Proposal Writing
Grant Letter of Inquiry: How to Write One
Grant Writing Service Editorial Team
June 12, 2026 · 5 min read
Table of contents
Key takeaways
- A letter of inquiry is a short pitch, usually one to three pages, that asks a funder to invite a full proposal.
- Its job is to prove fit and state the request, not to make the complete case.
- Open on the funder's priority and your request, including the amount; put organizational history later and keep it brief.
- Many funders now use online inquiry forms with character limits; the same content applies, cut to fit each field.
A grant letter of inquiry is a short letter, usually one to three pages, that introduces your organization and project to a foundation or corporate funder and asks whether it would like to receive a full proposal. It states the fit with the funder's priorities, the need, the project and expected results, the amount requested, and your credibility, in that order of importance. Its only job is to earn the invitation, so it should be complete enough to judge and short enough to read in a few minutes.
This page explains how to write one. For complete letters you can model, including a full one-page example annotated paragraph by paragraph, see our letter of inquiry sample.
When funders ask for one
Many foundations use a letter of inquiry as the first step of a two-stage process: they review short letters from many applicants and invite full proposals from a few. It is cheaper for them to read and cheaper for you to write. You will usually find the requirement in the funder's guidelines under "how to apply."
Before writing, confirm three things:
- The funder accepts inquiries at all. Some foundations fund only organizations they invite. A private foundation's Form 990-PF indicates whether it makes grants only to preselected organizations, and its guidelines or website usually say so directly.
- You fit. Check geography, priorities, and the size of recent grants. Judging fit from a funder's giving history is covered in our prospect research guide.
- The format. Some funders want a mailed or emailed letter; many now use an online inquiry form with a character limit for each question. Some list required elements or a maximum length.
What each part of the letter does
| Part | What it says | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | How your project matches the funder's stated priority, and your request with the amount | Two or three sentences |
| The need | The problem and who it affects, with one or two cited statistics | One short paragraph |
| The project | What you will do and the results you expect, in numbers | One paragraph |
| Your organization | Track record, relevant results, and secured partners | A few sentences |
| Budget and sustainability | What the request covers, the total project cost if shared, and how the work continues | A few sentences |
| Close | An offer to submit a full proposal or discuss, with contact details | One or two sentences |
The opening: fit and request first
Most letters open with founding history. The program officer's first question, though, is whether this belongs in their portfolio, so answer it first. An illustrative opening:
The Foundation's Early Learning program supports efforts to bring children to grade-level reading by the end of third grade. Riverside Learning Alliance requests $55,000 to provide 30 weeks of small-group tutoring to 120 third graders at two schools where only 38 percent of students read at grade level.
In two sentences, the reader knows the fit, the project, the population, the scale, and the amount. Name the amount unless the funder tells you not to; a letter without a figure leaves the funder guessing whether you fit its range.
The need: compressed, but evidenced
Use the strongest one or two figures from your full statement of need, with sources. Compare local data with a county or state benchmark so the reader can judge severity at a glance.
The project: mechanism and numbers
Describe what happens, for whom, and how often, then the results you expect with numbers. Leave out the full work plan, evaluation design, and logic model; those belong in the proposal you are trying to be invited to write.
Your organization: why you can deliver
This is where organizational background belongs, kept to a few sentences of evidence: years of relevant work, results from similar programs, and partners who have already committed.
Budget, sustainability, and the close
Say what the request pays for in broad categories, and how the work will continue after the grant if it is not a one-time cost. Close by offering a full proposal on the funder's timeline, and include a name, email, and phone number for follow-up.
Format and length
- Length: one to two pages is typical, three at most, unless the funder sets a limit. Online forms replace page limits with character counts per field.
- Letterhead and signature: use organizational letterhead and have the executive director sign.
- Addressee: address a named program officer where the funder lists one.
- Attachments: send none unless the funder asks. Several funders explicitly instruct applicants not to include them.
For online forms, write the full letter first, then cut each part to its field's limit. Keeping the full version makes it easy to reuse for the next funder, adapted to that funder's priorities. Our letter of inquiry template gives you the structure to draft against.
Letter of inquiry, letter of intent, and concept paper
Funders use these terms inconsistently, so read each funder's own description. In general:
- A letter of inquiry is a substantive pitch that the funder uses to decide whether to invite a full proposal.
- A letter of intent is sometimes the same thing and sometimes only a brief notice that you plan to apply, used so the funder can plan its review. Some federal programs request a nonbinding letter of intent for that purpose.
- A concept paper covers similar ground in a structured format with headings, usually with more detail on the project design; see our grant concept paper guide.
A letter of inquiry is also not a full proposal. When you are invited, the full application expands every part: see how to write a grant proposal.
After you send it
Foundations often review inquiries on a schedule tied to board meetings, so a reply can take weeks or months; check the guidelines for a stated timeline. Three outcomes are common: an invitation to submit a full proposal, a decline, or a request for more information. If you have heard nothing past the stated timeline, one brief, polite follow-up is appropriate.
If invited, build the proposal directly from the letter so it reads as a continuation, and meet the new deadline early. If declined, a short thank-you keeps the relationship open for a future cycle, since priorities and budgets change.
For full example letters to model, see our annotated sample letters of inquiry. If you would rather have the inquiry written for you as part of a funder strategy, our foundation proposal writers handle it.
