Ren leads Elevate’s capacity planning and staffing function within the Client Services department to ensure each client receives high-quality services. Ren also specializes in writing grants for clients on a range of issues, primarily focusing on health services, policy and advocacy, youth development, and services for individuals experiencing homelessness. Ren’s clients report that they have a knack for learning deeply about their programs and funding landscape to develop strategic grants that are highly competitive for funding. Ren draws from their own experiences as a Grant Writer to support the career development of Elevate staff.
Ren has followed a passion for promoting access to health services in the United States and abroad throughout their career. While pursuing their Master of Social Work, Ren saw how access to high-quality physical and mental health care plays a vital role in enabling individuals to achieve their fullest potential.
Before joining Elevate, they worked as a Graduate Assistant for the Carter Center’s Mental Health Program, where Ren assisted with writing grants for their programs in Liberia and Haiti. Ren was also an intern with Georgia State Representative Shelly Hutchinson, where they conducted research and wrote policy briefs related to improving access to health services, immigrant rights, and criminal justice reform.
Ren graduated from the University of Georgia with a Master of Social Work and a certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership. They also have a BS in Human and Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University.
In their free time, Ren loves doing anything outdoors! In particular, they enjoy hiking and playing ultimate frisbee.
Elena brings to Elevate a passion for nonprofits and nonprofit leadership as a catalyst for social change. Prior to joining Elevate, Elena worked for nonprofits in Denmark and the US, in the global health, environmental, civic engagement, and democracy sectors. Her development experience includes direct marketing, building fundraising capacity, major gifts, and grants at organizations such as Indivisible, League of Conservation Voters and League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, and Greenpeace.
Elena holds an MSc in Technological and Socio-Economic Planning from Roskilde University, Denmark, and a BA in History and Russian Studies from Bucknell University. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Transformative Social Change.
When not wrapped up in the world of grants, Elena loves to read, spend time with the family dogs and cats, and stream British TV and movies while enjoying a cup of Yorkshire Gold tea. She also enjoys growing wildflowers and native plants, reformer Pilates, and interrupting her husband whenever he watches YouTube videos.
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Kate joined Elevate as a team Director and advanced to Senior Director. In both roles, she worked with client teams of all sizes and issue areas to overcome structural barriers and grow sustainable grant programs.
Currently, in her role as Supervising Director of Directors and Grant Writers, she provides training and support to staff to advance their professional skills and deliver greater value to Elevate’s nonprofit clients.
Before joining Elevate, Kate managed endowed funds at Georgetown University Law Center. She also held development roles with the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey and with other local direct service organizations across Philadelphia and its surrounding region. While her professional experiences have varied, they have one thing in common – bringing donors and nonprofits together. She has seen firsthand how connecting mission-driven organizations with like-minded partners enhances organizational capacity and benefits entire communities.
Kate holds a Master’s of Arts in Human Dimensions of Organizations from the University of Texas at Austin, where she immersed herself in the study of how human behavior shapes organizations. In particular, she focused on the role of communication, specifically informal communication. Kate explored how gossip, often seen as detrimental, can serve as a powerful tool to advance nonprofit missions and amplify community impact. Her research focused on practical strategies for leaders to leverage everyday conversations to improve communication, culture, and impact. She also holds a BS in Business Administration and a certificate in Social Responsibility from Drexel University.
In her spare time, you can find Kate spending time with friends and family – especially at the beach! She is always up for a discussion on Gilmore Girls, tea, or yoga philosophy.
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Janelle has a passion for social justice and fairness in the global community. Her commitment to this ideal manifested in her work as a paralegal in Hawaii working for fair credit reporting laws. After relocating to Fredericksburg, Virginia, Janelle joined the staff at the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center where she sought to inspire justice through her support of art and story at the Museum. While at the museum, Janelle worked as the volunteer coordinator, development assistant, and, most recently, as the education coordinator where she developed programs that used art education to confront historic and current injustices in her community. In an effort to expand the program’s reach to marginalized communities, Janelle began writing grants to fund scholarships for low income students.
In 2015, Janelle took a leap of faith at an opportunity to reduce her carbon footprint and bought a vintage sailboat to live aboard while undertaking its restoration. She apprenticed with a marine engineering company and learned the basics of sailing, marine electrical and mechanical maintenance, solar and wind power technologies, woodworking and varnishing, and crewed several coastal and offshore deliveries. In the summertime, Janelle teaches sailing in down east Maine and is working toward her Mate’s license through the US Coast Guard. Janelle also writes and edits articles for maritime publications.
Janelle holds BAs in Philosophy and American Studies from the University of Mary Washington, formerly Mary Washington College. She graduated cum laude and was the honors graduate in the American Studies department where she focused her studies on the political and cultural causes of the Civil War and the War’s lingering legacy. For her academic contributions in the civil rights field and her stated career goals, Janelle was awarded the James Farmer scholarship and was elected president of the college’s Phi Alpha Theta chapter.
When not at work, Janelle can be found at Fred’s Theatre where she acts, sells tickets, cultivates donors, cleans floors, or performs one of the other multitudes of jobs needed to ensure the show goes on! If Janelle had one piece of advice to give the world, it would be to find your creative self and nurture it.
Stacy brings to Elevate a desire to help nonprofit organizations achieve success through strong and stable funding. As a senior director at Elevate, Stacy supports a variety of nonprofit clients, including those working in early childhood education, higher education, human services, and veteran support. She has experience working with both direct service and advocacy clients to obtain national and regional/local funding. Stacy has a background in public policy and grant writing and worked for over 10 years at the U.S. Department of Education. She also worked as a grant writing consultant, helping public schools develop and write successful grant applications for government and foundation funding in order for them to fulfill their mission of providing all students with a high-quality education.
