About Melissa

Melissa partners with clients on development strategy, campaign and board management, principal gifts, grant-writing, and institutional partnerships. As an experienced frontline fundraiser, she advises on designing corporate partnerships that align with social justice missions and cultivating diverse donor communities.

Prior to joining Orr Group, Melissa served as the Corporate & Foundation Partnerships Manager at AFS Intercultural Programs, supporting the launch of programs in Greece and the expansion of the STEM Summer Academies in Brazil, Egypt, India, and the United States. She also served as Individual Giving Manager at City Year in New York, where she managed multiple boards, supported MLK Day of Service, an annual auction at the students of Saturday Night Live! and established the organization’s first team for the TCS New York City Marathon. Melissa also spent three years abroad, teaching English in Tokyo on the Japan Exchange & Teaching Program (JET). She began her career supporting social justice advocate and best-selling author Wes Moore throughout his book tour of The Other Wes Moore.

Selected Recent Partners:
  • BAYADA Home Health Care
  • Echoing Green
  • Ms. Foundation for Women
  • National Fair Housing Alliance
  • Obama Foundation
  • Prospect Park Alliance
  • World Resources Institute
What makes me happy...

My weekly visit to the farmers market and a good boxing class.

Favorite Book Genre

Literary Fiction

Recent Publications