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Emily is a social work trained professional who is excited to help nonprofits advance their work for social justice and community enrichment with strategic grant writing. She brings a diverse set of professional experiences in the nonprofit sector to bear on this work, in both advocacy and direct service. She has facilitated conflict resolution using restorative justice practices, helped individuals experiencing homelessness receive disability benefits, and promoted strategic communications on climate change and clean energy. Emily got her start as a grassroots organizer in the youth movement for action on climate change.
Emily holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, where she specialized in Community Action & Social Policy and engaged in qualitative research on the emotions of activists for her master’s thesis. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with minors in Environmental and Religious Studies, from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
When she isn’t working, Emily enjoys spending time outdoors, going to museums, perfecting her cooking techniques, and hanging out with her little rescue mutt, Pepper.
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Sarah has been with Elevate since 2019 and is currently a Supervising Director, working with Grant Writers and Senior Grantwriters, and serving on Elevate’s Continuous Improvement team. Her passion lies in the performing arts, with a focus on theatre, puppetry, and the aerial arts. Over the past four years, Sarah has worked with many of Elevate’s arts and arts education clients, in addition to community organizing and policy advocacy nonprofits.
A founding company member of DC-based Pointless Theatre, Sarah spent the decade prior to joining Elevate creating adventurous art in the nation’s capital. She also enjoys volunteering with the Miss District of Columbia Scholarship organization, serving as Co-Producer for the annual competition and helping to prepare local titleholders for the national Miss America scholarship competition. She received a BA in Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Molly comes to Elevate from the National Council of Nonprofits, where, she worked in communications, network support, and policy research. At the Council she was immersed in work and conversations around policies affecting the sector, national and local advocacy, as well as capacity building and governance best practices. She loves that she gets to work with a broad array of nonprofits and causes at Elevate. She has a constitutive desire to write and write well, and she is deeply invested in conveying her client’s missions persuasively.
Molly holds an MA in Literature from American University in Washington, D.C., where she graduated with the Outstanding Academic Achievement award. In her graduate studies she focused on 20th and 21st century American literature, theories of social change, and cultural studies. She has a BA in Journalism, with a minor in history.
Outside of work, Molly can be found fretting over a To-Read list with a mind of its own, finding something to do outdoors, or getting offended by the “Are You Still Watching?” Netflix prompt. It is one of her lifelong goals to have a black lab named Pongo.
Tessa brings an avid and long-time interest in working with and supporting nonprofits to her role at Elevate. She is chiefly interested in the ways organizations and their funders can collaborate to most effectively achieve their goals. Over the last several years, Tessa has explored many aspects of the food world from working on a dairy farm in Australia, to running a CSA program for SNAP recipients in Boston. Prior to joining the Elevate team, Tessa worked as a Program Associate at the Center for Food Safety, a national nonprofit and environmental advocacy organization. There, she supported legal and policy work on a diverse range of environmental issues including climate change, soil health, and pollinator protection.
Tessa graduated summa cum laude from Columbia University with a BA in Sustainable Development and Sociology and is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Association of New York. While at Columbia, she tailored her studies towards sustainable food systems, spending a semester in Dublin at the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science.
As a newcomer to DC, Tessa can often be found exploring different areas of the city and trying out every dining establishment she comes across. When she isn’t sampling tacos from her favorite neighborhood spot, Tessa satisfies her love of museum wandering by taking full advantage of the Smithsonian’s free entry–the best deal in town! Now if she can only adopt a dog…
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As President & Chief Operating Officer, Katy ensures Elevate’s growth strategy, operational processes, financial planning, and personnel and performance management are highly effective, coordinated, and aligned with our broader purpose of serving the nonprofit sector. She leads our Executive Management Team, manages all day-to-day operations, and oversees The Gallery at Elevate.
Katy is committed to establishing Elevate as a hub for nonprofits. Since joining the firm in 2017, she has overseen the launch of Elevate’s twice-annual Conversation Series, invested in our training and education division, and restructured or Client Partnership team to drive continual learning and improvements in our client services and staff experience. In the process, her fiscal leadership has reinforced Elevate’s core values, prioritized equity, and promoted sustainability.
Katy came to Elevate after two decades of public service, including eight years of leadership in the Obama Administration. She served as Assistant to the President for Management and Administration, Director of White House Operations, and Chief of Staff of the US General Services Administration.
An advocate of leadership and wellness, she founded the President’s Leadership Workshop and the Executive Office of the President’s Health and Wellness Council. She was a member of the White House Council on Women and Girls, and a mentor in several Washington, DC youth programs. Prior to joining the Administration, she spent close to 10 years in the United States Senate working on operational and legislative issues.
A long time runner, Katy has completed 7 marathons, including the NYC and Marine Corps Marathons. She is a graduate of George Mason University.
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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.
Rachel has over 12 years of experience raising money, grant writing, and delivering strategic communications for major international and local nonprofits. Her goal is to serve as a thoughtful and trusted partner to nonprofit clients, guiding them toward the creation of more strategic and successful grants programs. Satisfaction is seeing clients win money that propels much-needed social and environmental change.
Prior to joining Elevate, Rachel worked as a Senior Writer at World Wildlife Fund and as the Director of Development at Minds, Inc. (Mindfulness in DC Schools), where she now serves on the Board of Directors. Previously, Rachel worked as a staff writer at CARE, helping to raise millions of dollars for CARE’s diverse poverty-fighting around the world. Rachel’s other work experience includes writing for the United Nations Population Fund, the Resource Foundation, and the Star-News Newspaper in Wilmington, NC.
Rachel was born in DC, and grew up on the coast of North Carolina. She graduated cum laude from Kenyon College and earned a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University. In addition, she is now pursuing a Master of Social Work with the ultimate goal of offering therapeutic support to individuals. Rachel is a trained yoga teacher and has taught meditation classes in DC for several years. She is happiest when out in nature, particularly mountains, and/or in the vicinity of dogs, goats, or other farm animals.
Ellen comes to Elevate with a passion for the arts and education. Before joining the Elevate Operations team, she interned and volunteered at a variety of nonprofits around the country. Her introduction to working at nonprofits began as a Development Intern at BBYO International Headquarters. Ellen later worked as a Public Affairs and Marketing Intern at the Smithsonian Institute’s Freer|Sackler Galleries. She also served as Co-President of Northwestern University’s Block Museum of Art’s Student Advisory Board.,
Ellen graduated from Northwestern University in 2016 with a BA in Psychology and Art History, and a certificate in Integrated Marketing Communications from the Medill School of Journalism. She also spent a semester studying Art History in Florence, Italy. While in Italy, Ellen worked as a Biblioteca Berenson Intern at Villa I Tatti: The Harvard Center for Italian Renaissance Studies.
When not working at Elevate, Ellen can be found exploring a new museum, attempting to finish a jigsaw puzzle, or cooking a homemade meal for friends and family.
Christina brings a diverse range of experience in international development, women’s and girl’s rights, public policy, and military affairs to Elevate. She has a research interest for international issues, particularly surrounding conflict, modern day slavery, and girls’ education. Prior to joining Elevate, Christina worked as a Grants Specialist at the USO where she developed an institutional fundraising strategy. Previously, she worked as a Development Associate at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), and as a Research Assistant at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Division of Global Health and Human Rights.
Christina holds an MS in Global Affairs from New York University and a BA in Political Science and International Affairs from Hofstra University.
Outside of her work at Elevate, Christina is an avid runner and does not shy away from spontaneous travel. Recent travels include Oahu, Lisbon, Portugal, and the United Arab Emirates. Christina is an active member of the Junior League of Washington.
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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.
