PURPOSE OF THE LETTER OF INQUIRY
Some grantmakers prefer to read a shortened version of your agency’s story before receiving the full-length tale, and will invite you to submit a letter of inquiry (also called a letter of intent or LOI) prior to the submission of a full proposal. Think of an LOI as the first hoop you must jump through. The purpose of an LOI is to serve as a screening device for the funder. Grantmakers use LOIs to filter out requests that do not fit within their giving priorities or are otherwise not likely to be funded.
Using LOIs to screen applicants is a sound timesaving practice for both grantmakers and grantseekers. On the grantmaking side, a funder only needs to read a brief version of the agency’s story in order to ...