CLU Coaching & Consulting
For the people who do the
work that matters.
Crystal Ulrich works with mission-driven leaders and the organizations they serve — through one-on-one coaching for individuals and strategic consulting for nonprofits.
You've spent years pouring into something larger than yourself. CLU Coaching & Consulting exists to invest in you — and in the organizations brave enough to grow.
What CLU Coaching & Consulting offers
For individuals navigating transitions, growth, or major decisions. Using the Energy Leadership Index™ to unlock how you show up — and how you want to.
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Senior-level fundraising strategy, operations, and leadership for nonprofits — without the cost of a full-time hire.
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About Crystal
Crystal Ulrich spent nearly 20 years building some of the most effective fundraising operations in the Bay Area — growing annual fund revenue by 85%, designing a mid-level donor strategy that increased revenue by 63%, and ultimately leading an organization's first Equity & Inclusion department. In 2025, she stepped away from that work to build CLU Coaching and Consulting — bringing that expertise directly to the individuals and nonprofits that need it most.
Read Crystal's storyFrom clients
"Working with Crystal has been instrumental in successfully navigating some critical decision points. Her ability to help me draw actionable information forward and realize the threading between a number of moving parts cleared my vision and settled my mind."
— Oakland, CA
Ready to invest in yourself —
or your organization?
Let's Connect
Life & Leadership Coaching
You already have
what it takes.
Let's find it.
Coaching with Crystal is a structured, confidential partnership for mission-driven people who are ready to move — through a transition, toward a goal, or into a clearer sense of who they are.
Book Your Free Discovery SessionWho coaching is for
The ELI Assessment
Start with how you show up.
At the core of Crystal's coaching practice is the Energy Leadership Index™ — a Forbes Top 3 executive assessment that measures how you perceive and engage with the world under normal circumstances and under stress.
How it works
No commitment, no pressure. Just a real conversation about where you are, what you're navigating, and whether coaching with Crystal is the right fit.
Complete the online assessment to establish your energetic baseline. Crystal debriefs the results with you in depth — this is often the most eye-opening session.
Sessions are 50–60 minutes, virtual or in person in the Bay Area. Frequency is tailored to your goals and life. You set the agenda. Crystal holds the space.
From clients
"Crystal has the ability to hold space for me to share my thoughts, fears, and aspirations — always without judgment — and through listening and learning about me, gracefully asks questions that invite me to think towards the clarity I seek."
— Oakland, CA
"I don't easily open up to people, but found myself sharing vulnerably with Crystal early on. She holds space for you to uncover your truth and identifies your behavioral patterns with care. She helped me discover my power within."
— San Francisco, CA
Start with a conversation. It's free.
50 minutes. No commitment. No pressure.
Nonprofit Consulting
Senior-level expertise,
without the full-time hire.
Crystal brings nearly 20 years of fundraising, operations, and organizational leadership to nonprofits that need serious capacity — on a timeline and budget that works for them.
Start a ConversationThe results speak for themselves
Services
Direct mail, mid-level giving, peer-to-peer campaigns, and corporate partnerships. Built for your donor base, your team capacity, and your revenue goals.
Crystal's signature strength — the underleveraged segment between annual fund donors and major gifts. She built and led a mid-level program that grew segment revenue by 63% at a large Bay Area nonprofit.
Gift processing, acknowledgment, CRM optimization, and KPI dashboards. The infrastructure that makes a development operation run — and run well.
Led large-scale CRM transitions and built analytics divisions from scratch. She brings both technical expertise and change management skills.
Retreat design, facilitation, board presentations, and stakeholder alignment — bringing groups into shared understanding and shared direction.
Investment
Per month. Best for ongoing strategic engagements. Scope and hours defined at the start.
For defined-scope projects with clear deliverables. Includes strategy, assessment, and implementation support.
Not sure which model fits? Let's talk through it — there's no cost to the conversation.
From clients
"Crystal successfully navigated us through a complex situation, helping us find commonalities and collectively craft different plausible paths forward that we could all agree upon. She is a great coach and group facilitator."
— San Francisco, CA
Ready to talk about what
your organization needs?
About Crystal
Rooted in 25 years
of service to the community.
Crystal Ulrich is a Certified Professional Coach, Energy Leadership Index™ Master Practitioner, and nonprofit development strategist based in Oakland, CA — born and raised in the Bay Area.
