Sarah comes to Elevate with a passion for social justice issues. She is a current senior studying Law, Economics, and Public Policy at the University of Washington in Seattle. Previously, Sarah has worked as a congressional intern for Representative Suzan DelBene (D-WA) in her Washington State and DC offices where she gained a broad understanding of policy and legislation. Most recently, she worked as an assistant paralegal for the City of Seattle Prosecuting Attorney’s Office – Criminal Division, where she developed a passion for criminal justice reform policy. Sarah has also worked in her local community as an affiliate leader for Girls Learn International, a charter club program of the Feminist Majority Foundation tackling global women’s issues with an emphasis on girls’ education.
Outside of school and work, her favorite things to do include anything outdoors. She especially enjoys hiking summits in Washington’s multiple National Parks or heading north for kayaking in the San Juan Islands. On more relaxed days, Sarah enjoys lounging on patios with friends, music, and plenty of snacks.
Pronouns: she / her/ hers
Hallie is Elevate’s Supervising Director of Finance and Operations, leading our finance, data, and technology teams. She brings several years of experience in building out Elevate’s internal infrastructure to this leadership role, as she has held several positions in the department since first joining the company in 2018. Hallie was introduced to Elevate during her time as a fund development intern at the TGR Foundation – a previous client. She also brings experience as the Operations Manager at the American Immigration Council, supporting their Immigration Justice Campaign that works to provide legal representation to immigrants and end immigration detention. She has also worked with Olympic athletes as a Communications Intern at USA Water Polo and as a Corporate Partnerships intern with the Los Angeles Football Club.
Hallie earned her BS in Business Administration from Chapman University in Southern California with a minor in Philosophy, and has a financial leadership certification from Harvard Online Business School. In college, Hallie played NCAA softball for one year, and has a long history of volunteering with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Epilepsy Foundation, two causes near and dear to her. While she enjoys walking around DC with a coffee in hand, her heart is on the West Coast as she hails from the Pacific Northwest. In her free time, Hallie is enjoying live music and taking care of her many plants.
Pronouns: she/they
Alison Hight is a Director at Elevate, a leading grant writing firm that provides top-level development expertise to nonprofits nationwide. Her certification as a Fundraising Executive (CFRE) is a testament to her commitment to excellence. Alison has supported organizations focused on democracy, equity and social justice in the arts, youth and adult education, workforce development, healthcare, and international development. She brings deep issue knowledge in the arts, media, civic engagement, advocacy, and human rights, and is deeply engaged in women’s and gender issues.
Alison is a relationship developer and partnership identifier who excels at connecting people based on what excites them and the type of impact they want to have. She creates relationships where everyone can deepen their impact while sparking new ideas that can further their mutual visions. Alison is also an accomplished trainer and presenter who has developed internal and external training materials on essential fundraising topics and development activities. Her background in Visual Communications and Economics, as well as training in video and audio production, has allowed her to explore creative solutions to complex problems.
Alison is deeply committed to creating a more equitable and just philanthropic sector. She believes that fundraising is a critical tool for social change, and that it should be approached in a way that centers the values of equity, justice, and community power. Alison works to dismantle systemic barriers that have historically excluded marginalized communities from philanthropy, and advocates for funding models that prioritize community-driven solutions. Alison has developed and leads trainings on the power of language and how fundraisers can use it as active participants in creating more equitable philanthropy, the first of which she presented at the Grant Professional Association’s national conference in 2019.
Outside of work, Alison explores the human experience through experimental multi-disciplinary art and creative coding. She is also a transformational coach, avid reader, traveler, and coffee drinker. Alison’s favorite aspects of working at Elevate are the variety of clients she works with, the ongoing opportunities to learn, and feeling like she gets to be part of deepening the positive impact of people on the world.
Becca has a passion for social justice and over four years of nonprofit experience. Prior to joining the Elevate team, she worked at Horton’s Kids, a community-based organization focused on empowering DC children to graduate from high school ready for post-secondary success. In her role as Senior Development Associate, Becca raised half of the organization’s budget through government and foundation grants and helped out with programs as a tutor.
Becca graduated magna cum laude from Willamette University with a BA in English and Spanish. She was the recipient of the Mollie Mack Prize for most outstanding graduating woman student in English and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Originally from Oregon, Becca moved to DC for a year-long volunteer program, where she worked as a counselor on a hotline for military personnel. When not writing grants, she can be found reading mystery novels, going on leisurely bike rides, and hiking in the Shenandoah.
Pronouns: she/her
Ava has a passion for the arts and a background in nonprofit development. She worked for eight years as a performer, teaching artist, and fundraiser with nonprofit organizations in both California and the DC area, including: California Shakespeare Theater, Round House Theatre, and Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts. Most recently, Ava served as the Development Manager for Blue Star Families, a nonprofit organization that provides free resources to more than 1.5 million military family members. In this role she was the project manager and principal writer for a variety of print and electronic fundraising materials.
Ava is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and Emerging Arts Leaders DC. She earned a Master of Arts in Arts Administration from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and graduated cum laude with a BFA in Acting from Brooklyn College.
Ava is a native Californian, who has happily adjusted to the DC arts scene. She can often be found going to plays, concerts, and museums, or dancing at 18th Street Lounge.
Michelle comes to Elevate with a passion for education, youth development, and the performing arts. Most recently, she served as the Manager of Digital Communications at the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, where she helped the Individual and Institutional Fundraising teams raise millions of dollars annually to support the Foundation’s arts and education programs. Michelle also brings experience in grant writing, web development and design, and content marketing from her years in the nonprofit sector prior to joining the Elevate team.
Michelle holds a BA in Linguistics with a concentration in Language and Society and a minor in Dance from the University of California, San Diego.
When she’s not sitting at her laptop, she can be found re-watching her favorite episodes of 30 Rock, pirouetting in her kitchen when she thinks no one’s looking, or indulging her inner Californian by exploring Northern Virginia’s wineries.
