Hawaiian coastline near Honolulu where Aina Impact Advisory serves nonprofits

Grant services guided by the principles of Integrity, Transparency, and Professionalism

ʻĀina Impact Advisory is a Hawaiʻi-based consulting practice working with nonprofits, social enterprises, and community organizations. We specialize in grant writing and funding strategy for a variety of projects, from food systems and public health to climate and culture.

ʻĀina Impact Advisory does more than just write proposals. We help organizations:

  • Prospect for new funding streams

  • Design programs that are both fundable and implementable

  • Develop logic models, budgets, and performance metrics that hold up to audit and evaluation

  • Align fundraising strategy with long-term vision

Hawaii mountain landscape with rainbow representing community impact through grant funding

ʻĀina Impact Advisory was founded to fill a gap.

Too many organizations struggle to secure the funding they need because they lack the in-house capacity to pursue grants effectively. For most organizations, grant writing is either tacked onto an already full plate, handed off to someone without dedicated training, or deprioritized in the scramble to keep programs running.

At ʻĀina Impact Advisory, we believe that writing strong, competitive proposals requires focus, strategy, and experience, and that bringing in a trusted partner can make all the difference.

2024 Impact By The Numbers

  • Hawaii mountain landscape representing community impact through grant funding

    100% of proposals submitted on or before the deadline

  • Hawaii mountain landscape representing community impact through grant funding

    Every $1 spent on services returned $160 in funding

  • Hawaii beach sunrise symbolizing new funding opportunities for nonprofits

    Awards won from federal, state, and foundation funders

  • Hawaii beach sunrise symbolizing new funding opportunities for nonprofits

    34 individual complex proposals drafted and submitted

Zoe Lewis, grant writing consultant serving Hawaii nonprofits

Expertise that matters

ʻĀina Impact Advisory was founded by Zoë Lewis, an experienced grant writer, project manager, program evaluator, compliance nerd, and surf enthusiast.

A young and enthusiastic Zoë began her career many years ago as a street outreach worker in Honolulu providing services to Veterans experiencing homelessness. Leadership came naturally, and soon she was managing a multi-million-dollar portfolio of federal, state, and foundation-funded programs for Veterans. As a leader, Zoë has designed, managed, and evaluated programs that provide a wide variety of services, including housing, employment, mental and behavioral health, culturally-relevant interventions, food system design, recreational programs, and tourism products.

A graduate of a writing-intensive private liberal arts college, Zoë enjoys the writing process and brings a sharp editorial eye to every proposal she touches. She later earned her MBA in nonprofit management, deepening her understanding of the leadership qualities that are essential for navigating the grant landscape. Zoë understands what’s at stake behind every proposal narrative, performance measure, and budget line item.

Permanently based in Hawai‘i, Zoë helps Native Hawaiian organizations, community nonprofits, and mission-aligned coalitions in Hawai‘i and abroad secure funding with integrity, transparency, and professionalism. Zoë remains at the forefront of best practices as a member of the Grant Professionals Association, and participates in federal grant review panels as time allows.