Kick your organization
into high gear.
High Gear Consulting provides interim leadership, change management, and hands-on strategic support to nonprofit leaders and boards.
How I Help
I partner with nonprofits that need interim leadership or senior-level support during times of transition or growth. Combining management and governance expertise with steady, hands-on support, I help leaders and boards turn moments of change into opportunities for stronger, more effective organizations.
When capacity is stretched or leadership gaps emerge, I step in with the support you need.
Based in Philadelphia, I partner with organizations locally and nationwide, and specialize in working with small to mid-size organizations. Each engagement is tailored with clear deliverables and measurable outcomes, lasting from a few weeks to a year.
High Gear Consulting Group is led by Jenn Richards, a nonprofit leader with more than 20 years of experience in fundraising, strategic communications, project and staff management, and program design.
I have a proven track record of securing funding from new and nontraditional sources, designing innovative programs, leading complex, multi-year efforts, and guiding teams through periods of change.
My experience includes work with organizations such as Teach For America, the Association for Public Art, and the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania. From 2021-2024, I served as faculty for the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia’s Business on Board and Designing Leadership Programs, and I am a partner consultant for the Nonprofit Center at La Salle University.
I am known for stepping into high-stakes situations and quickly bringing clarity, structure, and momentum. I take a hands-on approach, delivering practical, actionable solutions that organizations can realistically implement within their existing capacity. Rather than offering plans that sit on a shelf, I partner closely with clients to move work forward—building trust across stakeholders and giving leadership confidence that critical priorities are in capable hands.
As needed, I draw on a trusted network of nonprofit experts and contractors to provide additional capacity and specialized expertise.
About High Gear
Nonprofit Consulting Services
As a nonprofit generalist, I bring a deep understanding of how the core functions of an organization work together and take on projects across management, operations, communications, and governance. Typical engagements span 6–18 months, and I bring in trusted collaborators as needed.
Clients
Community Design Collaborative
Philadelphia, PA
Interim Executive Director
Jenn Richards served as Interim Executive Director of the Community Design Collaborative during a leadership transition, overseeing daily operations while assessing organizational priorities and processes. She partnered with staff and board to secure new funding, launched a rapid-response design initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic, and transformed a projected deficit into a budget surplus. Jenn also led the successful search, hiring, and onboarding of the organization’s new permanent executive director.
“Jenn’s natural leadership skills and ability to listen, learn, and engage quickly have been invaluable to the Collaborative through our transition period. Her keen insight has enabled us to reflect on our past programs and she has encouraged us to envision new possibilities for growth and innovation. Jenn has positioned us, financially and organizationally, for success, as we move forward with new leadership in place.”
— Heidi Segall Levy, Community Design Collaborative
Community Design Collaborative
Philadelphia, PA
Interim Executive Director
Jenn Richards served as Interim Executive Director of the Community Design Collaborative during a leadership transition, overseeing daily operations while assessing organizational priorities and processes. She partnered with staff and board to secure new funding, launched a rapid-response design initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic, and transformed a projected deficit into a budget surplus. Jenn also led the successful search, hiring, and onboarding of the organization’s new permanent executive director.
“Jenn’s natural leadership skills and ability to listen, learn, and engage quickly have been invaluable to the Collaborative through our transition period. Her keen insight has enabled us to reflect on our past programs and she has encouraged us to envision new possibilities for growth and innovation. Jenn has positioned us, financially and organizationally, for success, as we move forward with new leadership in place.”
— Heidi Segall Levy, Community Design Collaborative
Community Design Collaborative
Philadelphia, PA
Interim Executive Director
Jenn Richards served as Interim Executive Director of the Community Design Collaborative during a leadership transition, overseeing daily operations while assessing organizational priorities and processes. She partnered with staff and board to secure new funding, launched a rapid-response design initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic, and transformed a projected deficit into a budget surplus. Jenn also led the successful search, hiring, and onboarding of the organization’s new permanent executive director.
“Jenn’s natural leadership skills and ability to listen, learn, and engage quickly have been invaluable to the Collaborative through our transition period. Her keen insight has enabled us to reflect on our past programs and she has encouraged us to envision new possibilities for growth and innovation. Jenn has positioned us, financially and organizationally, for success, as we move forward with new leadership in place.”
— Heidi Segall Levy, Community Design Collaborative
Current and Previous Clients
A Book A Day - Board Development
American Council for School Social Workers – Board Development
Arts + Business Council for Greater Philadelphia – Faculty, Designing Leadership & Business on Board
BWJP – Project Management
Circular Philadelphia - Board Development
Clery Center – Strategic Marketing
Community Design Collaborative - Interim Executive Director
Cooperative Development Institute - Interim Executive Director
Esperanza United – Project Management
German Society of Pennsylvania – Strategic Planning
Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania – Interim Girl Leadership Director & Calling All Girl Bosses Project Manager
Girl Scouts of the USA – National STEM Program Consultant
Grounds for Sculpture – Board/Staff Development
The Impact Center – Program Manager for Women’s Executive Leadership Program
National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women - Interim Executive Director
¡Presente! Media – Communications and Transition Advising
South Jersey Cultural Alliance – Strategic Planning
Women’s Law Project – Board Development