Many funders will not accept an unsolicited full proposal. They ask for a short letter of inquiry first, read it in a few minutes, and decide whether to invite anything longer. Treating that letter as a formality is how a good program gets screened out before anyone reads about it.
Short answer: Keep the letter to one or two pages, lead with the fit between your work and the funder’s stated priorities, name a specific amount and use, and ask only for permission to submit a full proposal.
What the letter has to do
- Establish eligibility fast. Say what your organization is, where it operates, and that it holds current 501(c)(3) recognition (or name your fiscal sponsor). A reader who cannot confirm eligibility in the first paragraph stops reading.
- Show fit, not enthusiasm. Connect your work to the funder’s own published priority language. Fit is the decision being made at this stage.
- State the need in concrete terms. One or two sentences about who is affected and how you know, not a general description of the problem.
- Describe the program briefly. What you do, for whom, and what changes as a result.
- Name the ask. A specific dollar amount and what it pays for. A vague ask reads as an organization that has not planned the work.
- Close with the request. Ask whether they would welcome a full proposal, and give one named contact.
How this plays out
A founder sends a three-page letter that opens with the history of the organization and never names an amount. The funder cannot tell what is being requested or whether the work matches their program area, so the letter is filed with no reply. A second version leads with the priority match, states the need in two sentences, asks for a specific amount for a named purpose, and fits on one page. That version gets a response, because the reader was able to make the only decision the letter was asking for.
What founders usually miss
- The funder’s own instructions. Many publish a required format, page limit, or portal form for inquiries. Those instructions override any general advice, including this page.
- The amount. Check the funder’s typical award range and ask inside it. An ask far above their normal grant signals you did not read their history.
- Attachments. Most funders want none at this stage. Sending a full budget and appendices unasked is a reason to stop reading.
- The timeline. Inquiry deadlines usually sit well before proposal deadlines. Missing the inquiry window closes the cycle even when the proposal would have been strong.
What to prepare before you write
- Your legal name, EIN, and the year you were recognized.
- The funder’s stated priorities, geographic limits, and typical award range, in their own words.
- A one-sentence description of the program and the change it produces.
- The amount you need and the specific line items it covers.
- The name and title of the person who will sign.
After you send it
Record the date sent, the contact, the amount, and any stated response window, so the letter does not get resent or forgotten. If the funder gives no response window, wait until their published cycle has passed before following up once. An invitation to submit a full proposal is not a commitment to fund, and a decline at this stage is usually about fit or timing rather than the quality of the work: note the stated reason and check the funder again next cycle.
Where Lurex fits
Lurex can help you identify funders whose priorities actually match your program, draft or tighten the inquiry letter, and review it before it goes out. Start with Grant Research if you do not yet have a funder list, or Grant Proposal Review if you have a draft and want it checked.
Reviewed and updated: July 29, 2026.