Five Practical Pieces of Advice For Writing Letter of Support Grant
Five pieces of advice I would give for writing an effective letter of support are discussed in detail in the following paragraphs.
The first thing I recommend is to have one person draft the letter from all supporters and then have another person review and edit it. Doing this will ensure that the letters from all the project supporters contain the needed information, is free of grammar/spelling errors and is in the correct format. Once a draft is completed, it should be sent to the collaborators for review and signature to ensure that the expectations are realistic and will be fulfilled. A draft letter of support will provide consistency across the board with all the supporters.
Good letters of support should consist of three main parts. There should be an opening statement that identifies the project/program for which funds are being requested. It is very important to have an easily identifiable statement regarding the project so as to avoid the elimination of the proposal. If the receiver if unable to quickly identify the project/program, it is likely to be dismissed without further review. This first statement should be simple and brief; one but no more than two sentences in length. The second part of the letter should consist of two paragraphs that tells how the supporter is related to the project/program. It should include information regarding the writer’s level of knowledge of the project and how it will impact the community or school. The final part of the letter should be a closing statement that reiterates the writer’s support of the project. It should be strong and concise.
The third piece of advice I would give is to make sure all of the support letters are addressed to the same person at the same address and on official letterhead. It should be typed, not handwritten unless specifically requested by the funding agency. Using a draft letter is useful in making sure letters are not sent to the wrong person.
Next, the letter needs to be written in a professional, business letter style. This includes using the person’s title (i.e. Mr. Mrs. Miss Ms.)and first and last name in the address section and the title and last name in the salutation. The letter should end appropriately using ‘sincerely’ and your typed name and title with space between sincerely and your typed name for your original signature.
The final piece of advice is to be enthusiastic and positive. If your letter sounds like you’re not interested, it’s likely the funding agency will not be. The letter should show that the project/program has merit and is something you really believe in and care about.
In conclusion, a good letter of support will be consistent with all the supporters; have the three main parts that identify the project, state the relationship between the writer and the project, have a strong closing statement; all sent to the correct person on official letterhead; professional business style; and enthusiastic and positive.