Five Questions about Grant Writing with Emily Luz

You’ve heard of federal grants and grants offered by foundations. However, how much do you really know about how grants work and what it takes to get one?

Emily Luz, founder of Fuel and Inspire, is an experienced grant writer with a deep knowledge of the US federal grant and foundation funding system. She’s helped organizations secure thousands of dollars in grants. She shared how she started in the field, what she’s learned along the way, elements of a successful grant application, and advice for people and organizations seeking grants.

How did you get into grant writing?

I first wrote (and was awarded) a few small grants when I was applying for college, but at the time, I never considered it a career. In college, I focused on writing scholarship applications.

Even before then, my family operated a nonprofit educational association during my high school years, so I often heard conversations about grants. Later on, I received a business grant that helped launch my first company, a graphic design business.

However, it wasn’t until my early 30s, while searching for meaningful work, that I discovered grant writing as a professional path. I stepped into a role as Outreach and Development Coordinator at a local radio reading service and remained there for six and a half years.

That experience became the foundation of my career. During that time, I not only learned grant writing but also fundraising, audio editing, and even hosted a radio show where I interviewed inspiring individuals in the blind and low-vision community. The combination of connecting with people and raising support for a mission drew me fully into the field, and I’ve been passionate about it ever since. I love helping people succeed and have found that I can unlock strategies and techniques that successfully leverage an organization’s or business’s efforts.

What have been the biggest lessons you’ve learned?

Over the years, as a grant writer, fundraiser, artist, and business owner, I’ve learned so many lessons I could probably write a book about them. If I had to narrow it down, the biggest lesson is that fundraising is rooted in personal connection and storytelling.

People don’t fund organizations. They fund the people and ideas they believe in. I’ve seen organizations struggle because they either don’t know how to ask for funding or they’re searching in the wrong places. When I step in, there can be hesitation as some think they can do it on their own, or they worry about the cost of bringing in a professional. What I remind them is that you have to invest money to make money. And if that’s not possible, then you must be willing to invest the time to learn fundraising, networking, and storytelling yourself. Either way, you can’t skip the human connection as it is the heart of every successful grant.

What do you wish people knew about the grant writing process?

I wish more people understood that grant writing is both simple and complex at the same time.

On the surface, the process is straightforward. You read the application carefully, follow the instructions, and answer the questions. However, where people get tripped up is in thinking they can just copy and paste answers from one proposal to another or squeeze a grant into a spare afternoon. That rarely works.

To write a strong grant, you need to dedicate time, focus, and attention to detail. The harder part is understanding the funder’s priorities, making sure your proposal aligns with compliance requirements, and, honestly, recognizing the politics that exist in the nonprofit and funding world. It’s a skill, but also an art, and I wish more people appreciated the time and strategy it takes to do it well.

What are the elements of a successful grant?

The cornerstone of any successful grant is a solid budget and a clear budget justification. That means being as specific as possible, understanding regional salary rates, factoring in travel costs, and, when possible, including vendor quotes to show accuracy. Funders want to know that you’ve thought carefully about where every dollar will go.

Then comes the narrative. Your story should bring your budget to life: who you serve, why your organization exists, what challenges you’re addressing, and what happens if you don’t receive support. A good grant paints a picture for someone who has never heard of your organization before and invites them into your mission as a partner.

Beyond the budget and narrative, successful proposals are also complete and compliant. Compliance goes beyond following the instructions and guidelines outlined in the funding opportunity. A truly compliant proposal also aligns with current Executive Orders, state standards, and industry requirements. Effective grant writing requires familiarity with both federal and state regulations, appropriate verbiage, and relevant policies. In today’s environment, ensuring full alignment is essential to avoid risks, including the possibility of audits.

That often means including attachments like organizational charts, job descriptions, program descriptions, logic models, or evaluation plans. Each grant is an invitation to partnership, and part of showing you’re ready for that partnership is providing all the required documentation clearly and professionally.

What advice would you give an organization or individual seeking a grant?

My best advice is that you should never feel like you have to do it alone. There are so many resources available for those who are new to grants. If you decide to take it on yourself, slow down and read everything the funder has published about the opportunity. Do your research, understand their priorities, and make sure your proposal is tailored to them. If you need guidance, there are online groups, networks, and consultants like myself who can help, whether it’s reviewing a draft, serving as an advisor, or writing alongside you.

Grants should never feel intimidating or overwhelming. At the end of the day, they are just structured opportunities to tell your story and ask for support. If you approach the process with patience, clarity, and confidence, it becomes less about paperwork and more about building the partnerships that will sustain your mission for years to come.

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