Professional Bio for Executive Director:

Jill Sturm is Executive Director of Tax-Aid, where she leads the work of improving and expanding the services Tax-Aid offers. Under her leadership, Tax-Aid has seen steady annual growth in the volume of clients it serves and the amount of refunds it unlocks for clients. 

In 2020, Tax-Aid received the first annual Tax Time Allies ACE Award from Intuit Financial Freedom Foundation (IFFF), which recognized Tax-Aid’s perseverance and the innovative ways it served the community throughout the extraordinarily challenging circumstances of Covid-19.  During a time when much of the world shut down, Tax-Aid quickly refocused. It found safe and effective ways to carry on its work, including curbside drop-off events, virtual services, and TurboTax coaching. 

Jill’s leadership is motivated by her understanding that tax-related matters can be intimidating, especially for those with low income. Her team of expert volunteers not only simplifies the tax preparation process at no cost, they also access financial assistance and keep clients informed of valuable information. In 2021 alone, Tax-Aid helped thousands of people receive millions of dollars in tax refunds. 

Serving others has been an overarching focus throughout Jill’s career and can be traced back to her early life. Having been raised by a single mom who struggled financially, Jill faced scarcity firsthand. Then, when she was old enough to work part time and afford things for herself, she discovered a sense of empowerment. Today, she is committed to helping others achieve that sense of financial relief and freedom of mind to dream and fulfill those dreams.

Jill has extensive professional experience building and leading teams in small to mid-size companies and non-profit organizations that help families with low income achieve life-changing goals. Prior to joining Tax-Aid in 2013, she served as Financial Services Director for EARN, Director of Family and Volunteer Services for Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco, and Community Building Coordinator for Peninsula Habitat for Humanity. She holds a degree in economics from UCLA. 

Jill maintains a healthy work-life balance by practicing yoga and hiking. She also gardens and raises backyard chickens. Her newest positive outlet is Pickleball, and she continues a longtime pursuit of developing her Spanish-speaking skills. 

About Jill

Jill Sturm builds and leads teams within the non-profit tax sector in ways that give clients with low income the best chance of receiving financial assistance. She is committed to empowering others to take control of their finances, and she has a proven record of launching, managing, and scaling programs that help families achieve life-changing goals. Under her leadership, teams consistently take new approaches to meet the wide-ranging needs of the community they serve.