Grant cover letter template
A grant cover letter sits on top of a full proposal. It introduces your organization and states the amount requested and the project it pays for. Your executive director or board chair usually signs it. Keep it to one page. Some funders, including most federal agencies, don't want a cover letter at all. Check before you write one.
Foundations that accept mailed or emailed proposals often expect a cover letter on top of the application packet. Online portals and federal systems usually replace it with a form field or leave it out of the required documents entirely.
Free to copy and adapt. Square brackets mark what you replace. Nothing here is tied to a particular funder. Read each funder's guidelines for required headings, page limits and attachments before you paste a finished draft into their application form.
The template
Heading and greeting
Address a person. Use the program officer's name and title whenever the funder publishes one instead of a generic greeting to the foundation.
[Date]
[Contact name and title]
[Foundation name and address]
Dear [contact name],
The request
Get to the point. The amount, the project and the grant period should all appear in the first two sentences of the letter.
On behalf of [organization name], I am pleased to submit the enclosed proposal requesting $[amount] over [period] for [project name]. The project will [one-line description of what it does and for whom].
Why it matters
Use their words. Connect the project to the priorities the funder states in its own guidelines, quoting a phrase where it fits naturally.
This work advances the foundation's commitment to [priority quoted from their guidelines]. [One sentence on the need and one on the expected result.]
Close and signature
Sign as a leader. A named contact for questions and the signature of your executive director or board chair show that the whole organization stands behind the request.
Our [title of contact], [name], is available at [phone or email] to answer any questions. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Executive director or board chair], [organization name]
Skip the blank page
Quillify drafts the full proposal from your documents. A compliance checklist shows where the draft addresses each requirement in the announcement.
Questions people ask
Who should sign a grant cover letter?
Your executive director or board chair. Signed by a leader, it shows the organization stands behind the request.
Is a cover letter the same as a letter of inquiry?
No. A letter of inquiry asks whether you may apply. A cover letter goes with a full proposal you are already submitting.
Do federal grants need a cover letter?
Usually not. Federal applications go through forms such as the SF-424. The announcement lists every document it wants. Add a cover letter only if the announcement asks for one.
Related guides: The mistakes that repeat in grant proposals. Reusing a proposal, properly. All free templates.
Let Quillify write the first draft.
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