Letter of Support Template

A complete grant letter of support you can edit, with concrete partner commitments reviewers actually score.

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

[PARTNER ORGANIZATION LETTERHEAD]
[Street Address] | [City, State ZIP] | [Phone] | [Email]

[Month Day, Year]

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

RE: Letter of Support for [Applicant Organization]'s [Project Title]

Dear [Program Officer Name],

I am writing on behalf of [Partner Organization] to offer our strong support for [Applicant Organization]'s application to [Funder Name] for [Project Title]. As [your title and the role your organization plays in the community], we see the need this project addresses every day, and we are confident in [Applicant Organization]'s ability to deliver results.

[Partner Organization] has worked alongside [Applicant Organization] since [year] on [name the shared work, for example "a joint after-school literacy initiative serving the East Side neighborhood"]. In that time we have come to rely on their professionalism, their data-driven approach, and their deep relationships with the families they serve. Last year alone, our two organizations referred [number] participants to one another and co-hosted [number] community workshops.

The need for [Project Title] is real and documented. [State one concrete, local fact that proves the need, for example "Fewer than 40 percent of third graders in our service area read at grade level, according to the 2025 district assessment."] [Applicant Organization]'s plan to [one sentence describing the project] directly targets that gap, and it complements the services [Partner Organization] already provides rather than duplicating them.

If this project is funded, [Partner Organization] commits to the following concrete support:
- [Specific commitment, for example "Referring up to 75 eligible families per year from our family resource center."]
- [Specific commitment, for example "Providing meeting and tutoring space at our Main Street site at no cost, an in-kind contribution valued at $12,000 annually."]
- [Specific commitment, for example "Serving on the project advisory committee and contributing quarterly to shared outcome reporting."]

These are firm commitments, not general statements of goodwill. We have built them into our own operating plan for the coming year.

[Applicant Organization] has the leadership, the track record, and the community trust to carry this work through. We are proud to stand behind this application and would welcome the chance to answer any questions. Please feel free to contact me directly at [phone] or [email].

Sincerely,

[Signature]

[Full Name]
[Title]
[Partner Organization]

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HOW TO USE THIS LETTER (delete this section before sending)

A letter of support endorses an applicant and, when possible, commits real resources. The strongest letters do three things a generic endorsement never will:

1. Prove a real relationship. Name how long you have worked together and what you have done. Vague praise from a stranger carries no weight with reviewers.
2. Commit something specific. "We support this work" is weak. "We will refer 75 families and donate space worth $12,000" is a commitment a funder can score. A letter that pledges concrete in-kind or cash support is often called a letter of commitment, and it is worth far more than a courtesy letter.
3. Stay on the partner's letterhead and in the partner's voice. Reviewers can tell when the applicant wrote every letter. If you are the applicant supplying a draft to a busy partner, ask them to edit it into their own words and add a detail only they would know.

Keep it to one page. Address it to the named program officer when you have one. Sign and date it, and match the project title exactly to the application.

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How to use this letter of support template

This letter of support template gives you a complete, one-page letter prefilled with a strong example, ready to copy or download and adapt. A letter of support is a signed endorsement that tells a funder your project has real backing, and the best ones commit specific resources rather than offering vague praise. Edit the example in place, replace each bracketed detail with your own, and delete the guidance notes before sending.

The difference between a letter reviewers skim and one they score comes down to specifics. Prove a genuine relationship by naming how long you have partnered and what you have accomplished together. Then commit something concrete: a number of referrals, donated meeting space with a dollar value, a seat on the advisory committee. A letter that pledges measurable in-kind or cash support is really a letter of commitment, and it carries far more weight than a courtesy note. Keep the letter on the partner's letterhead and in the partner's voice, because reviewers can tell when an applicant wrote every letter in the packet.

If you are assembling several letters, vary them so each partner speaks to a different strength of the project. For the full method behind a persuasive endorsement, including who to ask and how to request letters without burning goodwill, read our letter of support guide. Letters are one attachment in a larger packet, so it helps to see where they fit using our grant proposal template and our guide to how to write a grant proposal.

This template is a starting point, not a promise of an award. What it does is turn a busy partner's goodwill into a document a reviewer can actually credit. When you want partner letters and a full application built to win, our nonprofit grant writing team can take it from here, or request a flat-fee quote and a certified grant professional will respond within one business day.

Frequently asked questions

How do I write a letter of support?+

Write the letter on the supporting organization's letterhead, address it to the named program officer, and state your endorsement in the first sentence. Then prove the relationship by naming how long you have worked with the applicant and what you have done together, commit specific resources such as referrals, space, or staff time, and close with your contact information. Keep it to one page and sign and date it.

How do I start off a support letter?+

Open by naming who you are, the project you are supporting, and the funder, then state your endorsement directly. For example: 'I am writing on behalf of [Partner Organization] to offer our strong support for [Applicant]'s application to [Funder] for [Project Title].' Avoid a slow windup; reviewers want your position in the first line.

What is a letter of support?+

A letter of support is a signed endorsement from a partner, stakeholder, or beneficiary that vouches for an applicant and their project. In grant applications it shows reviewers that the work has community backing. The strongest versions, sometimes called letters of commitment, also pledge concrete resources like funding, space, or referrals rather than offering general goodwill.

Can a letter of support be handwritten?+

For a grant application, a letter of support should be typed on official letterhead and signed, not handwritten. A typed letter looks professional, is easy for reviewers to read, and is what funders expect. A handwritten signature on a typed letter is fine and often preferred over a typed signature line alone.

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