Grant Writing for Dummies by Beverly A. Browning

Author:Beverly A. Browning
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781119280132
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2016-10-03T00:00:00+00:00

Drafting a Cover Letter (If Requested)

Thanks to the increasing number of funders that now require e-grants (electronic online submissions in the funder’s template) , I only type cover letters for foundation and corporate funders that request one in their published guidelines. (Government funders rarely, if ever, ask for a cover letter anymore.) Read more about e-grants in Chapter 11.

If you have to supply a cover letter, make sure it’s brief and to the point. When a funder opens your request for assistance, the cover letter should provide the first inkling of how well you understand the person you addressed the letter to — the funder. Also, avoid merely regurgitating the information in your grant request.

Write the cover letter last, after you’ve completed the entire funding request and are in a reflective mood. As you consider your great achievement (the finished funding request), let the creative, right side of your brain kick in and connect your feelings of accomplishment to the person who will help make your plans come true.

Follow these handy tips when you write your own cover letters (and check out the cover letter example in Figure 12-1):

Use the same date that you’ll send the complete grant application to the funding source. You want to create documents that are consistent, so the dates on cover letters and accompanying cover forms should be the same.

Open with the contact person’s name and title, followed by the funding source name, address, city, state, and zip code. Remember to double-check the contact information with a telephone call or email to the funder. You can also search via the Internet for the correct information.

Greet the contact person with “Dear” plus the personal title (as in Mr., Ms., Mrs., or Messrs.), followed by the last name. This greeting is your first point of introduction to a potential funder, so you need to use a personal title. Call to make sure the personal title you’re using is correct. I once used “Ms.” for a female program director who preferred to be addressed with “Miss.” The request was denied because I didn’t do my homework on her correct personal title.

Keep the first paragraph short and focused. Start by introducing your organization (use its legal name). Then introduce yourself and give your job title (executive director, development officer, and so forth). Finally, get to the point. Tell the funder how much money you’re requesting and why your organization needs it. Write a sentence or two about what your organization does. Validate your existence by adding at least one sentence that includes research-based evidence that there’s a need for what your organization does.

Write a second paragraph that’s brief and to the point. Include no more than three sentences stating your organization’s corporate structure status and the date it was founded. Then tell the funder your organization’s purpose and how it aligns with the funder’s mission or funding priority.

Wrap up your cover letter with a summarizing paragraph. Share a closing thought or reflection about what this funding partnership can mean for the future of your project’s target audience.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.