Pronouns: she/her/hers
Sara is passionate about building healthy communities for people and our planet. Before joining Elevate, Sara worked on the 2020 election with Work for Progress as a Campaign Associate. She canvassed voters in Colorado and provided information about candidates for state and federal elections. She also recruited new staff to join the Work for Progress campaign. Prior to her work during the 2020 campaign cycle, Sara was an Administrative Assistant for Can-SOLVE CKD, a pan-Canadian patient-oriented kidney research network. She provided administrative support for the operations team, coordinated logistics for meetings and events, and assisted in developing an online learning module about patient-oriented research and kidney research in Canada.
Sara is a volunteer for Climate Crisis Policy, where she uses her cartography skills to map membership of the coalition. Sara earned her BA in Geography with a focus on Environment and Sustainability from the University of British Columbia.
In her free time, Sara loves to cook vegetarian meals, explore the outdoors, and read books about food and plants.
Emily came to Elevate with six years of national and international nonprofit experience in fundraising, development, and communications. Her grant writing expertise includes working with organizations with budgets over $1 million focused on Early Education, College Access, Policy, Nutrition, Voter Registration, Immigration Reform, and a host of other initiatives. Through all of her work, Emily ensures to provide technical input on grant deliverables and innovative fundraising strategies.
A native to Southeast Michigan, Emily holds a master’s degree in Public Policy from the Loyola University of Chicago and a BA from Capital University in Political Science with a minor in English Language. When not writing grant proposals, Emily can be found planning her next big trip or enjoying time with her adorable yellow Labrador Loki.
Pronouns: she/her
Angela has over a decade of nonprofit fundraising experience which includes grant writing, grant research, government/corporate relations, and major gifts donor cultivation for several national and international nonprofit organizations such as the Center for Court Innovation, Legal Aid Society, Nazareth Housing, Futures in Education, Bellevue Hospital and the Lemann Foundation of Brazil. More specifically, she specializes in assisting organizations with focus areas in legal aid, criminal justice reform, homelessness prevention, education, child welfare/human services, violence prevention and arts/culture.
In her previous roles, she managed development teams and led complex proposal and reporting development projects. She also has extensive experience supporting clients as a freelance nonprofit fundraising consultant and a Policy and Advocacy Relations consultant on behalf of multiple nonprofits at a major lobbying firm in New York City. In her role as Director at Elevate, she partners with client organizations to deliver customized, highly effective grant writing strategies designed to maximize revenue potential and help clients significantly impact the communities they serve.
Angela earned her BA in Economics and Social Sciences on a full scholarship, pursued a Masters in Government (ALM) at Harvard University and was admitted into a Juris Doctorate (JD) program at Northwestern California University School of Law.
In her free time, she enjoys discovering new recipes to cook on the weekend, watching a good movie with snacks and a cozy blanket, taking walks in the park and attempting to schedule as many spa days as humanly possible.
Caroline brings a background in project management for pharmaceutical clients and grant writing and management in the nonprofit sector. At Elevate, she manages teams of grant writers and coordinators and mentors them so their work shines, all in the effort to secure funding for worthy causes.
Caroline graduated with a BA in Communications from George Mason University and earned her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
In her free time, Caroline enjoys helping others in a variety of ways and most of all, likes spending time with her family. She can be found cooking, dancing, or walking outside most of the time.
Mariele came to Elevate with a lifelong passion for the arts and social justice. Prior to joining the Elevate team, they apprenticed at various theaters around the country to learn the craft of dramaturgy. At their most recent position as a literary fellow with the American Shakespeare Center, they honed their research and writing skills while supporting a nascent new play development program. Through dramaturgy, Mariele has sought to advocate for voices and stories that need to be heard. They are thrilled to continue advocating for those voices through the world of grant writing.
Mariele is a current member of the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas. They earned their BA in Dramatic Arts and English from Centre College, where they graduated cum laude.
A recent transplant to the DC area, Mariele enjoys finding a good cup of tea, going to the theater, and stumbling upon atmospheric places to write poetry.
