The Melick Foundation was created in 1997 to honor Dick Melick, an extraordinary community leader in Needham who served as our Town Moderator for thirty-five years. In his good name we continue to recognize outstanding volunteers and to promote good citizenship.

Each May at Town Meeting, the Melick Foundation is honored to present the Melick Award. Every recipient demonstrates a generous volunteer spirit which contributes to the quality of life in our community. Additionally, the Melick Foundation promotes civic awareness and the importance of active participation in our democracy. Each spring we pay tribute to Town Meeting members who have devoted twenty-five years to town government.

In 2010, the Melick Foundation established an annual $2,500 scholarship for a Needham High School senior who is an active community volunteer and has helped further the tradition of civic and neighborly service in the town of Needham. The Foundation also supports the Needham High School Speech and Debate Club and the high school’s participation in National History Day.