limits how much of their money they can use for these
purposes while maintaining their tax-exempt status.
◆◆
Although they will not support lobbying or partisan
activities, these foundations may support awarenessraising campaigns, policymaker education, and training
programs. Therefore, you can still write a proposal asking
to educate officials or inform the public about policy
issues, but you cannot use the grant funds to directly ask
policymakers to support a specific piece of legislation or
to ask citizens to request that their elected officials vote
for or against a specific bill.
◆◆
◆◆
◆◆
The International Human Rights Funders Group
has a helpful flow chart to help organizations decide
whether a particularly activity is fundable under
lobbying rules here: www.ihrfg.org/sites/default/files/
AdvocacyandLobbyingFlowChartTool.pdf
What do you hope to change? How will you
measure the change?
How will you accomplish the change? What
activities do you plan to carry out to achieve the
change you described above?
Why is your organization the right organization
to carry out the work? Briefly describe your
organization’s mission, history, and recent
accomplishments. Also detail key people or
abilities that you bring to the project proposed.
simple project budget may be attached. Check
A
whether the foundation wants to receive a budget
with the LOI.
Keep your LOI as concise and simple as possible. Use
straightforward, nontechnical language. Don’t waste
words as the program officer, usually the main contact for
the foundation, may get frustrated and not finish reading
your letter if it doesn’t clearly state what your group
is going to do and why. Don’t wait until the second
page to get your main point across – your message
should be clear so that someone reading only the first
paragraph of your letter would understand what your
project is and what you want to accomplish.
LETTER OF INQUIRY/INTENT (LOI)
Some donors require you to send a preliminary letter of
inquiry (LOI), also known as a letter of intent, instead
of a full proposal. The LOI is usually 2-3 pages long
and includes key information to help the funder decide
whether your organization meets its criteria for funding.
If the funder is interested, they will contact you to ask
you to submit a full proposal. The LOI is also sometimes
referred to as a concept note or concept paper. You
should check with the donor if it has a specific template
or format required to submit an LOI. If there is a
template available, you should carefully read and follow
the directions. If there is no template available, below
is a list of standard questions and elements that you
should be prepared to answer and include in your LOI.
Keep in mind to keep your letter brief and do not use
any professional jargon (technical terms that the average
person would not understand). Make it catchy or stand
out if you can.
Relate your project back to the foundation’s interests and
priorities. You need to show not only that you have a
worthy project, but also why this particular foundation
should give you a grant.
For a template of an LOI, see Appendix 2. Additional
examples of LOIs can be found here: foundationcenter.org/
getstarted/faqs/html/loi.html
You should hear back within a few weeks (usually the
foundation provides a timeline for a response) whether
they are interested in seeing a full proposal. Sometimes
fo undations only contact successful applicants. If the
deadline for a response passes and you haven’t heard back,
you can send a quick email to the foundation to inquire
about the status of your application.
the first paragraph, you should provide a one to two
In
sentence summary of your request that includes the
amount of money you’re asking for, the time period
the request covers, and what the request will support.
the remainder of the LOI, you should answer the
In
following questions:
◆◆
Who is the target population? How many
people will you reach? In what geographic area
will you work?
Don’t send full proposals to funders who reject your
LOI. It is reasonable to contact the funder and ask if they
are willing to give you some feedback on why you were
rejected, how you might improve your letter, and whether
they would consider another application in the future.
Be respectful in your request, and don’t be disappointed
What is the issue or need that you are addressing?
Why is it important? Be sure to mention if
need is urgent right now or if there is a limited
window of opportunity to have impact.
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