Dani has a lifelong passion for serving nonprofits. Before joining the team at Elevate, she worked in public libraries and volunteered her free time serving meals to her community’s homeless population and manning a crisis line for survivors of domestic violence. She also worked with a team of interns in Kathmandu, Nepal to raise funds for primary students at risk of losing access to schooling. Prior to her internship, she independently launched a successful crowdfunding campaign to support refugees in Greece.
Dani earned her Master of Public Administration from Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, where she volunteered with the university’s Open Learning Initiative for refugees pursuing higher education. She has a Bachelor of Library and Information Science from the University of Nebraska.
When she’s not working and volunteering, Dani loves to read, crochet, and travel the world. New to the DC area, she can be found exploring the city, scoping out the best coffee shops, and sidling up to complete strangers to ask if she can please pet their dogs. Her Australian Shepherd, Bandit, is the love of her life.
Rob is passionate about helping the people who are helping the people. An experienced researcher and writer, he maintains specific interest in the areas of youth development, advocacy, and social justice. Rob entered the world of grant writing with United Way of the Greater Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region in Michigan following a rewarding career in direct service. Working with vulnerable youth populations at two well-respected nonprofit organizations helped Rob refined his personal mission to give a voice to voiceless populations.
Rob earned a Master of Public Administration degree, focusing on Nonprofit Administration, from Western Michigan University. This is coupled with an undergraduate education from Central Michigan University, where he majored in Psychology and minored in Business Administration.
As a relatively new resident to the greater DMV area, Rob is enthusiastic to explore all the natural, historic, and cultural experiences DC has to offer. When not exploring with his kids, Rob also enjoys woodworking, reading, and staying abreast of political economic thought.
Matt brings a passion for environmental sustainability, legal aid, and community growth programs to his work at Elevate. Prior to joining the Elevate team, he worked for a range of governmental affairs firms, environmental nonprofits, and state governmental bodies. He protected child victims of abuse and neglect at the Michigan Office of the Attorney General and worked with the Global Environment and Technology Foundation to help facilitate international clean water projects. He uses his legal education and policy experience to protect the underrepresented and underserved.
Matt currently volunteers at food pantries and legal aid organizations in his free time. He received a JD from Wayne State University Law School and earned a BA in Social Relations and Policy from the James Madison College at Michigan State University, with a minor in Sociology. He also studied abroad at the University of Cambridge.
When not working, Matt is likely to be experimenting in the kitchen or exploring hiking trails.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
At Elevate, Stephanie specializes in supporting clients on the frontline of social change to be the best they can be. Her expertise lies in institutional fundraising strategy and writing for policy, research, advocacy, organizing, and grassroots power building programs. Through all her work, she focuses on driving resources to organizations committed to challenging and changing systems for the better.
Stephanie has built a career helping nonprofits of all sizes achieve innovative and sustainable outcomes to complex problems. Prior to Elevate, she worked with Save the Children and Council for a Strong America to raise funding for local, state and national advocacy programs focused on early childhood education and children’s health. Previously, she worked in the progressive national security community on issue campaigns focused on the pentagon budget and nuclear weapons.
Before moving to Washington, DC, Stephanie was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine, where she spearheaded community development projects on maternal health, gender development, HIV/AIDS awareness, workforce development, leadership, and volunteerism. She continues this work raising humanitarian support for the people of Kherson, Ukraine who have been overwhelmingly impacted by Russian aggression and occupation.
Her career began in student organizing with the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network at the University of Michigan where she earned a Master of Public Policy in Nonprofit Management and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Mathematics. Stephanie is a fan of all things Michigan Wolverines, an avid risk-taker, and proud resident of Kingman Park, where she resides with her two kids, partner, and Doug the Dog.
Alex has a strong drive to serve the nonprofit community. Before joining the team at Elevate, he interned with the Environmental Voter Project, where he met with local environmentalists to increase voter turnout and to help make environmental concerns a higher priority for lawmakers. He also interned with All Heart PR, where he gained crucial skills in writing and client relations.
Alex graduated magna cum laude from Boston University with a BA in Public Relations and minor in Political Science. As a member of the UNICEF chapter at BU, Alex volunteered with local nonprofits and participated in on-campus fundraisers.
Outside of the office, he can be found exploring museums, playing video games, and reading up on international affairs.
