Haley Porter

I founded Elevate Impact Consulting after more than a decade of working across the nonprofit, public, and mission-driven sectors and seeing firsthand how often organizations struggle, not because of lack of passion or vision, but because of limited capacity and resources. My passion for service began at a young age through volunteer work with Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse agencies and therapy dog programs, experiences that shaped my commitment to helping others and led me to focus my education and career on nonprofit work.

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I earned my Bachelor of Science in Public and Nonprofit Management in 2013, with minors in Business Administration and Hospitality and Tourism Management. While still in college, I began my nonprofit career as a Food Pantry Assistant at The Salvation Army. From there, I intentionally sought out roles that allowed me to understand nonprofits from multiple angles. My experience includes completing training to work in a youth group home, managing a local 4-H Extension nonprofit program for three years, supporting development and operations at a humane society, and later managing programs, partnerships, impact measurement, and grant writing at United Way. In 2021, I continued supporting United Way through contract work focused on federal funding requirements and impact materials, while simultaneously providing contract-type support to other organizations including a homeless shelter, a chamber of commerce, and the YMCA in membership and development. Along the way, I also completed my Masters in Public Administration with a Nonprofit Management focus. 

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Through these roles, I developed a broad and practical skill set and, more importantly, discovered how much I truly enjoy helping organizations do their work more effectively. I consistently saw how understaffing and tight budgets prevented important tasks from being completed, tasks that directly affect sustainability, funding, and impact. In 2021, I began offering contract-based services to nonprofits, which reinforced my belief that flexible support can make a meaningful difference for organizations that need expertise but cannot justify a full-time hire.

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In addition to my professional work, I researched and established a nonprofit organization that is the first of its kind in Michigan. For the past six years, I have served as its volunteer Executive Director, overseeing all aspects of the organization including grant writing, budgeting, program management, operations, and animal care. This role has given me an even deeper understanding of what it takes to lead a mission-driven organization while balancing limited resources and high community need.

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Elevate Impact Consulting represents the realization of a long-held goal. When I faced the possibility of losing my most recent role due to a federal grant coming to an end, I recognized it was time to fully pursue my second dream, having already achieved my first by founding and leading a nonprofit. Through this work, I now partner with nonprofit, private, and public organizations to provide reliable, high-quality, and timely support across data, evaluation, design, grant support, and organizational strategy. My goal is to contract with organizations to move their work forward without the added burden of hiring, training, and benefits, allowing them to focus on what matters most: creating lasting impact.