Donor Advising
I partner with donors, families, and foundations to move resources with purpose and flow — aligning values, vision, and investment with the living systems they seek to support. Drawing on what is known and emergent, I help clients clarify what truly matters, design frameworks that honor reciprocity and right relationship, and steward capital in ways that regenerate rather than extract. Whether reimagining a family foundation, crafting a grantmaking portfolio, or exploring mission-aligned investments and individual donations, my approach integrates reflection and rigor — so generosity grows joyful, strategic and alive. Every transformation begins with a shift in the tide. Let’s explore how your giving can move with greater flow, purpose, and alignment. Book a Free Consultation Email Me Donor site visit at Parque de la Papa in Peru with the Swift Foundation.
Strategy
I help clients navigate volatility with clarity and ease. How can I support your team to reset, vision beyond today’s rapidly shifting landscape and act with intention for the impact you desire ? Whether you’re urgently adapting for changing contexts now, or reimagining what’s on the horizon — I’d be honored to explore teaming up. I support clients to reflectively identify and let go of what no longer serves, emerging stronger, clearer and more agile. Through shifting culture and embedding new capacities, changemakers sustain and deepen transformation long after our work together sunsets. Let´s bridge that gap - the one between where you are now, and where you´re meant to be. Book Free Consultation Board Retreat Facilitation - Miami, Florida 2024 Client Services I support teams on big lifts including: Adaptive Strategy Creating mission driven clarity amidst complexity Transformative Governance Designing values-driven decisionmaking & compliance Partnerships for Scale Expanding alliances & leveraging collective resources Leadership Development Investing deeply in people & community Content Expertise I am always learning, growing and getting clearer on just how much we don´t know…even as I offer depth and breadth across these domains and more: Philanthropy & Social Investment Strategic design and portfolio management for foundations, donor collaboratives, and high-net-worth families Mission-aligned investing, risk/reward analysis, and philanthropic ecosystem mapping Governance, board evolution, and family foundation transitions Climate, Land & Environmental Justice Climate resilience, conservation, and community-based stewardship Equitable transitions and climate justice strategies centering frontline and Indigenous leadership Cross-border collaborations across the Caribbean, Central America, and U.S. West Economic & Community Development Inclusive growth, small-business ecosystems, and workforce innovation Housing, land use, and regional planning for equitable development Cross-sector financing and policy design for sustainability Leadership Development & Organizational Change Executive coaching and leadership pipeline design Board, commission, and grassroots civic leadership training programs Adaptive strategy, network and team alignment, and change navigation Civic Engagement & Democracy Governance reform and participatory policy processes Redistricting, representation, and community voice in decision-making Multi-racial, multi-issue coalitions for structural equity Arts, Culture & Narrative Strategy Creative sector funding, cultural organizing, and storytelling for social change Integration of arts and cultural work into place-based philanthropy Supporting artists and cultural leaders as civic innovators Residency and retreat spaces and approaches
Coaching
I create space for you to reflect, question, dream and grow. It´s confidential and… Liberatory, to create and thrive with greater freedom. Emergent, supporting exploration, growth and transformation. Mission forward, shaping lives, leadership and our world with intention. Coaching session Victoria, British Columbia, Canada The first session is free, to explore our fit. From there: We co-design a process to support your success agenda. I keep you inspired, accountable and aligned with your best self. We celebrate and align resources to sustain your transformation. Book a FREE Coaching Intro Session Sample Coaching Questions Though every journey is unique, coaching may explore questions such as: Leadership & Alignment Where are you thriving? Where are you stuck, and why? How do you want your leadership to grow and evolve? Self-Discovery & Purpose Who are you at your core, beyond roles / relationships? What would you most regret not doing in this life? Resources What supports and relationships are you drawing on? Which might you strengthen or activate? Action What steps would you take if you knew you would succeed? Connie at Machu Picchu, 2024. Coaching vs. Therapy Coaching and therapy can both be powerful supports at different points in life. Here's how they differ: Future-Oriented Coaching focuses on where you are now and the future you want to create, exploring new ways of being and moving forward. Therapy, by contrast, often helps you understand and heal from the past to better manage your present. Co-Creation vs. Diagnosis In coaching, you and your coach co-create solutions, helping you become your own change agent. Therapy typically involves a clinically defined diagnosis and trauma-based healing. Partners vs. Patients Coaching is a partnership between equals — collaborative, supportive, and growth-oriented. Therapy often follows a doctor–patient model, where the practitioner is positioned as the expert.
As a donor advisor…
I bring hands-on experience partnering with visionary donors and families around the world, to move resources with purpose and care. I believe deeply that all resources matter — money, time, creativity, and so much more. Each is a form of energy exchange, carrying the power to renew what we value most when shared with intention. My journey began in the Western Caribbean islands of San Andrés and Providencia and has since carried me across the Americas, the Caribbean, and Europe. Growing from those humble roots to live and work across cultures has taught me to bridge worlds — connecting heart, strategy, and stewardship — and to creatively mobilize resources that nurture emergent, bold, life-giving dreams.
As a strategist…
I support changemakers to refine visions, embody values, and scale impact. My formal career spans executive and governance roles across sectors — including the philanthropic Panta Rhea Foundation, James Irvine Foundation, and United Way — as well as public service on California’s inaugural Citizens Redistricting Commission and leadership with nonprofits including Urban Habitat, SoCal Grantmakers, and the Funders Committee for Civic Participation. My less formal, yet even more formative journey spans countless walks in nature and generative moments with co-conspirators…deep learning through successful and failed iterations and innovations. Public Servant Decade as commissioner and chair of California's inaugural Citizens Redistricting Commission 2010–2020; trainer & coach for commissions nationwide Trustee & Board Officer Panta Rhea Foundation, Southern California Grantmakers, Funders Committee for Civic Participation, Indigenous Raizal Diaspora Foundation, Adopted & Fostered Adults of the African Diaspora Social Entrepreneur Serial social-preneur, leading and co-founding mission-driven partnerships, organizations and businesses, domestically and globally
As a coach…
I meet you where you are to clarify your vision and help you create the future you imagine. Mentors around the world inspire my practice, which has been deepened through Coaching for Healing, Justice and Liberation. Together we move through these simple, powerful steps: Cultivate Empowering Beliefs Transform limiting thoughts into growth Clarify Core Values Identify what matters to guide decision-making Align Daily Practices Connect actions with your vision and purpose
