Amanda John Kimsey

About Amanda John Kimsey

For more than 15 years, I have advanced justice-centered conservation by building coalitions, leading campaigns, and forging partnerships that protect lands, waters, and communities. Guided by a belief that long-term stewardship thrives when those most connected to place shape its future, my work centers equity, sovereignty, and collaboration at every level. As the Co-Founding Principal of The Access Granted Group, I help changemakers grow influence, strengthen their piece of movements, and build enduring power for communities and nature. The Access Granted Group is a boutique consulting firm built for complexity—restoring coherence when everything is in motion yet out of sync, aligning vision and action through strategic planning, focused policy advocacy campaigns, modern government relations, relational program evaluation, and trust-based philanthropy. We partner with nonprofits, coalitions, and foundations to turn clutter into clarity and motion into momentum. My career bridges philanthropy, national advocacy, state policy, and grassroots organizing. As a former Philanthropic Strategies Officer at the National Congress of American Indians Foundation, I designed and implemented sovereignty-first funding models that prioritize Tribal self-determination and helped remove barriers to Indigenous-led conservation. Earlier, as Co-Founding Project Manager of the America the Beautiful for All Coalition, I was an architect of one of the most diverse, community-centric alliances in U.S. conservation history to champion the 30x30 goal, centering Indigenous leadership and local voices. Throughout my work at organizations including The Wilderness Society, the National Parks Conservation Association, and Potomac Conservancy, I’ve united broad coalitions, strengthened watershed protections, and defended and advanced critical policies like the Antiquities Act, the Environmental Justice for All Act and the Great American Outdoors Act. I welcome conversations with potential partners and clients who share a commitment to justice-centered conservation, movement infrastructure, and inclusive leadership. Let’s connect to explore how we can align vision and action to defend democracy and strengthen the environmental movement.

Experience

1. Co-founding Principal

   The Access Granted Group

   Oct 2025 — Present · Las Cruces, NM, US

   We help changemakers grow influence, strengthen their piece of movements, build enduring power for communities and nature, and defend democracy. Specializing in community-centered conservation, climate change solutions, and environmental justice, we partner with nonprofits, coalitions, and philanthropic foundations to align vision and action through strategic planning, policy advocacy campaigns, government relations, program evaluation, trust-based grantmaking, and philanthropic advising.The intangible outcomes we deliver—alignment, team and network connectivity, focus, and perspective—become tangible through smarter sequencing, effective theories of change, reduced friction, valued relationships, and a higher return on effort and investment. Our principals and sub-contractors bring decades of leadership experience across 501(c)(3)s, 501(c)(4)s, congressional offices, and federal agencies, equipping progressive organizations to see the whole picture, move with purpose, and realize lasting, compounding

Education

• American University of Rome

  Study Abroad

• Dickinson College

  B.A.