“Inspirational leadership means helping people find their ‘why,’ then giving them the safety and support to boldly build their brightest future.” —Torrie A. Taj, CFRE
Why is honoring achievement important? How does it impact our business community?
Honoring achievement matters because recognition sets the standard for what our community believes is possible. When we celebrate leaders who’ve built something lasting, it reminds everyone watching, especially the next generation, that vision paired with persistence can genuinely transform a community.
For Arizona’s business community specifically, honoring achievement in the nonprofit sector sends an important signal: This work is not separate from our economy, it’s foundational to it. At Child Crisis Arizona, we proved that with an abundance mindset, even bold ideas like building Arizona’s first Net Zero nonprofit facility, recognized with both a NAIOP and a RED award, are achievable. Strong nonprofits build a healthier, more resilient workforce and stronger families, which everyone benefits from. Honoring that work publicly invites more collaboration between sectors and inspires future leaders to see purpose-driven work as both viable and worth celebrating.
What is the single most important thing you have learned throughout your career that would inspire others/other women?
The most important thing I’ve learned is that leading with an abundance mindset changes everything. Early in my career, I believed scarcity was simply the reality of nonprofit work — limited budgets, limited resources, limited opportunity. Over time, I learned that mindset was the actual limitation, not the resources themselves.
When I shifted toward abundance — thinking bigger, trusting partnership over competition, believing there was enough opportunity to go around — everything changed. We diversified funding, tripled our budget and built partnerships once thought impossible. My work has always been driven by a deeper belief: helping people find their “why,” then boldly envisioning their brightest possible future.
To other women building their careers, I’d say this: Don’t shrink your vision to match your current resources. Lead with abundance, and the resources have a way of following the vision.
What do you think we can do – now – to make a difference for young people/women in Arizona?
We need to help young people and women find their place — the environment where they feel safe, supported and able to flourish — and that starts with mentorship and coaching, not just funding. Throughout my career, whether teaching at ASU’s Lodestar Center and the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy, guiding professionals toward CFRE certification, or now through my own executive coaching practice, I’ve seen firsthand how transformative it is when someone simply helps another person discover their “why.”
We also need to keep building spaces designed around people rather than systems. Our Center for Child & Family Wellness exists because families shouldn’t have to navigate a maze of separate providers to get support. If we want real impact for Arizona’s next generation, we need more mentorship, more accessible support systems and more leaders willing to hand others the tools to envision their own brightest future.
In Few Words
- What was the last course, certification or training you took to improve yourself professionally? Master Gardener Certification, University of Arizona
- What would you say is a single characteristic OTHERS might attribute to you that defines your success? Abundance-minded
- What is the one thing you feel you could work on professionally to be a greater success? Patience
- What is the one professional skill you have that has gotten you where you are today? Mentorship
- What is the single greatest issue facing Arizona today? Too many children and families still lack access to affordable, integrated support before a crisis forces them to seek it.
About Me
Torrie Taj is CEO of Child Crisis Arizona, where, over the past decade, she has diversified fundraising to more than triple funds raised while doubling the number of programs and services offered, and led construction of Arizona’s first Net Zero nonprofit facility. A 2025 Titan 100 Hall of Fame inductee, Taj was also named AFP Global’s 2026 Outstanding Fundraising Professional. Previously Deputy CEO at A New Leaf for 24 years, and faculty at ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy, she currently mentors executive leaders through Torrie Taj Executive Coaching & Consulting.
