• What do I know about the person who will receive the letter? Could anything I know about her personally relate to my proposal?

• Does the person signing the letter know the contact at the funder? If so, should she be addressed by first name or a nickname?

• How can I address the funder’s interests and relate them to my program?

• What key points are my best arguments for funding?

• How do I lay these out so the reader can easily find them?

• If the letter is to a current or recent funder, did I thank them for their previous gift and report something about that project?

• If the letter is to a new funder, did I include enough background and information on recent accomplishments to place the program in context and give my proposal legitimacy?

• Have I slipped into jargon of my charity’s or the funder’s invention? (If so, return to Chapter 14 and read up on buzzwords.)

• Did I include contact information prominently for the letter’s signer and possibly an additional person at my charity for questions?

• Does the letter have the current date and has it been signed?

• Is the letter two pages or less? (If it’s longer, it becomes too much like the proposal.)

• Did I ask for money?