Our Values | ELEVATE Grant Writing Services

At Elevate, our company values show up in our work every day. We believe:

That Elevate is not just the name of our company.

To elevate is to raise, and in the most basic sense, we are fundraisers, forged in the world of development: being responsive, delivering results, and making it work. But more than just raising money, we are driven by a meaningful definition of “to elevate”—that is, to improve and lift up. We want our clients to be better because they work with us: better at raising money, better at delivering programs and achieving real impact, and better at helping their communities. And, we want our staff to be better because they work here: better nonprofit professionals, better managers, better colleagues.

In authenticity and acceptance.

We value our team’s diversity and personalities—quiet and quirky or boisterous and bold. Perfection might be easier to sell in the short term, but only real people, with real life experience, can be actual partners to our clients. We want to find exceptional people and create a place where they can be themselves. We also want our clients to be real with us about who they are, what their challenges are, and the help they need. Our goal is to meet our clients where they are now and help them succeed.

In getting better. At everything. All the time.

We are open and committed to improvement—as individuals and as a company. We are a bright and motivated staff, and we focus on the process of learning, training, and pushing ourselves to be exceptional. We also expect this from our clients.

In doing the right work, at the right time.

Grant writing involves a lot of individual work, problem solving, and coordination. We do what is necessary to achieve shared goals, even when it is hard. And we pivot if the data shows that the work we are doing together does not support those goals. We respect the time and effort of our colleagues and clients, and we celebrate when doing the right work at the right time achieves real results.

That we are in this together.

Our teams are interwoven with each other and with our clients. This makes us all better—more knowledgeable and more effective. We strive to be helpful to our teams, to our colleagues, and to our clients. We recognize that we depend on each other to do great work.

That progress is possible. And that nonprofits make the world better.

We’re part of the fight for social justice, equality, and improving the quality of life for all people in all communities. We believe that progress is possible for the world, our company, our clients, and ourselves. We focus on learning from mistakes and improving as we go. We believe that nonprofits make the world better in partnership with businesses, individuals, faith communities, philanthropy, and government. The nonprofit sector is full of smart, committed, passionate people who make real change.

That we are partners in our clients’ success.

We succeed when our clients achieve their revenue goals and have grant programs that make their organization and programs stronger and more resilient. This requires actively listening to our clients’ needs, providing clear, data-driven advice, and offering tools and services that meet organizations where they are in the development of their grant programs.