Letter of Support for a Grant

A letter of support for a grant is a short, signed letter in which a partner or public official backs your project and says what it will contribute. Send one only when the funder asks, in the form it asks for: the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), for example, wants letters on letterhead, signed by an authorized representative, no longer than two pages and dated within 12 months of submission. Specific commitments count for more than praise: NIAID "strongly" advises NIH research applicants against collecting letters "solely as endorsements of your reputation."

Letter of support, letter of commitment or MOU

Funders use these terms differently; OVW's definitions show the distinctions:

Document	What it does	OVW rule
Memorandum of understanding (MOU)	Contains "the terms of a partnership" and describes "the roles of everyone involved"	Signed by each partner's authorized representative; up to 5 double-spaced pages
Letter of commitment (LOC)	Affirms "the intent to commit specified resources toward a project by one party"	Accepted from courts, Tribal governments and Tribal victim service providers unable to submit an MOU, or as a NOFO explains
Letter of support	Used when, "for legal reasons, an applicant cannot enter into an MOU"	On letterhead, signed by an authorized representative, no longer than two pages

An MOU "is not a substitute for a subaward agreement," OVW adds: if a partner will receive grant funds, plan that agreement separately.

What a strong letter says

OVW says letters of support "must address the same six criteria" as its MOUs, for both the partner writing and the lead applicant. Adapted for any funder, a strong letter:

names the partner and gives a brief history of your work together;
describes the role the partner will play;
states that the partner has reviewed the budget and knows the total you are requesting;
matches the project as your narrative and budget describe it;
lists the resources the partner will contribute, such as staff time, space or training;
says, in NIAID's words, "whether the support is available to anyone on request" or only to you.

Sample wording:

[Partner name] has worked with [your organization] since [year] on [shared work]. For the [project name] project, we will [specific role], providing [resource] from [start date] to [end date]. We have reviewed the project budget and understand that [your organization] is requesting [amount] from [funder].

Ask early and send a writing packet

Offices that write letters for local nonprofits publish their terms:

Office	Timing	Draft letter
City of Jacksonville, Grants and Contract Compliance Division	Request at least 10 business days before you need it	"Please include a sample letter of support"
Office of Rep. Adam Smith	Two weeks' notice preferred	Helpful, but the office rewrites it
Office of Rep. Lois Frankel	Form asks for your deadline and expected award date	Required on the request form

Jacksonville also wants the grant's name and CFDA/CFSA number, the amount requested and any match, a "brief 1-2 page summary" of your organization and services, and a contact at the funding agency. Build one packet for every writer from a boilerplate library of your organization's facts in three lengths, so each letter repeats accurate figures.

A draft saves time, but each letter should read in the writer's own voice.

Letters from elected officials

An official's letter can show community backing, but it does not decide the award. Rep. Adam Smith's office says the Congressman "cannot promote your office for an award or direct a federal agency to decide a grant in your favor", and addresses letters "to the contact person at the federal agency."

Federal applications: follow the NOFO

In a federal application, the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) sets which letters you attach. OVW warns that for MOUs, "Missing signatures, however, may result in a reduced score/ranking or removal of the application from consideration."

NIH guidance for research applications adds points to check:

NIAID notes that "some NOFOs also limit the number of letters allowed."
At NIH, "anyone who writes a letter may not review your application," per NIAID.
NIH says its letters of support can be seen by "Anyone with access to view the application," so leave out anything confidential.

A federal project narrative template with work plan and capacity sections puts each partner's role in one place to check letters against.

Foundations and local funders

Some foundations want no extras at first: the Kohlberg Foundation says "Applicants are asked not to send additional supporting materials with the initial letter of inquiry." Attach letters only where the guidelines list them.

When a funder does ask, list each letter, its signer and its date with your other attachments, using a community foundation application template with an attachments checklist. For other funder types, see our kits for US private, community, corporate and government funders.

The Government Grant Kit's US_Government_Project_Narrative_TEMPLATE.docx has work plan and capacity sections for each partner's role and a pre-submission checklist.

General information: this article is general information, not legal, tax or fundraising advice. No template can guarantee funding. Always follow each funder's own guidelines.

The Funder File is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Department of Justice, the Office on Violence Against Women, the National Institutes of Health, NIAID, the City of Jacksonville, the offices of Rep. Adam Smith or Rep. Lois Frankel, or the Kohlberg Foundation.

Sources

The Funder File is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to any funder or government agency named on this site. All trademarks belong to their owners.

Letter of Support for a Grant: What Partners Should Say and What Funders Require