, Erik Eveland, and Alisha Huebel.
Advisor Engagement team packs record 500 hygiene kits in one hour
With passion, energy and a bullhorn, 70 members of the Advisor Engagement team assembled 500 hygiene kits in one hour during a team-building event March 17 in Scottsdale.
The kits – comprised of personal care items in a sturdy drawstring bag -- were later distributed to the homeless and other clients by NourishPHX, a downtown Phoenix nonprofit that provides fresh food, clothing, training and other social services.
The AE team was also assisted in their project by several Scottsdale volunteers from other functions including Brett Baker (Supervision), Leslie Ayers (ETS), Tammy Smith (Legal) and Cassandra Sollano (HR). The large group volunteer cross-functional effort also led to a $5,000 grant from the Osaic Foundation to the charity.
Advisors and Home Office Employees help judge Financial Literacy Challenge in NYC
Osaic Advisor Shawn Wooden (left) greets high school competitors in the annual Osaic Financial Literacy Challenge, conducted at the Youth Business Summit (YBS) in New York City April 21-23.
Shawn, a former football star at Notre Dame and with the Miami Dolphins, also gave a motivational speech to students describing his career path from football to financial services. He is currently a partner and CEO with Associated Financial Consultants and Services in Miami.
Shawn was among a volunteer team of 15 judges from Osaic who assisted during the competition that included 5,000 students from 10 states.
YBS is sponsored by Virtual Enterprises International (VE), a nonprofit that designs and conducts business curriculum programs for high schools and middle schools. VE is also a major grant partner recipient from the Osaic Foundation ($70,000 annually), and they also bring students to Osaic conferences such as W-Forum and ConnectED for career roundtables with advisors and home office staff.
Osaic volunteers serving as judges for the final competition were, from left: Financial Professionals Jennifer Johnston and Laurie Martin of the National Advisory Board, AE Relationship Leader Dave Molter, and National Advisory Board Members Shawn Wooden, Chad Parmenter, and Brian Hartman.
HNW Planning Council shows support for Breast Cancer Awareness Night in Atlanta
Osaic advisors in the High Net Worth Planning Council closed out their May 17 meeting at the Atlanta office by attending the Atlanta Braves’ Breast Cancer Awareness night. To show their support, council members wore to the game the pink Osaic Foundation Volunteer shirts used for our annual “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” walks around the country each October.
Foundation sponsorship and seven Osaic cyclists ride 110 miles help benefit World T.E.A.M Sports inclusive programs
For the third year, the Osaic Foundation was the presenting sponsor of the Face of America cycling challenge May 17-18. Seven Osaic cyclists joined 350 other riders on the 110-mile route from Arlington, VA to Gettysburg, PA. The ride unites military veterans, adaptive athletes, and civilians, and is conducted by the nonprofit World T.E.A.M. (The Exceptional Athlete Matters).
Board President and Chair Stacy O’Keeffe noted, “We value both the inspiration and inclusion aspects of this annual cycling challenge. Our own team, comprised of Osaic employees, financial advisors and strategic partners, joined with others to support adaptive athletes and celebrate the service of veterans and first responders who participate.”
The Osaic riders themselves raised $10,000 in the benefit ride, and the Foundation added $50,000. The overall event raised more than $750,000 to support participation in inclusive sporting events for adaptive athletes, including veterans living with paralysis, limb loss, blindness, PTSD, and traumatic brain injuries.
Osaic Team Captain Mary Gordon, VP, Partner Relations (third from left) was joined by Ekat Sheliga, William Bowers, Phil Melanson, Sanjeev Dev, David Felpel and Jay Spies. Sanjeev’s wife Leena Dev volunteered at the stops along the route.
For Osaic financial advisors David Felpel of Strasburg, PA (pictured) and Phil Melanson of Boston, this was their third year of participation.
Blind participants join the ride with the help of sighted cyclists using tandem bikes.
Able-bodied and Adaptive Athletes ride together through the Maryland countryside near Frederick on their way to the Gettysburg battlefields.
Stopping by to assist were Kelsey Jarmus, AVP Advisor Engagement, Change Management Strategy, and Namita Patel, SVP, Advisor Experience - Center of Excellence.
Four Foundation Board members also volunteered at the event: (from left) Mary Gordon, Allison Cooper, Stacy O’Keeffe (president and chair), and at far right, Brent Pryor. Also in photo; local Osaic volunteer Michael Kohn (holding check) and Foundation Executive Director Patrick Brennan.
Ovation attendees plant seedlings to help reforestation efforts in Hawaii
Osaic attendees at the Ovation conference in Hawaii June 1-2 literally got their hands dirty volunteering with the local nonprofit, Aloha Puʻu Kukui.
By planting seedlings that will become part of a vital ecosystem, participants contributed to preserving a forest that captures rainfall, replenishes groundwater, and helps sustain Maui’s water resources for generations to come. Their efforts were recognized with a $2500 grant to the nonprofit to invest in the future of Hawaii’s natural environment.
Photo to left: Brian Ritchie carefully separates a seedling from its germination moss.
Joseph Donnellon, Bob Howerton, Brandon Dunleavy and Kyle Cagle listen as an expert from the nonprofit explains the planting procedure.
(Left to right): John Litscher, Shawn Wooden, Pam Pearson and Annette Alexander work as a team planting the seedlings into their cylinder field containers.