Writing a letter of application

Image of Hand holding a quillEven when a funder has no standard application form and requests a letter of application, they will usually have guidelines you need to follow.
  • never send a standard letter, always take the time to write a personal letter to each funder;
  • find out who the correct contact is and address the letter accordingly;
  • send your letter on headed paper, with details of the charity or company no. (if applicable);
  • keep your letter short. It should never exceed 2 sides of A4;
  • use factual information, and remember to back this up with statistics.
    Whilst some people find this easier than filling in forms, unless you structure your proposal in a clear way it will stand little chance of
    success. It is still important to read any guidelines and find out as much as you can about the funders priorities before you write your proposal.
    A SUGGESTED STRUCTURE
    If the funder doesn’t give you a guideline as to what to include in your letter, use the following list to help you:
    • Project title;
    • Proposal summary;major aims and objectives (ensure these are feasible, well expressed and can provide a basis for more detailed planning).
    • Introduction:who you are (a brief history of your group or organisation);
    • The problem or need (why your project is needed)
    • Summary of the proposed project to capture the reader's attention; include...
      • What you will do;
      • How you will do it;
      • How you will know if you are successful;
      • How much you need to do it (£);
      • How you will get all the money needed;
      • The actual request (exactly what you want from them);
      • Why the funder might be interested;
      • Where the money will come from in the future, if not a one off project with a clear end and result.
      • Signing off - will you give them an evaluation report, send them detailed accounts etc. (How are you going to let them know you have done what you said you would and spent the money in the way you said you would).
    • project description – including why it’s important and how it will directly benefit users, how it will be run, how it will be monitored and evaluated, and the results you expect to achieve;
    • a summary of other funders;
    • be sure to finish the letter with contact information for them to contact you for more information.
  • Attach the following documents to your letter:
    • project budget;
    • governing document (e.g. your constitution);
    • the most recent annual accounts (or projected accounts if you are a newly formed organisation).
Note: Some funders welcome additional information, like examples of past work (project DVDs, publications, etc.) This is worth finding out about.
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