Osaic Foundation
Newsletter
Financial literacy education
VE sponsors our annual Osaic Financial Literacy Challenge, an interactive case study exercise for which students prepare during the school year and then compete on an international level at a Youth Business Summit held each Spring in NYC. VE also brings local students to Osaic conferences such as ConnectED and W Forum to hear career stories direct from our advisors and executives. Similar regional opportunities also exist.
Photo: Jillian Berg of VE (far right) meets with Foundation Chair Stacy O’Keeffe (far left) and Claire Besant of Business Development, co-lead for the Foundation program committee for VE
VE partners with hundreds of middle and high schools across the country, serving more than 40,000 students annually across 23 states. Through an immersive, school-based experience, students create and operate student-run companies, developing products and services, managing operations and finances, marketing, selling and working together as a business team.
VE’s mission is to close the gap between the classroom and the real-world, so students graduate with durable business, career, and workplace skills, and entrepreneurial mindsets. Volunteers and corporate partners like the Osaic Foundation are core to that mission, bringing the outside business perspective that makes the simulation come to life.
We want students to leave the program with the practical skills, business acumen, financial literacy and the professional confidence they need to succeed in college, careers, and entrepreneurial endeavors. Students “learn by doing” -- pitching ideas, managing budgets and financial statements, collaborating on teams, and making data-based business decisions.
Our annual Youth Business Summit at the Javits Center in NYC is the culminating experience for VE students, as thousands showcase their virtual companies, conduct business with peers, and present their work to industry professionals through competitions and other real-world experiences. Impact shows up in the numbers, too: schools track engagement and outcomes through structured reporting, and many alumni point to VE and VE-JV as the moment they decided to pursue business, finance, or entrepreneurial endeavors.
Osaic volunteers can engage at a level that works for them, from a single afternoon judging a regional competition, to ongoing mentorship with a classroom team throughout the school year. Many partners join through our regional councils or by volunteering at flagship events like the Youth Business Summit in New York City. Osaic members can also get involved throughout the year by judging or mentoring students at various Osaic-sponsored conference events, including the one-day Osaic Financial Literacy Challenge at the Youth Business Summit. These experiences give volunteers a meaningful way to share their professional expertise while directly supporting students as they develop financial, business, and career-readiness skills.
Interested in volunteering? Visit VE Volunteer Opportunities and fill out the form to get started volunteering with VE. You can also contact one of our Foundation program leads for VE, Stacy O’Keeffe, John DiMonda, Claire Besant, Debbie DeLuca or Brent Pryor.
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.
Making Strides
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.
Game Day for Veterans
As a local lead-in activity for ConnectED 2026, our metro Atlanta advisors/staff and employees are inviting you to join them at a veteran-themed volunteer event for clients of a Cobb County Georgia VA Clinic. During a three-hour shift, 10 am to 1 p.m., you will serve coffee/breakfast treats and play board games with the veterans, including checkers, chess, dominoes, bingo and Scrabble.
Send us an email to let us know you're interested.
Honor Flights
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.
Red Cross volunteer certification
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.
Winning Futures Leadership Conference
Join our Team Osaic volunteers at this annual December 10 event for young women in high school, sponsored by Virtual Enterprises (VE), a major grant recipient of the Foundation. The event is held at 30 Rock in NYC. In career panels, Q&As and breakouts, Team Osaic members will share their wisdom on personal branding, professional presence, communication, and financial empowerment.
SIFMA Foundation
As students head back to school, it's the perfect time to make a meaningful impact in the classroom. Through Invest It Forward (classroom speakers) and InvestWrite (remote essay judging), both sponsored by the SIFMA Foundation, financial professionals can share real-world experiences, introduce key personal finance concepts, and help students build confidence as they begin thinking about their futures and gain critical thinking and communication skills.
Faces of America Cycling Challenges
Join our Face of America Regional Cycling Challenges, riding alongside veterans and adaptive athletes, in what are called “America’s Most Inspiring Cycling Events.” The rides unite military veterans, adaptive athletes, and civilians, and are conducted by the nonprofit, World T.E.A.M. (The Exceptional Athlete Matters).
Participate in our half-day Scottsdale, AZ ride February 5-7, 2026, or our two-day ride from Arlington, VA, to the battlefields of Gettysburg May 21-23, 2027.
760 boxes of nutritious meals packed for Milwaukee seniors by volunteers from two firms
A team of 44 advisors and staff from two firms volunteered three hours June 18 at Hunger Task Force in Milwaukee, packing nutritious meal boxes for local senior citizens. The effort was led by High Point Capital Group with others joining from Strategic Wealth & Legacy Advisors, a part of Acorn Financial Services, and also an Osaic portfolio manager.Their effort was matched by a $2,000 grant from the Osaic Foundation.
Osaic volunteers in Georgia assemble 1,070 summer lunch kits for children in metro Atlanta
Osaic volunteers gathered July 9 to pack summer lunch kits for two hours at an outreach program of MUST Ministries, a major regional social services nonprofit. The 20 volunteers included 17 local home office employees and three advisors from Waterstone Wealth Strategies. Their effort was matched by a $5,000 grant from the Osaic Foundation.
