EPISODE 5

Writing grants with strategy, integrity, and impact

With Elizabeth Fritz-Cottle

Grant writer and social worker Fritz breaks down what makes grant writing effective, ethical, and accessible. From funding realities to proposal strategy, this episode offers grounded guidance for creatives and nonprofits seeking support without losing their mission.

“…with grant writing, you answer the question that you have been asked,
not the question that you wish they had asked.”
-Fritz

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Key takeaways from this episode

  • Share winning applications with peers — stop treating grants as competition.

  • Look up who’s on foundation boards before applying; trustees shape what gets funded.

  • If you can’t get a grant, become a reviewer — reading applications is one of the best ways to learn how to write them.

  • Grant writing is a craft built through repetition, rejection, and iteration.

  • Start with smaller/local grants before large federal opportunities.

  • Strong proposals balance authenticity, clarity, and rubric alignment.

  • Ethical practice includes clear compensation boundaries and impact accountability.

Show Notes & Resources

  • Alzheimer’s Association

  • sam.gov – federal registration required for federal grants; Fritz notes it takes 40–80 hours to navigate

  • Mark Twain quote – paraphrased: “It doesn’t take time to write a long letter. It takes a long time to write a short one.”

  • Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

  • Focus: HOPE

  • National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)

  • grants.gov

  • Grant Professionals Association

  • Kresge Fellowship

  • Song Foundation