About Us
Katherine Lefever founded Northwest Capacity Development to help organizations grow, the healthy way.
Many organizations expand their operations by taking a leap before ensuring feasibility, or by spreading their existing staff too thin. Northwest Capacity Development can bring the strategy and implementation you need to ensure your organization’s growth is intentional and sustainable.
At Northwest Capacity, we believe that profits follow compassionate management. That effective change management is people-centered. That leaders exist at all levels of your organization and diversity counteracts group think. The next great idea might just come from the factory floor.
The four pillars that center our work are:
Communication
Compassion
Humility
Fearlessness
Katherine Lefever
With more than a decade of experience working in all aspects of fundraising and public relations, Katherine is committed to helping organizations—and the individuals that power them—to grow sustainably. She believes that mindful capacity building is the secret to long-term organizational success. She also believes that the better you articulate your vision and values, the more your cause will appeal to donors, and motivate your employees.
Katherine has a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Reed College and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington, where she did graduate work in leadership, public finance, and change management. A self-described “human-centered data wonk,” she’s a rare breed who is equally passionate about people and numbers. Katherine lives in NE Portland with two cats (Squid and Clementine), and spends her free time baking, listening to podcasts, and frequenting karaoke bars.
Photo credit: Amy Bowers Photography