Letter of Inquiry Template

A complete grant letter of inquiry you can edit: funder fit, need, project, and a clear ask, all on one page.

A complete grant letter of inquiry, prefilled with a strong example you can edit

[APPLICANT ORGANIZATION LETTERHEAD]
[Street Address] | [City, State ZIP] | [Phone] | [Website]

[Month Day, Year]

[Program Officer Name]
[Title]
[Foundation Name]
[Street Address]
[City, State ZIP]

Dear [Program Officer Name],

[Applicant Organization] respectfully requests $[Amount] over [length, for example "two years"] to support [Project Title], a program that will [one sentence on what the project does and for whom]. We are approaching [Foundation Name] because your commitment to [name the foundation's stated priority] aligns closely with this work, and because [one specific reason this funder in particular is the right fit].

THE NEED
[Open with the single most compelling, locally specific fact about the problem.] According to [Source, Year], [data point that establishes scale and urgency in your service area]. For the [target population] we serve, this means [describe the human consequence in one or two sentences]. Existing services [explain the gap, for example "reach only a fraction of eligible families and end at the third grade, leaving older students without support"].

WHO WE ARE
Founded in [Year], [Applicant Organization] is a [tax status, for example 501(c)(3) nonprofit] with a mission to [mission in one clause]. We currently [describe scale and reach, for example "operate four neighborhood centers and serve 2,300 residents a year"]. Our relevant track record includes [one or two concrete, measurable results, for example "raising on-time reading proficiency by 14 percent across three partner schools in 2025"].

OUR PROPOSED PROJECT
[Project Title] will [describe the core approach in two or three sentences: what you will do, who delivers it, and the dosage or frequency]. The project's primary objective is that, by [date], [state the main measurable outcome, for example "300 students will gain at least one reading level, measured by pre and post assessment"]. We will track progress through [name the evaluation method] and report results to [Foundation Name] at the midpoint and close of the grant.

BUDGET AND OTHER SUPPORT
The total project budget is $[Total] per year. We are requesting $[Amount] from [Foundation Name] and have secured or pending $[Amount] from [other source]. Requested funds would primarily cover [top two or three cost categories, for example "two reading specialists and assessment materials"].

We would welcome the opportunity to submit a full proposal and to discuss how this work advances our shared goals. Thank you for considering this request. I can be reached directly at [phone] or [email].

Sincerely,

[Signature]

[Full Name]
[Title]
[Applicant Organization]

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HOW TO USE THIS LETTER OF INQUIRY (delete before sending)

A letter of inquiry, sometimes called a letter of intent, is a short pitch, usually one to two pages, that a foundation reads before deciding whether to invite a full proposal. Treat it as a screening conversation, not a mini-grant.

What makes a letter of inquiry advance to the next round:
1. Funder fit stated up front. Name the funder's own priority in the first paragraph and explain why you chose them. Mass-mailed letters read as mass-mailed.
2. A need that is specific and local. One sharp, sourced statistic about your community beats three national ones.
3. A clear ask. State the dollar amount and the length of the request early. Program officers need to know the size of the request to know if you are a fit.
4. Proof you can deliver. One measurable past result does more than a paragraph of mission language.
5. Brevity. If the funder specifies a length or a portal form, follow it exactly. When in doubt, keep it under two pages.

Always check the funder's guidelines first. Many foundations specify required letter sections, word limits, or an online form. Their instructions override any template, including this one.

Want a letter of inquiry written to a specific foundation's priorities, not a generic pitch? Get a flat-fee quote →

The letter of inquiry template above is a complete one to two page letter to a foundation, written for a fictional literacy program so you can see the level of detail a program officer expects. It opens with the dollar request and the reason this funder fits, then moves through four labeled sections (the need, who you are, the proposed project, and the budget with other support) before closing with an offer to submit a full proposal. Edit the letter directly in the box, then copy it or download it as a text file. The guidance block at the bottom is for you, so delete it before you send anything.

Check three things before you write

Does the foundation accept inquiries at all? Many private foundations fund only organizations they invite. Their website or their most recent Form 990-PF usually says whether they accept unsolicited requests. If they do not, a letter will not be read, however good it is.

Is there a form instead of a letter? Many foundations now collect inquiries through an online portal with a fixed set of questions and character limits. The template still helps: draft here, then paste each section into the matching field.

Template section	Typical portal field
Opening paragraph	Request summary, amount requested, grant period
The need	Statement of need or problem statement
Who we are	Organization background or mission and history
Our proposed project	Project description, goals, expected outcomes
Budget and other support	Project budget total, other funding sources

What exactly did the funder ask for? Required sections, a page or word limit, and the person to address all override this template. Name the program officer if the website lists one; avoid "To whom it may concern."

Tailoring the example to your request

The example is built around one program, so expect to change more than the bracketed names. Replace the need paragraph with a statistic about your own service area and cite where it came from. Swap the outcome ("300 students will gain at least one reading level") for the single most important measurable result of your project. If you have no other committed funding yet, say what you have applied for rather than leaving the line out, because program officers want to know who else is investing. Keep the request amount inside the range the foundation actually awards, which you can confirm from its grants list or its Form 990-PF.

A letter of inquiry is different from the letter of intent some federal agencies request before an application; that is usually a short, non-binding notice that you plan to apply. Our letter of inquiry sample explains the difference and annotates a complete letter line by line, and the letter of inquiry guide covers the method behind each paragraph.

When the funder says yes

An invitation to submit means the foundation now wants the full version of what you summarized. Move the letter's content into the grant proposal template, keep the numbers consistent with what you already told the program officer, and expand the need with our guide to writing the full needs section. If you are still building a list of foundations to approach, our foundation research service identifies funders whose priorities and award sizes match the project.

Frequently asked questions

What is the purpose of an inquiry letter?+

In grant seeking, an inquiry letter asks a foundation whether it wants to see a full proposal. It gives a program officer enough to judge fit, namely the need, the project, the amount, and your capacity, without the work of reading a complete application. For you, it saves the effort of writing a full proposal for a funder that would never fund the project.

What is the correct format for a formal letter?+

A formal letter uses block format: your letterhead or return address, the date, the recipient's name, title, organization, and address, a salutation using the person's name, the body in short paragraphs with no indentation, a closing such as Sincerely, and a signature block with your name, title, and organization. A grant letter of inquiry follows the same format and adds short labeled sections in the body so a program officer can scan it.

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