Melinda has a passion for organizational development and is committed to supporting her clients as they build sustainable and successful grant programs. She has several years of experience working with nonprofits, serving both as a grant writer and as part of a development team. Most recently she was a Site Director and Grant Writer at the YMCA, where she won thousands of dollars in support of their youth programs. She also carried out program development for the YMCA’s after-school and summer camp programs, creating developmentally appropriate curriculum for school-aged children.
Melinda stays involved in the community as the president of her local chapter of the Relief Society, the world’s largest women’s service organization. She recently graduated with her Master’s in Human Development from Virginia Tech and holds a degree in Human Development from Brigham Young University, where she was Valedictorian of her class.
In her free time, Melinda can be found attempting ridiculously complicated British pastry recipes and enjoying the outdoors.
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Elevate’s Vice President of New Client Partnerships, Jessica is responsible for all marketing and new business development at Elevate. She also supports the company’s Specialized Grant Services department. 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.” Jessica works from her home in Falls Church, Virginia, where she lives with her husband, their middle schooler, and Georgie, a special needs pup that regularly features on Elevate social media.
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Alayna has been a grant writer and nonprofit consultant for her entire career. She founded Elevate in 2013 to work with a team of grant writers and to make the highest-level development expertise accessible to nonprofit organizations around the country. Since then, she has overseen Elevate’s growth to one of the country’s leading grant writing firms, serving hundreds of nonprofits since its founding, and employing over 80 staff around the country. Today, Alayna sets the organization’s vision and purpose; leads Elevate’s Executive Team; and oversees its core departments. She also works closely with her staff to develop new products and services that will improve the lives of nonprofit leaders.
Alayna graduated from Stanford University with a BA in Philosophy and Public Policy and Honors in Ethics in Society in 2006. In 2015, she became a licensed consultant by the Standards of Excellence in 2015, was named ‘40 under 40’ by Leadership Arlington, and became a member of EO (Entrepreneurs’ Organization), the global thought leader on entrepreneurship. Alayna is proud that as a women-owned business, Elevate has been named one of the country’s fastest growing businesses by Inc. 5000 every year it has applied. Alayna is also a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and American Grant Writers Association.
Alayna has two adorable dogs, both pittie rescues: Tucker Q. Buckner and Greyson Rex Buckner, who like to make a vocal appearance during Zoom calls. She is an avid baker, reader, and podcast aficionado. She can most often be found at Wydown Cafe or one of DC’s other local coffee shops.
