Meet Tami Boaz

Tami Boaz

Tami Boaz is an accomplished fundraising and nonprofit executive with extensive experience building philanthropic partnerships, leading high-performing teams, and advancing missions that strengthen communities. She is passionate about connecting people with opportunities to make a meaningful difference and creating sustainable philanthropic support that expands possibilities for young people.

Tami holds a Master of Science in Organization Leadership from Arizona State University and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) as well as a certified professional coach.

Throughout her career, Tami has helped organizations grow revenue, strengthen donor engagement, and build cultures centered on relationships, excellence, and measurable impact.

Tell us a little about yourself and what brought you to BGCSM.  

I grew up in a small farm town in Illinois and lived there until about eight years ago, when my son started his first year of college. I moved out of Illinois for the first time in 2019, when I was recruited to be the Executive Director of Development for the WP Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. 

I was recruited to work here in April of this year. I was enjoying being the Director of Advancement for a youth development program in Santa Fe, New Mexico, building a major gifts program, but I’ve wanted to live in California and have been trying to get here pretty much my whole adult life. This was an opportunity with a mission and people In a location I couldn’t pass up!  I love everything about Sonoma County and am so grateful to be here.

What excites you most about your new role?  

It’s hard to narrow my excitement down to one aspect because there are so many exciting things about this role! I love helping create opportunities for children they wouldn’t have otherwise had. I get to do that with amazing colleagues for a strong organization like Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma-Marin.

What experiences or strengths do you hope to bring to the organization?

At the last youth development program I worked for, I led the team to build a major gifts program and together, we significantly increase charitable income before the end of year two of my tenure. We also completely revamped the marketing program to increase program awareness and fundraising results.  Here, I am working with Jennifer, Michelle, Evan, senior leaders, my team and all of you to grow the brand and charitable fundraising.  This is something I love to do.

What would you like team members to know about how you work and lead?

I have been in leadership roles my entire career—33 years now.  In 2024, I completed a Master’s program in organizational leadership at ASU and have been a certified executive coach for 22 years. I believe in hiring the right people for a good fit and allowing for an inclusive process of innovation. I believe the best results are achieved together and I’ve had the fortune of leading several incredible winning teams. I think there’s not much more satisfying than blowing the revenue goals out of the water! I like to lead people based on their strengths and I love to watch people be more successful when they are believed in. I like to give timely corrective feedback in a way that sets people up for success versus self-doubt. I am a team player and also know when to bring innovative ideas that the team hasn’t considered.

What previous roles or experiences have prepared you for this important position? 

I’ve led teams in revenue development my entire career, so I can say that every role I’ve had in my long career has played a part in leading me to this incredible place. In particular, the recent experience successfully leading the advancement team of 11 for the youth development program in New Mexico, best prepared me for this role. 

What is your personal “why” for doing this work?

I grew up in a rough neighborhood and for some reason, always wanted more for myself—I have always had a dream for a better life. If you knew my background and how I grew up, you would be astonished by what I’ve accomplished in life. Having been an underprivileged kid myself, I know the power of influence and I believe with the best influence and guidance, children can have a different future than what their home environment might lend itself to. It’s incredibly difficult to get out of tough circumstances without support, so what the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma-Marin does to help children realize their potential is a very compelling “why” for me!

Just for fun: What is something about you that might surprise people?

I think there are a lot of things about me that might surprise people, like that I come from humble beginnings, but often people are very surprised when I tell them I was the lead singer of a band back in Illinois for over 10 years and I play 3 instruments in addition to being a vocalist.