Have you ever requested a letter of support and then cringed when you read it? This has definitely happened to me.
Several years ago, I needed a letter of support for a local government grant. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that my Executive Director was personal friends with the mayor.
She said that she would reach out and get a personal letter of support emailed to me. This was too good to be true.
And it really was.
The letter I received was so wrong on multiple levels.
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For starters, there were numerous typos and grammar errors. The letter was sent to me in pdf form, so I couldn’t correct any of it.
It was dated, so this was a one-and-done letter. I wouldn’t be able to use it for future grants.
The letter was formatted as a stream of consciousness- there was no structure or appropriate breaks into paragraphs.
The mayor spoke very highly of the organization, and her words were sincere- I just worried that her sentiment would get lost in the mess.
Moving forward, I wrote the letters of support myself.
Here is my process:
- I meet with the Executive Director and compile a list of potential supporters willing to sign a letter.
- I either speak to the Executive Director or the supporter and ask them some prepared questions. I make sure I understand the relationship and some details about the supporter.
- I write the letter carefully to include details specific to the supporter and aligned with what grant funders want to see.
- I send two letters to the supporter- one dated and one undated. I ask them to sign both.
- I send a thank you email and ask if I may reach out to request an updated letter in the future.
I create a folder in my Documents Library for the letters of support and I always have at least one on hand when needed for a proposal.
Until next time,
Write Epic Grants