The 5 Step Process for Writing Effective Letters of Support for Grant Funding

Are you looking for grant funding to support your new project?

If yes, then you should read this article carefully. In this post, I am going to share some insights on Letters of Support (LOS) for your funding submission.

Let me start off by saying that letters of support are very important for grant submissions.  They are used by funding agencies as an additional piece of evidence when assessing your grant application. 

The LOS is from a key stakeholder and about one page long in support of a proposal for financial assistance from a government agency, philanthropic foundation or private organisation.

Types of Support Letters

There are several types of Letter of Support for grants: 

1. Commitment Letters from project partners who are supporting the project with cash and or in-kind contributions

2. Letters from a key stakeholder who supports the project because it aligns with their organisation's aims and project activities

Pro Tip:  Only get LOS from key stakeholders. Having a stack of LOS does not correlate with your application's success. Do not collect LOS from all and sundry because detracts from your grant application.

Starting Point

Read the funding guideline to find out if you need to submit LOS.  

Some funding agencies prefer a list of referees (key stakeholders) they can contact to determine if your project is supported. 

If the funding guidelines state that you must submit a LOS, then it’s game-on!

Generally speaking, LOS are provided by organisations that know you personally and feel comfortable supporting your work.

Step 1: Start by making a list of key stakeholder organisations that will benefit from your project

Step 2:  Email your key stakeholders and provide a brief outline of your project and set up a meeting (phone, video calls) to explain your project and grant program in greater detail

Step 3: While speaking to them be very clear what you are seeking and provide compelling reason for the organisation to support your project.

So, if your key stakeholder is a Local Government, identify economic development outcomes (number of jobs and short term contracts created), social benefits and positive media opportunities. 

Step 4: Ask if they are willing to provide a letter of support for you and the deadline for the LOS

Step 5: If they are willing to provide you a LOS, make their life easier by emailing a draft which they can amend. 

How to prepare a Letter of Support

The actual LOS is generally a page long and has three sections:

1.     The key stakeholder's organisation and its goals

2.     Why they support your project and

3.     The positive impact of your project to your industry and wider community.

NB: Don’t send a generic LOS to all your key stakeholders. Vary the LOS to reflect each stakeholder’s focus and why they support your project.

I usually attach a project brief (1 page long) with my DRAFT LOS. The Project Brief includes:

• What problems are you trying to solve and why your project is needed (project objectives)

• Relevant Government policies that align with your project

• How and when you will deliver the project (project activities), and

• The benefits of your project to the industry and community (Project Outputs and Outcomes). 

• Deadline for the signed LOS.  Some agencies need Board approval which might take a couple of weeks, sometimes longer. Always allow sufficient time when requesting a LOS. What you don’t want to do is ask for a LOS at the last minute; you won’t win any friends!

Good luck.

If you need help with your grant submission we can help in three ways:

1. Subscribe to our Grant Alert Services, where we match your needs with grants that match

2. We can prepare your entire grant submission from start to finish, including uploading to the grant portal, or

3. Our Grant Review Service - where we review your previous grant submissions or a current draft and recommend areas for improvement.

See what our clients say about us:

Clayton Consulting kindly assisted with our funding application. Their service is very professional, reliable and knowledgeable. All our enquiries were answered promptly and they made our funding application stress free. We highly recommend Clayton Consulting WA to anyone who needs a professional grant writer.

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