Her story
Crystal spent nearly 20 years at one of the largest food banks in the country, growing from Donor Services Coordinator to Director of Equity & Belonging. She built things there. A mid-level donor program that grew segment revenue by 63%. A direct mail strategy that increased fund revenue 44% in its first year. An analytics division, stood up from scratch. And ultimately, the organization's first Equity & Inclusion department, which she launched and led for four years.
"After 20 years of serving others organizationally, I'm channeling that expertise into coaching individuals and consulting nonprofits — on my own terms, at my own pace, with full alignment to my values."
How Crystal works
Equity-centered. Human-first. Results-driven.
Crystal holds a Diversity & Inclusion Certificate from eCornell and has spent her career inside organizations where equity, belonging, and culture weren't side projects — they were the work. That lens is present in every coaching session and every consulting engagement. It shapes how she listens, how she facilitates, and how she builds. It's a credential and a way of working, not a service she sells.
Clients describe her as someone who holds space without judgment, asks questions that cut through noise, and holds people accountable with warmth. That's the work.
Credentials & training
Ready to work together?
Let's ConnectTestimonials
What clients say.
These are the words of real people — professionals, leaders, and families — who have worked with Crystal over the years.
"Crystal is an extremely insightful coach with an awesome sense of humor. We really clicked and I felt like I could tell her anything without being judged. She was great at brainstorming with me and I had some great aha moments when working with her. She was always very engaged in the conversation and really knew how to listen between the lines. I felt very understood and supported and held accountable when needed."
— Sarasota, FL
"I don't easily open up to people, but found myself sharing vulnerably with Crystal early on in our coaching sessions. She holds space for you to uncover your truth and identifies your behavioral patterns with care. She helped me discover my power within and nudges me lovingly to use it. I'm beyond grateful to have had Crystal coaching me through some of my most tumultuous years. She's a true partner in my success, both personally and professionally."
— San Francisco, CA
"Crystal is a beautiful soul and an AMAZING coach who really helped me dig deep to uncover what was limiting me in my life. Together we worked through one of the hardest things for me: forgiveness. After each session with her, not only did we reach mini goals that we set, but I felt closer and closer to my ultimate end goal — and literally during our final session together, I reached it."
— Fairfield, CA
"My extended family and I worked with Crystal to help us through a complicated financial family situation involving a number of different variables and a lot of emotions. Crystal successfully navigated us through the complex situation, helping us to both find commonalities in our different opinions and to collectively craft different plausible paths forward that we could all agree upon. She is a great coach and group facilitator and is highly recommended."
— San Francisco, CA
"Crystal has been my mentor, teacher, and coach for many years. Crystal has the ability to hold space for me to share my thoughts, fears, and aspirations — always without judgment — and through listening and learning about me, gracefully asks questions that invite me to problem solve and think towards the clarity I seek. Part of her gift is her ability to help me find my own way, on my terms, through deep inquiry and thoughtful reflection."
— Oakland, CA
"Crystal's wisdom and guidance have been game-changing for my life. She calls me out on my own BS from a place of complete love and support, creating a place of safety for me to see the truth and choose a better path. Working with Crystal is one of the best investments you can make in yourself."
— San Francisco, CA
"Working with Crystal has been instrumental in successfully navigating some critical decision points. Her ability to help me draw actionable information forward and realize the threading between a number of moving parts cleared my vision and settled my mind, allowing me to move with greater purpose both personally and professionally."
— Oakland, CA
"My sisters and I needed some help when we started realizing that our parents could no longer take care of their own finances and properties. Crystal was instrumental in getting us to a place where we could move forward in a more organized, efficient, and healthy manner. By setting up meeting agendas with clear objectives and goals, we were able to come up with a system that everyone felt good about. Crystal's calming energy, ability to anticipate needs, and goal-oriented approach were exactly what we needed."
— Oakland, CA
Ready to experience
this for yourself?
Let's Connect
Connect
Every good thing starts
with a conversation.
Whether you're exploring coaching for yourself or consulting for your organization, the first step is simply reaching out. Crystal reads every message personally and responds within 2–3 business days.
Send a message
Ready to book a coaching discovery session?
50 minutes, completely free, no obligation. A good way to experience what coaching with Crystal feels like before deciding anything.