From my birth in 1978 until I graduated from college in 2000, I moved (on average) every three years. And I’m not talking down the street. It was always a different state and sometimes a different country. That’s the life of an army brat.
Check those dates, and you’ll realize that social media, texting, and skype were non-existent. Heck, until the late 90s, I didn’t even have an email account. And long-distance phone calls were expensive. If I wanted to keep up with friends after moving, that meant letter writing. I was a dang good pen pal. Thanks to those skills, I still have friends from about middle school on, spread out all over the country.
In addition, it taught me the power of the written word. Sure, it wasn’t the best means to trade timely information, but it was a great mode for expressing one’s feelings, random thoughts, exciting news, and more. Plus, there’s nothing like receiving a letter from a friend in the mail, especially when it’s your only means of communicating.
I can’t remember the last time I wrote a letter to a friend. No, my letter writing days are now aligned with grant applications. That’s right, I’m talking letters of support. Kimberly and I provide a how-to tutorial on the subject in the latest episode of the Fundraising HayDay podcast HERE.
Some funders require letters of support, others allow them, and still others forbid them. It’s important to read the fine print of grant instructions early in the process to understand what you can and cannot do. They are helpful, when allowed, because funders can see the need in your community from someone else’s point of view. It also shows that your project or program has community buy-in.
It’s vital to work on the creation and collection of support letters early. It’s easy to assume you can tackle that once you finish writing the grant but let me tell you why that’s a bad idea.
Often, funders cap the number of support letters you can submit with your application. If your limit is three, who should it be? Your Congressperson? Sure, if it’s a federal grant application. A local business? Could be, especially if the project impacts their work. The local historical society? Maybe, if the project aligns with their mission. The Chair of a local nonprofit’s board? If your project benefits those they serve, that makes sense. The city’s Mayor? The local School Superintendent? An active resident? All are possibilities.
But no matter who you ask, you need time to make the ask, communicate what you need, and ensure they can complete the letter by your deadline.
PRO TIP: Ask for support letters to be submitted days (if not weeks) ahead of the grant proposal deadline. You’ll need time to collect them and ensure they can be included in the application.
Yep, I said you, as in you the grant professional. Most people are willing to write a letter, but when it’s time to compose it, they second guess what they should say. Once you know who is writing the letter, compose a draft that accurately describes the project you are seeking funds for and explains why the letter writer is in support.
I always send a draft, tell folks they can edit as they see fit, and then ask them to add it to official letterhead with a real signature before returning to me. In all my years of doing this, people rarely change them. And if they do, it’s usually small tweaks.
PRO TIP: Make sure to draft a unique letter each time. If each one is identical, it’s nearly impossible to see the value in each letter.
Everyone will agree to your timeline, but you’ll probably have to remind folks. And your internal deadline will pass, and you’ll have to send another email or two before they all show up in your inbox. (Ask me how I know…)
PRO TIP: Ask if any of your support letter providers plans to be out of the office for more than a day or two between now and the letter submission deadline – because you may need to rethink your deadline.
Letter writing may feel like a lost art, but it’s an important element of grant proposals. When submitting your application, you want to check every box, including letters of support. And who knows, you may make a new friend in the process!
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