Stacy holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Maryland where she won a fellowship for her work in the School of Public Policy, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Michigan, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and other honor societies.
Outside of her role at Elevate, Stacy enjoys watching her children’s extracurricular activities, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
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Sushmita, who goes by her nickname, Nanu, joined Elevate as a Grant Writer in 2018. During her time at Elevate, she has helped her clients build sustainable grant programs through her strong project management and technical writing skills. Nanu works with a wide range of both direct service and advocacy organizations, including nonprofits that focus on health, addiction recovery, housing, youth development, and investigative journalism.
Prior to joining Elevate, Nanu spent a year teaching literature and creative writing as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Calcutta, India. She also volunteered as a content writer at Tiljala SHED, a Calcutta-based nonprofit that provides educational services and financial aid to ragpickers (waste collectors).
Nanu graduated from the University at Buffalo with a BA in English. Outside of her coursework, she enjoyed working as a writing tutor on campus and volunteering as a science tutor at a local middle school.
On the weekends, you can find her exploring the city, trying new recipes, or relaxing with a cup of tea. When she’s not writing grants, she also enjoys writing prose and poetry on her blog, Aksharbet.
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Amy has been part of the Elevate team since 2021, bringing with her a diverse background in education and the private sector. She brings a strategic approach to grant writing and fundraising, driving measurable impact for the communities and clients she serves, including rescue animals, individuals with disabilities, and those impacted by the criminal justice system. Amy is passionate about advocating for those with unheard voices and ensuring resources reach the people and causes that need them most.
Amy holds a master’s degree in Grant Writing, Management, and Evaluation from Concordia University Chicago, which she puts to work every day developing and directing funding strategies for Elevate’s clients and communities. She also holds a master’s degree in Education from the University of South Alabama and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Troy University. Amy volunteers with animal rescue shelters, applying her fundraising skills to reduce pet overpopulation and euthanasia rates.
Outside of work, Amy can be found tromping through the woods, caring for 50+ feral cats, and curling up with a good book. She has a fondness for rummage sales, where she hunts for vintage trinkets, stickers, and stationery, and she treasures any chance to make memories with her daughter.
Elizabeth has more than 15 years of development and nonprofit management experience, and she loves helping nonprofit organizations secure the resources they need to effectively pursue their missions and create positive social change.
Elizabeth joined Elevate in 2017 as a team Director and later advanced to Senior Director. During her tenure, she also spent several years as part of Elevate’s New Client Partnerships team, collaborating closely with the department’s Vice President to help sustain and grow the company’s partnerships with nonprofits across the country.
Currently, she leads client teams of all sizes, providing development strategy and institutional fundraising expertise to organizations working on a range of issues including health and human services, civic engagement and advocacy, education, legal services, and immigrant rights. Elizabeth loves forming close relationships with clients to help them build and sustain a tailored grants program that meets their organizational needs and goals, addresses their capacities, and can be adapted to meet challenges as they arise. She is especially skilled at working with organizations with multiple tax statuses, including 501c3s, 501c4s, and fiscal sponsorships. Clients that are new to grant funding benefit from Elizabeth’s expertise in setting up the internal infrastructure (budgets, program design, systems) necessary to be ready to pursue grants.
Prior to Elevate, Elizabeth was the Director of Foundation Relations at Alliance for Justice, a national advocacy organization. She was responsible for planning and implementing the organization’s $3 million foundation fundraising program. She also worked as the Assistant Director of Development for Foundation Relations at Hillel International, where she oversaw foundation relations for a $26 million international organization. She began her career in the nonprofit sector at various international organizations including the Centre for Development and Population Activities, International Planned Parenthood Federation, and Council of the Americas/Americas Society.
Elizabeth holds an MA in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated with a BA cum laude in Anthropology from New York University. She is also a certified ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) teacher and spent two years teaching English in Mexico and Europe.
Elizabeth lives in Maryland with her husband and two sons. Outside of Elevate, she enjoys hiking, biking, watching her kids play sports, reading fiction, and traveling with her family.
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Marcy comes to Elevate with a background in program management, direct service, and fundraising, and brings a passion for helping nonprofits succeed in achieving their missions. At Elevate, she has worked effectively with a range of small and mid-size organizations at both the regional and national levels. Marcy is knowledgeable in issue areas of early childhood and K-12 education, college access, workforce development, adult literacy, health, food security, and the environment.
A Rockville native, Marcy has lived in the Dominican Republic, Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Big Island of Hawaii. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies from Northwestern University.
When not writing grants, Marcy enjoys visiting farmers markets, thinking of new ways to use her cast iron pan, and spending time in nature with her daughter.
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Elevate’s Vice President of New Client Partnerships, Jessica is responsible for sales and marketing. Leaning into her own experience as a grant writer and her background in nonprofit strategy, program design, and management, Jessica brings a deep understanding of the “pain points” nonprofits face and a strategic approach to addressing these through smart grant programs.
Jessica joined Elevate in 2016 as a team Director, and held roles within Elevate’s management and business development teams before joining the executive team in 2022. She is an experienced nonprofit professional with a background in corporate and foundation fundraising, program design, strategy, and partnerships. Prior to Elevate, Jessica worked in development and program management roles at the National Recreation and Park Association and the National Environmental Education Foundation, both based in the DC region. She also spent two years in her early career teaching high school biology in Northern Virginia.
A native of Atlanta, Jessica earned an MEd in Secondary Science Education at Georgia State University and a BS in Applied Biology at Georgia Tech.
When not at work, you may find Jessica on the tennis court, in her kitchen, buried in an e-book, or traveling to Brooklyn to play “auntie” to her two nibblings. Jessica works from her home in Falls Church, Virginia, where she lives with her husband, their teen son, and Georgie the supermutt.
