Tips For Writing Your First Grant Letter Of Inquiry Loi

Here’s an example of the first line of an introduction for a letter of inquiry. Shannon McBride has been in the business of writing grants for nonprofits, schools, universities, and municipalities for over 20 years. Her company, Consulting Connections, Inc., provides training and consulting in the world of commercial proposals as well.

It should be addressed to the appropriate contact person at a foundation or to its CEO and should be sent by regular mail. Review theelements of a full proposalbefore attempting the letter of inquiry.

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We can help with framing the LOI for the particular foundation, providing content feedback and editing before it goes to the prospective funder. WeCare is a non profit making organisation registered and based in kasama northern province of Zambia. If a contact person is not listed anywhere, send the LOI to the President, Chairperson, or Trustee. Look for this information on their website, if they have one , or on the foundation’s 990. After working so hard to craft a compelling, heart-capturing, soul-stirring LOI, you don’t want to make a misstep that turns the reviewer off.

Half of that has already been committed from both the county government and other funders. We plan to provide socialization opportunities, health and wellness information, and social services when needed for women who are isolated from the community. Joanne Fritz is the expert on nonprofit organizations and philanthropy for The Balance Small Business. She has over 30 years of experience in nonprofits. If you’re reaching out cold to a foundation without an established relationship, LOIs can be a great way to introduce yourself.

What Should Be Included In A Letter Of Inquiry?

Briefly describe the history and mission of your organization (2-3 paragraphs). Dummies has always stood for taking on complex concepts and making them easy to understand. Dummies helps everyone be more knowledgeable and confident in applying what they know. The information on this site is provided as a courtesy.

Write a need statement that explains the reason your organization has requested funding by including statistics such as demographic studies. It can be helpful to include concrete examples of the problem you want to solve. For example, your organization may have identified a need in your community to offer better transportation options for children to get to and from school. You could provide evidence to show that this is a problem by listing statistics such as how many school buses are currently operating or how many buses are out of service. A letter of inquiry is a short letter you can write to a foundation to request a grant for your organization. Letters of inquiry are typically only a few pages long and discuss the main points of a full grant proposal. Though a letter of inquiry is shorter than a full proposal, it can take just as long to write because it requires you to condense important information into a few concise pages.

You can see additional samples of letters of inquiry in the Foundation Center’s excellent book, “The Foundation Center’s Guide to Winning Proposals”. A budget may or may not be required for your letter of inquiry.

Example Email Written For The Dominion Foundation:

But for many foundations, an LOI is enough to make a decision. That means a great LOI might win you funding for your project. A letter of inquiry is a bit like auditioning for a part in a play. Why spend both your time and that of the funder if it turns out you’re not a good fit? The proposal letter can be another test of whether you and the funder are a good match. Most foundations today prefer that you send a proposal letter rather than a full grant proposal, especially when your nonprofit first approaches it for funding. ‘skim and scan ’ the letters and if they feel funding your program could be a strong probability, you may be asked for additional information or invited to submit a grant proposal.

We look forward to partnering with your foundation on this exciting project. The senior population of our county is expected to increase by 30 percent over the next two decades.

Participating in a showcase is an opportunity to share your latest work available for touring/booking by presenting organizations. One of the larger, more well-known opportunities in the…

Include the name of your organization, the amount of funding you’re requesting, and the name of the program or project. Describe the qualifications of your project staff and your method for evaluating the program’s success, and provide a timetable for the project. The methodology should be appropriate to your statement of need and present a clear, logical, and achievable solution to the stated need. Describe the project briefly, including major activities, names and titles of key project staff, and your desired objectives. As with the organization description, this will be presented in far greater detail in a full proposal.

Yet, that image of a child going from home to home with their belongings in a garbage bag will be heart-shattering to the person reading your LOI. Fortunately, when it comes to the structure, you don’t have to guess at what is required. Sometimes the funder will tell you exactly how to structure the LOI. A sample letter that can be used in creating a letter of inquiry to a grantor or foundation. Your investment of $35,000 will complete the funding we need to implement the pilot project fully. Our board of directors is enthusiastic about the project, and we already have many volunteers who have expressed interest. The total cost of our pilot program for one year is $70,000.

