Pronouns : she / her / hers
Rebecca joins the Elevate team with over a decade of nonprofit experience including event coordination, grant-writing, and donor relationship management along with program development, education, and outreach. Her previous work spans a wide variety of issue areas including environmental education, outdoor recreation, medical transportation, STEM education, and breast cancer awareness and services. She loves having the opportunity at Elevate to work with clients all over the country who serve the fields of advocacy, education, mental health, environmental issues and more. Her favorite part of the job is when she gets deep into conversation with her clients about the work they do, sharing success stories and meaningful moments. She will also take any opportunity to make a spreadsheet!
Rebecca is passionate about advocating for mental health and LGBTQ+ rights, and volunteers for nearby organizations including GLSEN Kansas, ICT Food Rescue, and the local chapter of Free Mom Hugs. She earned a Master of Education in Educational Psychology from Wichita State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Conservation Biology from Kansas State University.
Exploring new hobbies is Rebecca’s biggest pastime as she is constantly learning and trying new things. She is the mom of a teenager, a toddler, two dogs, and an accidental cat. She loves crochet, knitting, being outdoors, spending time in the kitchen with her husband and kids, gardening, and traveling.
Pronouns: they/them
Mel believes in facing the multi-faceted challenges of our time by connecting resources with the people who need them. They previously interned at two policy think tanks in DC and learned a lot from fast-paced, hard-working Development Directors. At the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, they helped write resources for partner fundraising staff and make donor reports easily understood.
Mel earned their BA in Psychology at George Mason University with a minor in Philosophy and Law. At university, where they presented an undergraduate thesis to a committee of experts as part of an Honors Psychology program and were awarded as an Outstanding Senior. They previously volunteered writing newsletters for EcoRing, a green travel nonprofit based in California. At Elevate, they have worked with a number of clients across the nonprofit sector, from homelessness to refugee services to education.
Outside of work, Mel enjoys playing board games (anything besides Monopoly) with their partner, and cuddling with their two cats, Raini and Zuzu. They also spend time making lots of art!
Pronouns: she/her
Since joining Elevate in 2017, Caroline has used her experience in nonprofit management and fundraising and her skills in grant writing, prospect research, and project management to support clients with various grant program needs and challenges. She specializes in advocacy and civic engagement organizations and has also worked with clients in the education, housing, and human services sectors.
Caroline enjoys working with clients to strengthen their proposal and report language to better articulate their mission and impact and build a grant fundraising program that aligns with their organizational needs and capacities. She aims to help clients focus their prospect research and qualification strategy and presented at the Grants Professionals Association annual conference.
In her prior position as deputy director at NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, Caroline oversaw development efforts and strategic plan management during a period of significant growth for the organization. Previously, Caroline worked as an account executive at a consulting firm supporting major donor and grants fundraising for national progressive organizations.
Caroline earned her BA in Government with a minor in Sociology from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. She was a student leader in political and social justice activism and worked as a writer in the college’s Office of Communications and Development. A long-time Washington, DC resident, she is active in local politics and activism.
Pronouns: he/him/hers
Eric is Elevate’s Associate Vice President of Specialized Grant Services. In this role, he leads project-based services that leverage Elevate’s expertise to meet a wide array of institutional fundraising needs like prospect research, executive coaching, or complex proposal submissions. He also oversees Elevate’s external learning products, which provide a rotating calendar of informational and interactive webinars, as well as custom workshops or webinars for nonprofit organizations. Through these projects, Eric pursues a goal of supporting organizations in overcoming gaps in knowledge, capacity, or time to advance their institutional development program.
Eric joined Elevate in 2015 and in his roles as Grant Writer and Director supported more than 25 organizations in raising 20+ million dollars, with a focus on organizations working on systems change work through policy and advocacy. He especially enjoys helping nonprofits define a clear and concise theory of change that communicates their work and its impact. He has developed and facilitated a variety of workshops and webinars on fundraising for systems change, communicating impact, and preparing for federal grant applications, and has presented at the UL Innovative Education Award, Grant Professionals Association, and Providers’ Council annual conferences.
Eric is an avid plant dad and enjoys filling his home with as much greenery as it can fit (or as much as his cat and partner will tolerate). He is always down to trade cuttings or visit a plant shop.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
As Elevate’s President & Managing Director, Kelsey works closely with Elevate’s Founder and CEO to align business operations to the company’s short- and long-term strategy. She oversees Elevate’s Executive Team and Client Services Leadership Team. Together, these teams collaborate to ensure Elevate consistently provides high-quality services that meet the nonprofit sector’s needs for effective grant research, writing, strategy, and data analysis. Her favorite Elevate values are “We’re all in this Together” and “Getting Better at Everything, All the Time.”
Previously Elevate’s Vice President of Client Services, Kelsey brings an in-depth understanding of Elevate’s team model and our nonprofit clients’ needs. Under her leadership, Elevate’s team model has evolved to include an industry-leading approach to developing and assessing nonprofit grant strategy. She has led or contributed to robust improvements in client-facing deliverables as well as internal improvements around staff recruitment, onboarding, feedback, and career development to ensure Elevate attracts and retains exceptional grant and data professionals. She has also played a key role in identifying, developing, testing, and refining new services to better serve the nonprofit sector.
Kelsey first joined Elevate as a Grant Writer in August 2014. From that position, she grew along with Elevate, taking leadership roles on client teams and ultimately a member of Elevate’s Executive Team. Kelsey continues to leverage her experience fundraising in the arts, education, and social services fields to support clients and Elevate teams.
In 2025, Kelsey concluded six years of board service, including two years as board chair, at Jubilee JumpStart, an award-winning early childhood education center in Washington, DC.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Mary brings a lifelong passion for service and youth development to Elevate. In her role, she is committed to making DC nonprofits better by leveraging the unique vantage points and perspectives that local nonprofits bring. Before joining Elevate in 2014, she spent seven years working with Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma. While working for the Girl Scouts, she facilitated programs for youth and volunteers, including mentoring for children and their incarcerated mothers, bully prevention, financial literacy, outdoor recreation skills, and youth leadership development.
Mary graduated from the University of Tulsa, earning her BA in Women’s and Gender Studies with a minor in English Literature. While at the University of Tulsa, her studies focused on the intersections of history, film, literature, and feminist theory, and enabled her to critically review power structures around gender, race, sexuality, and class throughout American history.
Outside of Elevate, Mary is a self-declared history nerd and enjoys watching her dog play at the dog park and reading fantasy/sci-fi novels.
