Grant letter of intent template, with a filled nonprofit example
Many foundations want a one- or two-page letter before they invite a full proposal. Some call it a letter of intent, some a letter of inquiry. Here is each part, with a fill-in template and a filled example, then the whole letter put together.
Follow the funder's own instructions first. If they set a page limit, a form or their own questions, use theirs and fit these parts into them.
The example: Harbor Table, a fictional volunteer food pantry asking the fictional Shoreline Community Fund for $7,500 to pay a part-time Saturday coordinator. Every name and number in it is made up.
Brackets mark what you fill in. In the examples, [FILL IN: ...] marks a fact left blank instead of guessed.
1. Opening and request
What it answers: Who you are, how much you are asking for, and what it pays for, in the first two sentences.
Template
[Organization], a [type of nonprofit] in [where], requests $[amount] from [funder] to [one-line purpose]. The total project cost is $[total].
Filled example (fictional)
Harbor Table, a volunteer-run food pantry in Shoreline County, requests $7,500 from the Shoreline Community Fund to keep our pantry open six hours on Saturdays instead of two. The total project cost is $9,200.
2. Why this funder
What it answers: Which of the funder's stated priorities your project fits, in their words.
Template
This project fits your [named priority from the funder's guidelines] because [reason].
Filled example (fictional)
This project fits your priority of reducing hunger in Shoreline County because it reaches working families who cannot come on weekdays.
3. The need
What it answers: The problem, with one number of your own and where it comes from.
Template
[Who] in [where] [face what problem]. [Your number, and where it comes from].
Filled example (fictional)
We served 312 households last year, according to our intake log. Saturday is our busiest day, yet we can open for only two hours because only two volunteers can cover the shift.
4. The project and its result
What it answers: What you will do, for how long, and what will be different.
Template
We will [what you will do] from [start] to [end]. As a result, [measurable outcome].
Filled example (fictional)
We will hire a part-time Saturday coordinator for 12 months and add food storage shelving. As a result, the pantry will stay open six hours every Saturday.
5. About your organization
What it answers: Why your team can deliver, in one or two sentences.
Template
[Organization] was founded in [year] and [track record in one sentence]. [Who leads the project].
Filled example (fictional)
Harbor Table has run a weekly pantry with volunteers since [FILL IN: year]. Our board chair, who has managed the volunteer schedule for [FILL IN: years], will supervise the coordinator.
6. Closing and contact
What it answers: Thank them, offer the full proposal, and say who to contact.
Template
Thank you for considering this request. We would welcome the chance to submit a full proposal. [Name, title, phone, email]
Filled example (fictional)
Thank you for considering this request. We would welcome the chance to submit a full proposal. [FILL IN: name, title, phone, email]
The whole letter (fictional example)
Dear Ms. Rivera,
Harbor Table, a volunteer-run food pantry in Shoreline County, requests $7,500 from the Shoreline Community Fund to keep our pantry open six hours on Saturdays instead of two. The total project cost is $9,200. This project fits your priority of reducing hunger in Shoreline County because it reaches working families who cannot come on weekdays.
We served 312 households last year, according to our intake log. Saturday is our busiest day, yet we can open for only two hours because only two volunteers can cover the shift. We will hire a part-time Saturday coordinator for 12 months and add food storage shelving. As a result, the pantry will stay open six hours every Saturday.
Harbor Table has run a weekly pantry with volunteers since [FILL IN: year]. Our board chair, who has managed the volunteer schedule for [FILL IN: years], will supervise the coordinator.
Thank you for considering this request. We would welcome the chance to submit a full proposal.
Sincerely, [FILL IN: name, title, phone, email]
Straight answers
Is a letter of intent the same as a letter of inquiry?
Usually, yes. Most foundations use both names for a short first ask that they read before deciding whether to invite a full proposal. A few use "letter of intent" for a brief notice that you plan to apply. The funder's instructions say which one they want.
How long should a grant letter of intent be?
One to two pages, unless the funder sets a different limit. Some ask for it through an online form with a word limit per box instead of a letter.
What happens after I send it?
If the funder wants to learn more, they invite a full proposal, usually with their own questions and deadline. That is where the full proposal template below comes in.
Rather not write it yourself?
Freelance grant writers often charge $400 to $1,200 for a letter of inquiry (as of September 2026). Pick the grant you're after, tell us about your nonprofit once, and our AI grant writer drafts your letter or full application in about 20 minutes for $25. Anything you have not told us comes back as a marked blank, not a guess.
Write my first application, $25