Rooted in Love.
Rising in Excellence.
Forty years of mothers showing up for our children. Leadership, service, and lifelong friendship for families across Greater Tampa.
They are not waiting to lead.
They are leading now.
They lead meetings, serve their neighbors, explore their heritage, and grow up together. From our youngest to our oldest, our children are the reason for everything we do.
- Tiny TotsAge 2 to Kindergarten
- Buttons and BowsGrades 1 to 2
- Jet SetsGrades 3 to 5
- Talented TenthGrades 6 to 8
- TeensGrades 9 to 12
Programming that builds the whole child.
Every month, our grade groups gather around the five national program thrusts of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Together they give children a balanced year of learning, leading, and belonging.
- CulturalChildren explore their African American heritage, the arts, and the wider world.
- EducationHands-on learning that builds curiosity, confidence, and a love of discovery.
- HealthHealthy habits and wellness, from hospital career visits to staying active together.
- CivicChildren learn to use their voices through advocacy, service, and community action.
- Social and RecreationalCamps, outings, and celebrations where friendships that last a lifetime begin.
- Jack and Jill DaySeptember
- Founders' DayJanuary
- Associate Appreciation DayJanuary or February
- Fathers' Appreciation DayApril
- Black Family DayMay
Mothers who lead.
For every child.
The Greater Tampa Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. was chartered in 1986. We are mothers who build educational, cultural, civic, and social Programs for our children, and who seek for all children the same advantages we desire for our own.
Intentional Leadership
We lead with purpose, so every decision we make serves our children and our community.
Collective Responsibility
Every child in Tampa Bay is our child, and we carry that work together.
Lasting Legacy
We build on forty years of service so the next generation inherits more than we were given.
Our work is grounded in the Guiding Principles of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., created under 25th National President Joli Cooper, whose journey began in the Greater Tampa Chapter. Read the Guiding Principles
Our mothers lead, and they never lead alone. The Greater Tampa Fathers’ Auxiliary, organized in 2002, and the Greater Tampa Associates Group, formed in 2006, stand alongside the chapter in service, support, and celebration of our children.
A Message from the President
For forty years, the mothers of this chapter have done one thing with remarkable consistency. We have shown up for our children.
It is the honor of my life to serve as the 16th President of the Greater Tampa Chapter. Our theme for this term is Rooted in Love. Rising in Excellence. It is both a reminder and a promise: we are rooted in love for our children, for one another, and for the Tampa Bay community we call home, and we are rising, with intention, toward the standard our founders set.
“To seek for all children the same advantages which we desire for our own.”
Aims of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., National ConstitutionIt began with a conversation between two childhood friends in Tallahassee in 1983. Rudean Crawley came home convinced Tampa’s children deserved more, and with Margaret Spears and a circle of like-minded mothers, she formed the Tampa Bay Interest Group. The group grew to seventy-six mothers, earned provisional status in 1984, and received its charter in July 1986 in Norfolk, Virginia.
Our LegacyThe 2026–2028 Executive Board
Serving Greater Tampa, together.
This year our service centers on long-term partnerships and longitudinal service projects that meet real, ongoing needs across Tampa Bay. Our families are building beds for local children who do not have one, and we remain committed to serving wherever our community needs us.
Invest in every child’s future.
The Jack and Jill of America Foundation invests in programs that expand access to quality education, health care, and safe, supportive environments for children and families in under-resourced communities.
Give to the FoundationLet’s work together.
Partnership, sponsorship, membership, or a general question. Choose a topic and your message goes directly to the right chapter officer.