Letter of inquiry template
A letter of inquiry, or LOI, is a short letter asking a foundation whether it would welcome a full proposal. It introduces your organization, describes the project and names the amount you plan to request. Most run one to three pages. Follow the foundation's own LOI instructions wherever it gives them.
Many private foundations use the letter of inquiry to screen applicants before they invite anyone to submit a full proposal. A clear one-page letter that matches their stated priorities is often the difference between an invitation and a polite decline.
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
Opening
Lead with the ask. Program officers often decide in the first paragraph whether a letter fits their priorities closely enough to be worth reading to the end.
Dear [name of program officer],
[Organization name] requests the opportunity to submit a proposal for $[amount] to support [project name]. The project fits the foundation's commitment to [priority quoted from their guidelines].
The need
Keep it short. One paragraph with one local figure and its source is enough to show the problem is real in the place you serve.
In [place], [the problem stated plainly]. According to [source and year], [figure]. Current services [what exists] and leave [the gap].
The project
What you will do. Stick to the essentials a program officer needs to decide whether to invite a full proposal and save the detail for that proposal.
Over [period], [project name] will [main activities] for [number and description of participants]. By [date], we expect [main measurable result].
Your organization
Two or three sentences. Pick the track record that matters most for this particular project instead of listing every program you have ever run.
Since [year], [organization] has [relevant track record with a figure]. The project will be led by [name and title], who [relevant experience].
The ask and the close
Name the number. Give the total project budget and the amount you are asking this foundation to cover. Offer a named contact for the next conversation.
The total project budget is $[amount]. We request $[amount] from the foundation, with the balance from [other sources]. Thank you for considering this inquiry. I would welcome the chance to discuss it at [phone or email].
Sincerely,
[Name, title, organization]
Skip the blank page
Quillify finds the foundations that accept applications and shows what each one has funded before. Ask it to draft the letter and it works from your own documents.
Questions people ask
How long should a letter of inquiry be?
Usually one to two pages. Keep it to three at most unless the foundation says otherwise. Many foundations now ask for the LOI through an online form with word limits.
What is the difference between an LOI and a proposal?
An LOI is a short request to apply. A proposal is the full application with its budget and attachments. Foundations that use letters of inquiry usually accept a full proposal only after they have read your letter and invited you to send one.
Should I send an LOI to a foundation that doesn't ask for one?
Check its guidelines first. Some foundations only fund organizations they choose themselves and won't read an unsolicited letter no matter how closely it matches their priorities.
Related guides: The mistakes that repeat in grant proposals. Why proposals get rejected, and what to do next. All free templates.
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