Giving back at Wipfli: How associates turn generosity into community impact
Generosity rarely starts as a grand gesture. More often, it begins with a moment — a lesson modeled by a parent, guidance offered by a mentor or a realization that success carries responsibility alongside opportunity. Over time, those moments shape habits. And habits can help shape lives and communities.
Groundswell personal giving accounts, launched by the firm and the Wipfli Foundation in 2023, help turn personal generosity into collective impact. The tech-forward platform makes it easy for associates to support the non-profit organizations and causes they care about with annual matching funds provided as an extra incentive.
Meanwhile, the Wipfli Foundation, with a growing focus on grant-making, provides structure for associates to nominate specific charitable organizations as grantees. The following stories are only a snapshot of the generosity happening across Wipfli. From board service and long‑term commitments to quieter acts of support shaped by personal experiences, associates across the firm are finding meaningful ways to give back.
Margaret Amsden: Learning the value of giving
At the start of her career, Margaret Amsden received advice from her aunt, a successful businesswoman, on the importance of charitable giving as a way to give back to the community and build her professional reputation. She admits she didn’t take it seriously. A few years later, a leader at her prior firm offered a similar suggestion.
This time, she took it to heart. That guidance led to long-term, hands-on involvement — most notably through board service with Metro Detroit Youth Clubs — where she gained firsthand insight into how strong leadership and sustained support can strengthen programs and expand impact.
“I’ve met a lot of people, and we’ve changed some kids’ lives, and I’ve seen them go from angry and non-connected to functioning members of society that went on to college and are doing amazing things today,” Margaret, a partner specializing in tax and private client services
Through her time, leadership and financial contributions, Margaret helps organizations focus on long-term stability and meaningful outcomes. Her support of Metro Detroit Youth Clubs for nearly 20 years contributes to mentoring, academic support and safe spaces for youth, while her giving — often amplified through matching programs like Groundswell — also extends to animal welfare organizations and select national charities.
By combining engagement with generosity, Margaret’s philanthropy creates lasting value for the organizations she supports and the communities they serve. Margaret’s giving creates ripple effects that extend across families, organizations and communities, turning early advice into meaningful, measurable change.
Jeff Olejnik: Ready when the need arises
Jeff Olejnik’s charitable giving is a natural extension of his values, faith and commitment to the Wipfli Way. The partner, who specializes in cybersecurity and business continuity planning, plots his giving intentionally — setting aside funds throughout the year, much like a 401(k), so he’s ready to help when needs arise. Jeff supports a mix of local and national causes, including United Way, Cornerstone Foundation, Tunnel to Towers, Feed My Starving Children and cancer research organizations, believing it’s just as important to give back close to his Minneapolis home as it is to respond to broader crises like Texas flooding or the wildfires in California and Hawaii.
Groundswell has made that approach simple and impactful by allowing Jeff to give consistently through payroll deductions, track his contributions and respond quickly to urgent needs — while benefiting from Wipfli’s matching support. He also values the Wipfli Foundation for its growing focus on community impact through grants and future service opportunities, aligning with his belief that giving comes in many forms: time, talent and treasure.
“I always like to have a set‑aside on a recurring basis what my charitable giving budget is for the year so that I can make a contribution when it’s needed,” he said. “I’ve already reserved the money to give, so it’s not a painful process.”
For Jeff, Wipfli doesn’t just encourage generosity — it makes it part of everyday life, and a legacy worth passing on to the next generation.
Rob McKay: Making an investment for life
Rob McKay’s commitment to philanthropic giving is deeply personal and grounded in seeing the real-world impact of generosity. Through his giving, Rob supports local causes such as the Children’s Cancer Research Fund, which advances critical work to improve outcomes for children and families, and Union Gospel Mission, a Twin Cities organization that provides meals and essential support to individuals and families experiencing homelessness and food insecurity.
Rob finds particular meaning in understanding how each contribution translates into tangible help — whether that’s funding research or helping ensure people have a warm meal during holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. These moments of impact reinforce his financial commitment.
“I’ve been very lucky in a lot of ways, and not everybody is that lucky,” said Rob,,a partner who provides tax planning and compliance support to closely held businesses. “I just feel compelled to give back.”
Rob also values consistency and intentionality in his approach to giving. Through Wipfli’s partnership with Groundswell and the Wipfli Foundation, he contributes regularly — much like a long-term investment — making charitable giving a natural and sustainable part of his life. He donates to the Wipfli Foundation because he trusts the firm’s leadership to steward the funds responsibly and direct them to meaningful causes.
Rob appreciates how these programs simplify the process and create opportunities to amplify impact, especially during times when donations are matched or multiplied. His yearly giving has increased since the firm started the Groundswell program three years ago.
Philanthropy is not just about financial support, for Rob, but about modeling generosity for his family and reinforcing the importance of caring for others.
Tammy Jelinek: Living her dream through giving
For Tammy Jelinek, charitable giving was instilled early on. One of her clearest childhood memories comes from a Christmas when she was just 11 or 12, watching her mother quietly assemble a box of warmth and dignity for a neighbor in their trailer park who had very little. A coat that had never been worn, a small Charlie Brown tree, food and ornaments were left anonymously on the woman’s doorstep. Hiding nearby to make sure the gift was received, Tammy remembers how powerful that moment felt — and how deeply it stuck.
“That was one of my very first memories of how cool it really feels to be able to give to people,” said Tammy, a partner and nationally recognized trainer specializing in federally funded nonprofit organizations. Growing up with limited means herself taught her an enduring lesson: giving isn’t about how much you have, but about doing what you can, when you can.
Over the years, Tammy’s giving has grown alongside her career, evolving into a thoughtful range of financial support focused largely on local communities in Wisconsin.
Through the Groundswell platform, she’s found a simple, accessible way to give more consistently —and more joyfully. Automatic contributions make generosity feel natural and sustainable, while the flexibility of a donor-advised fund allows her and her husband to support a wide range of causes. She also supports the Wipfli Foundation and is excited about its growing focus on grants and collective impact.
“For somebody who didn’t come from money, the idea that I could ever have a true foundation (through Groundswell) — that was a big dream,” Tammy says. She values how matching funds help her support organizations that may be especially meaningful to others. From United Way and early childhood education to food pantries, veterans’ organizations and the USO, her approach reflects a simple philosophy: add to what you can, year after year, and give with gratitude for the ability to do so.
Find more stories from Wipfli associates committed to giving in Part 2.
