Stephanie Laporte Potts

Stephanie brings two decades of experience in nonprofit management and development to her work at Elevate. She is passionate about connecting people with their places and communities, and building a strong nonprofit sector to support progress. Stephanie recently served as the Executive Director of a local food and education nonprofit, giving her valuable experience in all aspects of organizational strategy and development, from data entry, to overseeing planning, to cultivating donors. Prior to her work as an ED, Stephanie spent time gaining experience in a variety of nonprofit roles. She has connected tens of thousands of children and adults with nature and science as an educator and program manager, helped hundreds of environmental nonprofits access funding opportunities as a grant reviewer and campaigner, and secured key support for local food as the coordinator of Montana’s statewide food policy council. In each role she has played, strategic and thoughtful grant writing was a key aspect of creating and sustaining success. She loves the craft of translating a nonprofit’s story compellingly and successfully through grant writing, and she brings this enthusiasm to her work at Elevate.

Stephanie currently serves on the Board of Directors of Farm Connect Montana, and has previously served on boards and steering committees for a wide array local and regional nonprofits, as well as the Missoula County Planning Board. She earned an MS in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana, where her research focused on how nonprofits adopted and sustained innovative program models. Before that, she earned BAs from American University in Environmental Science and International Studies.

In her free time, you can find Stephanie out exploring Montana’s wild spaces, or curled up with a good book. Stephanie is an avid (if not always successful) gardener, a curious hiker, a lover of swamps and lakes, and the mother of an amazing young person/T-Rex. She is always ready with a fun bat or other nature fact to share, and would love it if you could tell her a joke.

Katie is a grant writer and creative with a passion for youth advocacy, community development, and the arts. She comes to Elevate with five years of experience in the nonprofit industry and throughout her career, she has supported organizations with fundraising and development, community engagement, strategic planning, and, of course, grant writing.

Prior to joining the team at Elevate, Katie served as a development and grants consultant for small- to mid-sized nonprofit organizations in the Greater Philadelphia Area. She has secured vital funding for clients in a variety of spaces including youth advocacy, workforce development, arts and culture, food access, and community violence reduction.

Katie graduated from Rutgers University in 2019 with a BA in Sociology and Women’s Studies and considers herself a lifelong student. When she is not working, you can find her enjoying life in Philadelphia with her dog, Marvel, spending time at the beach, or making a dent in her ‘to be read’ list.