The Insider's Guide to Grantmaking: How Foundations Find, Fund, and Manage Effective Programs

The Q&C Format

In many ways, a Q&C letter is reminiscent of Pat O'Malley's observation that “Speeches are like babies—easy to conceive, but hard to deliver.” To coach without dictating and to inform without promising are much easier said than done. In order to stay on track, it is helpful to follow a formula in writing Q&C letters. The formula that will be discussed in the following pages is one that works well, but it is by no means the only one that you could employ. You can “mix and match” the elements it contains, and you may want to omit some for certain requests. You could use a completely different format. The important thing is to create a general template so that you can maintain consistency and remember to ask important questions.