Osaic leaders pack 609 hygiene kits in just 23 minutes for Phoenix nonprofit
The morning before a July 28 leadership conference in Scottsdale, 58 participants volunteered for a fast-paced hygiene kit assembly activity benefiting NourishPHX, one of Phoenix’s largest human services nonprofits. Employees from multiple functions and business units, along with a local advisor staff member, strengthened relationships and camaraderie as they served a shared purpose. A $2,500 grant from the Osaic Foundation funded the event.
A NourishPHX representative described the immediate impact after the event: “What a gift it was to be able to give every family a hygiene bag on Friday! Seeing the look on people’s faces when we handed them one—without them even having to ask—was truly one of the best parts of the front desk experience. That little bag of hygiene items makes such a big difference. It helps our clients feel seen, cared for and supported during what can be a difficult time.”
The representative added: “The best part is that, thanks to your generosity, we have enough hygiene bags to continue handing them out for a few days next week as well! Thank you for being such an incredible supporter of NourishPHX. Your generosity has a direct impact on the families we serve, and we’re so grateful for your partnership.”
Rainbow Village in Duluth, Georgia
Five Osaic employee volunteers from Georgia packed 300 afterschool snack bags and then cooked and served a hot pasta bar lunch to 40 children of Rainbow Village residents July 28 during its summer program. The group devoted nearly five hours to the project. Rainbow Village provides safe, stable housing, and programming for families experiencing homelessness. The volunteer effort was matched by a $1,000 grant from the Osaic Foundation.
Home Office Employees assembling snack kits included (left to right): James Wade, Marlon Lee, Leslie Cuccia, David Kass, and Jessica Winfield.
All Play Miracle Baseball League
Two Osaic employees at the La Vista office, Mark Hosek and Michelle Blazaukas, both volunteer with the local chapter of the All Play Miracle Baseball League, which includes 500 players on 32 teams. Their volunteer time earned the nonprofit a $4,000 Local Community Grant this year.
The league gives children and adults with special needs an ideal baseball experience; every player bats every inning, all base runners are safe and every batter scores. The baseball field has a rubber-covered surface to soften falls and prevent injuries.
USNA Middle Tennessee Parents Club
August Perazzini, CFP, with Wealthpoint Financial Group LLC in Brentwood, Tennessee, has volunteered with the club for three years, earning it a $500 Local Community Grant from the Osaic Foundation in 2026. The group supports U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen and their families through sponsorship of events, resources, and community engagement.
This year’s grant was used to assemble Care Packages that provide essential supplies and encouragement to help students in the most difficult part of their journey, navigating the demands of their plebe summer at the Naval Academy.
Osaic Foundation Benefit Softball Game at Battery Park Field in NYC
Two 9/11 charities benefit from largest volunteer turnout so far this year for an Osaic Foundation event
Threatening and stormy weather held off long enough Aug. 20 for all seven innings of the annual Osaic Foundation benefit softball game at Battery Park Field in NYC.
Osaic volunteers, comprised of more than 100 advisors, staff, strategic partners and home office employees, gathered in sight of the Freedom Tower to play a competitive softball game, cheered on by their colleagues, including CEO Jamie Price who threw out a ceremonial first pitch to Osaic Foundation Chair Stacy O’Keeffe.
On this 25th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy, the effort raised funds via Osaic Foundation grants for two charities that aid first responders, Tunnels to Towers Foundation ($5,500) and Homes for Heroes ($6,500).
Jamie is pictured at right with Sales Enablement Manager Debbie DeLuca (left) who organized the event, and Erinn Ford, EVP, Advisor Engagement and Co-Head of the Osaic Independent Channel.
Minutes after the game ended and participants were under shelter nearby for post-game refreshments, wind-driven rain swept the metropolitan area with flash flood alerts.
Bikes assembled for 2nd graders
Led by Osaic Financial Advisor Shawn Morrow, Osaic volunteers from IronBridge Wealth Counsel and the home office joined with others from more than a dozen financial firms to assemble bicycles at an elementary school in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The 78 volunteers included Michelle Page and Stephen Kallus of Advisor Engagement, and Dru Ashcraft of Investment Advisory. The group partnered with the national nonprofit Wish for Wheels, which sponsors "build and give" events specifically at elementary schools. More than $12,000 was donated for the event along with 156 total hours of volunteer time.
Volunteers pack nearly 3 tons of food
A cross-functional group of 11 Osaic volunteers from six home office functions devoted an afternoon to packing food at Food Bank for the Heartland, an Omaha-based regional pantry serving families in need. The nonprofit earned a grant of $1,000 from the Osaic Foundation in recognition of this La Vista Site Employee Activities Committee sponsored outreach.
The group packed an impressive 5,976 pounds of food, just 24 pounds shy of 3 tons! Volunteers participated from Ops Processing, Advisor Support, Sales Supervision, Internal Audit, Technology and BD Core Compliance.
Disaster grants issued in 6 states for fire, floods, wind damage relief
So far this year the Osaic Foundation has issued grants to assist communities in six states respond to local disaster situations. The Foundation considers grants where needed upon the recommendation of its Disaster Response Sub-committee, comprised of 15 advisors/staff and home office employees from different regions. New members are welcome and can join by sending an email to osaicfoundation@osaic.com.
The committee is co-led by Board Member Carolyn McKinley of Osaic HR and Omaha-area Financial Professional David Peterson, who also volunteers on the board of the local American Red Cross chapter.