For this edition of 7 Questions for a Changemaker, Phil Gerard sat down with Chantelle Ohrling, CFRE, a self-proclaimed planned giving nerd with a community-focused twist. Chantelle chairs Communications and Equity & Right Relations for the Canadian Association of Gift Planners Greater Vancouver Chapter, contributes to the Black Canadian Fundraisers Collective, and volunteers for Hogan’s Alley Society. And that's not all! Chantelle is a regular lecturer at UBC and a speaker for AFP and CAGP.
Who are you, and what do you actually do?
My name is Chantelle, I use she/her pronouns, and I am a very grateful and passionately curious planned giving nerd. That means I love having remarkable and touching conversations with people making such a gift. I love poring over spreadsheets, picking apart data, and thinking about how to pair community-centric fundraising with the neuro and behavioural psychology of giving. I also do a lot of volunteering, writing, and reading on how we can do good while doing good and bring more inclusive and just practices into the way we raise funds for important causes.
What pulled you into the nonprofit world?
I didn’t fall into this work, which is usually what happens, right? I went to school with the goal of a career in fundraising. When I was young, I was a victim of domestic violence and one of the responding officers said something that stuck with me. After a healing period, I threw a third-party fundraising event, which I loved. It was at the University of Winnipeg where I started grassroots fundraising for a coalition of nonprofits in South Africa called the Rural Women’s Movement. That was over a decade ago, and here we are. It is not something I talk about often, but I do not shy away from discussing it when directly asked.
Tell me about a moment that made you think, “Yes. This is why I do this.”
I have had a few meetings where a supporter confirms their gift and, with tears in their eyes, affirms how meaningful it is for them to make this contribution. Those teary-eyed conversations with people determined to bring hope and care into the future are incredibly affirming.
What is something about working in nonprofits most people do not understand?
I probably read too many comment sections on social media, but I think most people do not realize how regulated and transparent charities are. Nor do they understand how important budget lines for infrastructure and salaries are. That remains an ongoing defining issue for our sector.
What is one thing you wish more fundraisers or hiring managers knew?
Ethical clarity and radical transparency will help achieve those diversifying donor base goals. Ethical clarity matters because people can feel when something is off. If we talk about justice but our investments contradict it, or if we praise community while hiding how decisions are made, donors notice. Are we disclosing AI use? Are we trusting our donors to have these complicated conversations? There are many examples.
What is a small, underrated habit that has helped your career?
Going to networking and professional development opportunities. It is very scary, to me at least, to walk into a room full of people you do not know. In our industry, they quickly become friends because everyone is so welcoming and kind. Those career friends have made all the difference.
Finish this sentence: “The future of fundraising is…”
Diverse :-)