Money Coaching and Advising for Movement Donors
What would it be like to have a transformed relationship to money?
I am a trauma-informed money coach and I do deeply transformative work with people who are redistributing their wealth into movements for social and economic change. Money is connected to everything and it is the portal through which we enter into deep healing, transformation, peace and connection. Our work will bring you peace with yourself and with money, more genuine, easeful relationships with others, more confidence and a sense of being grounded in your own skin. You will make progress in places you’ve been stuck for years, feel unburdened by indecision and guilt around money, see exciting options that had previously seemed impossible.
I’ve worked with hundreds of people—activists, major donors, foundation staff, and fundraisers—helping them develop more peaceful, purposeful and powerful relationships with money. I can help you too.
Rooted in my 25+ years in social movements, I offer 1:1 coaching, group training, political education and structured support around class, race, gender, and the power dynamics in philanthropy. My group training and political education is focused on building strong, satisfying relationships across differences in power, from a pro-joy/anti-guilt and shame stance.
My Approach
I think of my approach to money coaching and advising as a braid made up of four strands–my previous work as a somatically-oriented psychotherapist, a grounding in mindfulness meditation and Buddhist psychology, my activism rooted in frontline struggles, and my connections to philanthropy.
I am a former Gestalt psychotherapist and a graduate of the 4 year Psychotherapy Training Program at the Gestalt Institute of Toronto, where I was supervised by the late Joanne Greenham. My training was rigorous—it taught me how to get radically present with another, get to the heart of a problem with clarity and make real, lasting change. Gestalt work is rooted in the body and one of the key influences on modern somatics.
I also have training in mediation, nonviolent communication and conflict resolution and have trained activists in transformative justice approaches to conflict, community accountability and trauma-informed facilitation.
Money work often raises existential questions around the deep uncertainty of our times (“how much is enough?”) our inherent worth (“am I enough?”) and purpose. I have found my training in a range of meditation practices and Buddhist philosophies (from teachers in the US, Canada and Australia) helpful in facing spiritual questions with compassion and wisdom. I’m currently training in clinical Buddhist psychology with Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California.
My Journey
I came to money coaching via social movements. I grew up poor, started organizing with scrappy all-volunteer grassroots organizations in 2000 and immediately needed to fundraise for them. I hated it until I got a taste for how fundraising could create economic independence for working class leaders. This turned me into an absolute nerd about grassroots funding and I went on to train hundreds of organizers in the US, Canada and the global south, then to developing money strategies for small, frontline organizations. The process was thrilling and challenging. Most people were so scared of money and transforming that fear into courage, strategy and confidence was incredibly satisfying. I began to get asked by wealthy leftists to help them make strategic decisions around their giving. My donor advising opened up a truth—that dealing with money means facing complex issues around our history, family, purpose, identity, scarcity and security at every class level. These questions that are deeply tied to values and living an authentic, connected life. That’s right where I want to meet you in this work.
Having an easeful, peaceful, principled relationship to money is liberating and yes, it is possible. It requires competent support.
Whether stewarding generational wealth, navigating conflicts surrounding money, or designing giving strategies for family foundations committed to aligning their wealth with justice, I focus on authentic, brave and accountable ways of relating to money, self, and others.
I prefer to begin our work with an open-ended conversation to see if we’re a good fit for each other. If so, in our first session we’ll develop some clear and achievable goals within a defined time frame. I typically see people twice a month for 60-90 minute sessions, over the course of three months. After deciding on your goals together, I design a clear session arc that is focused on achieving those goals.
If you are ready to have a peaceful, purposeful relationship to your wealth, reach out.
”Chanelle brings a rare depth of presence shaped by her vast experience and nuanced understanding of money, power, and philanthropy. She shows up with remarkable capacity and range. I have rarely encountered this level of presence in a coach. Her listening is superb, but what truly sets her apart is her ability to follow the deeper threads—guiding reflection toward genuine awareness. Her inquiries pierce directly to the heart of the matter with both efficiency and care. I have never felt judged in our work together; instead, I feel deeply met. I am consistently surprised by the depth and curiosity of our sessions, paired with a practical, evidence-based approach to goal setting. Chanelle skillfully moves me away from overthinking and toward my inner knowing—my embodied wisdom. She is fearless in entering territory around power, blocks, and limits, while creating a safe, non-judgmental space for me to open to these parts of myself. There is always concrete homework, and I am an active participant in the process. Working with Chanelle has supported me in moving toward greater clarity, agency, and trust in my own relationship with money. I recommend Chanelle wholeheartedly to anyone seeking depth, integrity and real change in their relationship with money.”
—JK
“I first heard Chanelle speak at an event hosted by Resource Movement (in Canada) and I felt like she was talking directly to me. I connected with her afterwards because I thought she might the person who could help me work through the deep shame I felt with respect to my wealth, something I was not even comfortable discussing with my longtime therapist. I felt immediately seen, understood, and validated. Chanelle helped me uncover the roots of my shame and identify strategies to move from shame to empowerment, while staying firmly grounded in my values and integrity. I would highly recommend Chanelle to anyone struggling with issues related to wealth or money in general.”
-Christine A.