Strengthening organizations by empowering individuals.

Who is Todd Lengacher?

I grew up as an outdoor kid and an athlete. When I went to college I fell in love with mathematics, and out of graduate school I entered into the world of nonprofit independent school education During my 20 years as an educator I taught mathematics, led trips up mountains and down rivers, lived abroad, built and led programs with partner communities in 13 countries, served on accreditation teams, and helped grow and lead schools on both coasts and around the world.

Since leaving education, I have worked as a Montana nonprofit ED and served on nonprofit boards. I currently work as the director of philanthropy for a statewide nonprofit, serve as a trustee for the Whitefish School District, and consult for Flathead Valley, Montana, and international nonprofits.

Why nonprofit consulting?

I love helping nonprofits and nonprofit leaders grow, adapt, take bold leaps, plan for the future, build healthy habits, and transition from one developmental stage to the next. Humans with big hearts and big ideas launch the nonprofits that fill critical roles in our communities, and along that journey, we all need guidance, support, perspective, and to know we are not alone in the work. 

OYP works with individuals and organizations committed to making positive change through proactive efforts in their communities. Your work is important and we would be honored to join you in advancing and elevating your mission.

  • Executive Coaching

    Most ED’s don’t start as ED’s. They are often the most competent and energetic individual that everyone looks to as the organization finds itself at a y in the road. If you are wanting to build your core competencies, transition from operational manager to strategic leader, or build some strategies on overseeing programming and operations while building an engaged board, we are ready to dive in with you. .

  • Board Health & Governance

    Nonprofits are only as strong as their boards. Recruiting and stewarding an engaged, diverse, and active board is no easy task. Whether you want to transition your board from rowing to steering, create a board evaluation that advances efficacy, understand fiduciary responsibility, or create a governance calendar, we love helping boards realize their potential.

  • Strategic Planning

    Creating a meaningful strategic plan is a vital step for every organization. Done well, it is likely the unique organizational endeavor that brings everyone from the volunteers to the board to the community together around one table. This is your opportunity to deepen impact, articulate aspirations, and set goals that will guide all of your decisions going forward.

  • Impact Reports

    Impact reports share your story with the world. They are a powerful donor stewardship tool and they are often the second thing (right after the financials) people look at when trying to learn more about your organizaiton’s priorities, values and the positive impact you are having on communities.

  • Organizational Transitions

    Healthy organizations are nimble, dynamic, and innovative. As they grow and change, new structures, resource allocations (time for the ED to stop packing food boxes and start having coffee with prospective donors), policies, procedures, habits, and mind-sets are needed to support and match each developmental stage. This is an exciting time for any organization - let’s get started!

  • Capital Campaigns

    What an important moment. Whether it is a piece of equipment or you are ready to build your “forever home” this is a significant step. OYP can help you and your board assess the feasibility of a campaign and build strategy to move confidently through the process of bringing the community together in support of your mission and vision.

“Coaching nonprofit leaders is a way for me to repay all of the incredible mentoring I have received and it is an investment in my community, my neighbors, and my family. I want to help the brilliant and dedicated individuals who I see working tirelessly everyday. I want to be part of helping these difference-makers build the confidence and competence they need to influence the communities in which we live.”

Another perspective

All organizations are evolving, growing, redefining, changing, adding and subtracting. Sometimes it is hard to see clearly the culture within which you work and pour your passion, and sometimes it is just helpful to be a participant in the discussion rather than driving it. Todd is a skilled and experienced facilitator, synthesizer of information, and poser of critical questions. Let’s work together to bring forward those innovative ideas in a structured way, with the input of all constituencies, and move from good ideas to mission-connected action steps, plans, and budgets.

Drawing on experience

For the past 25 years I have steeped myself in leadership, decision making, team building, bringing forward capacities of individuals, creating equitable practices, and positively impacting communities by finding your little corner of it and digging in. I don’t have all of the answers, but I love nothing more than bringing a group of people together and figuring out what the questions are that need to be asked, and then building systems that support collaborative solutions.

What is really going on?

While some of my conversations with nonprofit leaders start with an idea about how to build on a recent success or a new program, most start with a specific question or concern. In the latter case, what I find is that across an hour (two coffees and a pastry) about 95% of the time we have distilled it all down to one of two issues: a board whose understanding of their responsibilities and roles is still emerging (and the ED is trying to figure out how to manage the people that should be managing them), and/or; the ED realizes that the organization needs them to shift from managing programs and stuffing envelopes to developing strategies for fund development (and getting out of the office and meeting with donors). Getting clarity on what is at the root of what needs to change or what needs to happen first to enable change or growth, can be really tricky. Let’s find a time to talk and see if we can unravel and untangle and then make a plan for moving forward.

“"As an ED, I was feeling the pressure of fundraising and grant writing. Todd was able to ease my worries by making me feel heard and not judged. He broke down the process in a way that helped me replace the emotional fear of failure with a clear and logical path forward!" 

– Kat Licence (ED TBTRC)

“Todd's understanding of the philanthropy landscape in Montana is unmatched. He has deep knowledge, excellent and trusted connections, and above all, is an absolute joy to work with. .”

– Dr. Cora Neumann (Chief Community Health Officer NADC)

“When I first met Todd, it became evident that he knows the ins-and-outs of the nonprofit world. From fundraising to programming, Todd can nimbly dissect issues and offer expert guidance. I deeply value his input and would recommend any nonprofit leader take the time to meet with him to discuss how to grow their impact as an organization.”

– Daniel Sidder (ED Whitefish Housing)

“What I have found in working with nonprofit individuals is that everyone wants to make a difference and to be part of something larger than themselves, but there is a lot of learning out in front of them. And there are few places to find it.”