How To Write A Letter Of Inquiry

She is the author of the book, Writing Grants for the Common Good, and teaches others how to improve their grant seeking skills through public workshops and webinars. Leah helps new, small, and growing nonprofits with their grant needs, including grant research, grant writing, grant coaching, and grant review. If you’d like to talk to Leah about maybe giving you some help with Grants, please click here fill out our short form so she can know how to best help your nonprofit. By treating the LOI as the opportunity to inspire and not just a form to fill out, you will stand out from the pack and find the funders who want to give you money. By showing them the impact they can make by investing in your nonprofit, you will motivate them to choose your organization to support.

At this time, we are only accepting LOIs as PDFs attached to an email sent to . A Foundation staff member will contact you, and if your organization appears to be a good match, we will invite you to submit a full grant application. This form allows you to submit a brief Letter of Inquiry to the Anschutz Family Foundation prior to completing a full grant application.

Give the LOI your 110% best effort every time, no matter how convinced you are that you are going to get the grant. When you meet someone for the first time, you make a special effort to put your best foot forward, especially if you want to cultivate a relationship with that person.

The Ahmanson Foundation

Two families are selected to be placed on our annual construction schedule of two houses. Family members attend a four-month homeowner training course, where they learn such skills as how to budget and perform household repairs and maintenance, and to be a good neighbor. During this period, they begin their sweat equity commitment. Adults are required to give 250 sweat equity hours toward the building of their own house as well as community service. How to write the major parts of the letter of inquiry. List other funding sources, including government agencies and private and public foundations, including those you currently are approaching for funding support. If you are planning to submit a letter of inquiry.

Describe two or three projects you have run successfully. If your organization is new, address your plans related to the targeted project. The LOI may require almost as much time to develop as a full proposal. Using fewer words to deliver your message requires more crafting of concise text. A brief introduction to the literature that you will draw on in designing your study. This should not be exhaustive but should rather demonstrate that you are sufficiently well-read in the area to identify a meaningful question or issue to address. If you are submitting a second time after being denied the first time, you are getting a second chance to make a first impression.

Include your desired objectives, major activities, and names and titles of key project staff. If you’re invited to submit a full proposal, you will present this information in more detail.

• Include a subject line so readers can immediately identify the contents of the letter—even before perusing the text.
• If a funder likes your LOI, they will invite you to submit more details about what you would like them to fund.
• Use each submission as a learning opportunity, to refine your thinking about your project, and to learn more about the funder.
• Some foundations require them, while others don’t even mention them.
• Letters of inquiry are typically only a few pages long and discuss the main points of a full grant proposal.
• Also included here are the qualifications of project staff, a brief description of evaluative methodology, and a timetable.

Please note the Anschutz Family Foundation is a separate entity from The Anschutz Foundation. Do NOT use this form if you are trying to reach The Anschutz Foundation. We have now noticed a need in our community for a recreation center. Currently, our neighborhood and surrounding communities have no recreation centers, so children often play in the street or at decaying playgrounds. For example, if you want to improve children’s school transportation options, the main outcome of your project might be to ensure that every child gets to school in a timely fashion. One of your specific objectives for the first six months could be attaining funding to buy a new school bus. This example includes reference to community supporters by name, and also repeats one of the program objectives .

The introduction of your letter of inquiry serves as an executive summary of your letter. Your introduction can include your name, position and organization, as well as a brief description of your organization’s project and the amount of funding you are requesting. Additionally, you can mention how your project is relevant to the funder’s interests, which can make them more receptive to granting your request. The introduction to the LOI is a short executive summary.

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The LOI gives the funder a thumbnail sketch of your organization, the need you are addressing, and a description of your project plan. Foundations typically designate a grants administrator to screen letters of inquiry or intent to decide if the program is worthy of their review and possible funding. The introduction serves as the executive summary. It includes the name of your organization, the amount needed or requested, and a description of the project. Also included here are the qualifications of project staff, a brief description of evaluative methodology, and a timetable. Use each submission as a learning opportunity, to refine your thinking about your project, and to learn more about the funder. Invite them to your programs, and try to cultivate a relationship with them.