Tamara L. Hogans
Neighborhood Engagement Director
Bader Philanthropies, Inc.
For nearly three decades, Tamara L. Hogans has dedicated her career to building partnerships, strengthening communities, and transforming ideas into meaningful action. Beginning her journey with Bader Philanthropies in 1997, when the organization was known as the Helen Bader Foundation, Tamara’s professional path reflects a remarkable commitment to service, innovation, and community engagement.
Tamara’s impact began behind the scenes, where she played an instrumental role in developing and implementing the Foundation’s grants processing systems. When she joined the organization in 1997, every grant application was completed on paper, every file was manually created and maintained, and every acknowledgment letter was individually typed, signed, and mailed. Through years of dedication and innovation, she helped guide the evolution of the Foundation’s grantmaking operations from a fully manual process to a modern electronic system, helping create efficiencies that continue to serve the organization today.
Throughout her career, Tamara has embraced the power of partnership. Early in her tenure, she served as Program Assistant to Dr. Jeanette Mitchell, supporting her work at the Helen Bader Foundation before Dr. Mitchell departed to establish the Leadership Institute at Cardinal Stritch University. The experience further reinforced Tamara’s belief that meaningful change is accomplished through collaboration and strong relationships.
As Grants Manager, Tamara became a trusted partner to nonprofit organizations throughout Milwaukee and beyond. She worked closely with grantees from the initial application process through contract development, legal compliance, payment administration, and final reporting requirements. Collaborating with nonprofit leaders and legal professionals, including attorneys from Foley & Lardner, she helped ensure organizations had the support and guidance needed to successfully manage their funding and achieve their missions.
Tamara also worked with Reuben Harpole during his tenure at the Foundation. Together, they helped establish the Homework First program in 32 Milwaukee Public Schools, creating opportunities for young people to succeed academically while strengthening support systems for students and families. In addition to helping develop the initiative, Tamara managed Mr. Harpole’s grant portfolio and supported many of the programs that emerged from his vision and leadership.
In 2016, Tamara’s work expanded beyond grantmaking and into direct neighborhood engagement. Through a partnership with WestCare Wisconsin, Torre Johnson, and youth leaders from WCS, she helped organize community canvassing efforts throughout Milwaukee’s Harambee neighborhood. Those conversations with residents led to the creation of neighborhood clean-up initiatives aimed at making Harambee the cleanest neighborhood in Milwaukee. During this same period, Tamara joined the Juneteenth Day Celebration Committee under the leadership of Mac Weddle, further deepening her commitment to community engagement and neighborhood pride.
When Bader Philanthropies relocated its headquarters to Milwaukee’s Harambee neighborhood in 2018, Tamara was uniquely positioned to help strengthen relationships between the Foundation and community residents. Alongside Foundation Vice President of Engagement Frank Cumberbatch and community partners, she participated in more than 200 meetings with residents, neighborhood leaders, and organizations. Recognizing that many community members shared similar questions, ideas, and concerns, she developed Chat with Bader, a community forum designed to bring people together for open dialogue, relationship-building, and collaborative problem-solving. Today, Chat with Bader remains one of the Foundation’s signature engagement initiatives and a shining example of community-centered philanthropy.
Under Tamara’s leadership, numerous neighborhood programs and partnerships have flourished. Her work helped bring the Annual Harambee Health Fair to life, establish the popular Kid Zone, expand support for Milwaukee’s historic Juneteenth Day Celebration, and launch the first Trunk-or-Treat event on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Her commitment to family-centered community experiences also led to the growth of Tis the Season, an initiative born from her vision of creating a welcoming, family-style holiday dining experience in Harambee. After years of serving more than 2,000 families annually, that vision became reality in 2025 when hundreds of residents gathered at Northcott Neighborhood House to enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas meals together around the table.
Today, Tamara’s work as Neighborhood Engagement Director continues to focus on cultivating partnerships that empower residents and strengthen neighborhoods. Through monthly community gatherings, she has created safe spaces where residents can share ideas, voice concerns, and help shape solutions. These conversations have resulted in impactful programs, including partnerships that provided air conditioning units to hundreds of seniors through collaboration with Eras Senior Network and other community organizations.
Throughout her career, Tamara has remained guided by one core belief: everything is accomplished through partnership. Whether working alongside residents, nonprofit organizations, elected officials, funders, youth, or seniors, she understands that lasting change happens when people come together around a shared vision. Her commitment to that philosophy is reflected in more than $1 million in investments and partnership support directed to Northcott Neighborhood House over the past nine years, as well as the countless relationships she has cultivated throughout Milwaukee.
A proud graduate of Marquette University with a bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Law Studies, Tamara is also a devoted mother of two children. Her life’s work stands as a testament to the power of relationships, service, and community partnership—and to the belief that when people work together, extraordinary things are possible.