A Letter of Inquiry is the first step in the grant process — a concise pitch that tells a funder who you are, what you need, and why it matters. Fill in the fields below and get a ready-to-customize draft in seconds, no signup required.
What is a Letter of Inquiry? An LOI (sometimes called a letter of intent) is a one-to-two-page document many foundations ask for before a full proposal. It introduces your organization, describes the project, names the amount you are requesting, and explains the expected impact. If the funder is interested, they invite a full application. A strong LOI is concise, specific, and tailored to the funder's priorities.
Dear Grants Committee of ,
Funding request:
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this project further and to provide any additional information require. Thank you for considering this inquiry.
Sincerely,
Tip: in the print dialog, choose "Save as PDF" as the destination to download a copy.
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Try Kindly's free AI Grant WriterFunders read dozens of letters of inquiry for every grant they award. These are the elements that separate the ones that get invited to apply from the ones that don't.
Name the dollar amount you need and what it will fund. Vague requests raise red flags. "We are requesting $50,000 to hire a program coordinator and expand to three new sites" is stronger than "we are seeking support for our programs."
Read the funder's guidelines before you write a word. If their focus is STEM education and your project is food security, an LOI will not help either of you. Tailor the language so your work mirrors how the funder talks about their own goals.
Funders want to know what will change, not just what you plan to do. "100 students will receive mentorship" is an activity. "85% of participating students will show measurable grade improvement" is an outcome. Lead with outcomes.
Most LOIs should run one to two pages. Program officers read a lot of them. If your letter requires a second page to explain why the project matters, the case is probably not tight enough yet. Edit ruthlessly.
Writing grant proposals manually, then losing track of deadlines and follow-ups?
Understanding how letters of inquiry fit into the grant cycle helps you spend writing time where it matters most.
Many foundations use LOIs as a screening step. You submit the letter, they decide whether your project fits their priorities, and if so they invite a full proposal. Treat it as a gatekeeper document — your job is to earn an invitation, not to tell the whole story yet.
If a funder's guidelines are silent on the format, a one-page letter of inquiry is often the right way to introduce your organization before asking for a meeting or submitting a full proposal. It shows you respect their time and have done your homework on their focus areas.
Once a funder invites you to apply, the full proposal goes deeper: detailed budget, organizational financials, program logic model, evaluation methodology, and letters of support. Save that depth for when you have been asked for it — not the LOI stage.
Grant prospecting, LOI submission, invitation status, proposal deadline, award, and reporting cycle — that is at least six touch points per opportunity, multiplied across every funder you approach. A spreadsheet works until it doesn't. Read our nonprofit resources blog for guidance on managing your grant pipeline, or see how Kindly's AI grant tools handle the tracking for you.
Kindly's AI Grant Writer helps nonprofits find matching funders, draft full proposals, and track every application — so more of your time goes to the mission, not the paperwork.
