For Current and Recent Funders
You can assume the reader has a degree of familiarity with your organization if you’re applying for a renewal grant or for a new grant from a funder who supported your charity in the recent past. You might therefore be able to leave out (or move to an attachment) background information such as the year you were founded, your mission, and a list of programs. But remember to follow the funder’s instructions, and include background in the cover letter if it is asked for.
DEFINITION
Renewal grant can be a loaded phrase. On the one hand, it signifies a continuing relationship with your charity, which is a good thing to remind funders about. On the other, it might imply to a funder that you expect them to continue supporting your charity or maybe even take their continued support for granted. Learn all you can about a funder’s attitude toward continuing support before referring to your grant request as a renewal.
With a current or recent funder, you’ll stress how its previous grant helped your charity accomplish the program’s goals and where that program stands now (even if you’re now applying for a different program). Don’t waste this opportunity to reinforce the importance of past funding and to thank the funder once more.
With rare exceptions, funders will not accept a new proposal if you haven’t reported on their past funding. If the timing of a program makes it necessary to apply before reporting, call the funder before you send anything to see if they will make an exception.
Here’s an example of a cover letter to a funder that already supports this charity.
Ms. Sara Silver
Trustee
Silver Foundation
98 Oak Street
Anytown, TX 77000
Trustee
Silver Foundation
98 Oak Street
Anytown, TX 77000
Dear Ms. Silver:
I want to express my sincere thanks for the Silver Foundation’s past support of Countywide Literary Project’s services to the community. Your last grant was instrumental in allowing us to maintain all our classes for young people and adults during a perilous economic period. With this letter, I have enclosed a report on Countywide’s activities during the past year and also a request for a renewal grant in the increased amount of $40,000.
The past year has been a difficult time for everyone in Butler County, as the recession has reached every corner of the community. Demands on the Literacy Project’s services have been higher than any time in memory. Significantly more adults have come to us when they realized that basic English literacy was key to making them more employable.
We have devised a plan for serving the increased demand on our services that calls for decentralizing the teaching facilities and offering classes in English as a second language. The former part of the plan will allow more people to take classes before and after work by holding the classes nearer to where they live. The latter scheme recognizes the large number of non-English speaking immigrants in our community and their need for instruction separate from illiterate English speakers. Specifics on these plans for the coming fiscal year are enclosed.
Expanding services while the community remains in a recession will be particularly challenging. For this reason, we are asking all of our funders to consider a significant increase in support. As you know, few funders are taking on new charities, so we must rely on our old friends to see us—and our clients—through this period.
If you have any questions about the report or the proposal for a renewal grant, I can be reached at (414) 555-1234 or [email protected]. Thank you again for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Kay Lang
Kay Lang
Executive Director
Kay Lang
Kay Lang
Executive Director
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