How to Write a Great Grant Proposal Cover Letter
Although your grant proposal cover letter isn’t the most exciting part, it’s still vital to securing funding. The cover letter is the first contact point a potential organization or funder will have with your nonprofit project.
It’s like going out on a date. Sure, looks aren’t everything. Nevertheless, if you utterly don’t care about how you dress, you’re making it harder for yourself.
And just as you want your looks to be simple and focused on impressing a particular person, you want your grant application cover letter to be simple and focused on impressing a particular person. It’s the first contact with the executive or organization you wish to request funding. If you want them to read your grant proposal request, they’ll have to like the cover letter first.
More crucial steps will come later, presuming the funder reads your cover letter. Although you can search for sample cover letters, they are usually hard to find.
Research shows that about 35% of grant funders funded 50% or more of the grant requests they received. So, your grant proposal cover letter needs to be a complete home run. Here’s how.
How to Write a Grant Proposal Cover Letter
First of all, an average grant proposal letter shouldn’t exceed one page. Cover letters are the pitch of your detailed grant proposal. Think of it as a summary of your book.
Before writing the first paragraph, you should open the letter with the contact’s name, title, address, and other related information. Although this might sound obvious, double-check that the contact information is correct. There are countless examples of rushed letters. You don’t want your project to crumble due to a misspelled executive director’s name.
Do your research before starting the cover letter. You can quickly find the correct information via a single call, email, or simply by doing some Internet scavenging.
Similarly, address the person with “Dear” and add a personal title such as Mr. or Mrs. Again, it’s cover letter 101, so it will feel even worse if you misspell the first step.
If this doesn’t seem like a big deal, look at it like this. Executives have a keen eye for sloppiness. Since they will skim any cover letter first, rather than reading it to the last paragraph, you don’t want mistakes popping out.
The initial information tells the funder you didn’t go in headfirst, and proper addressing tells them you’re a potential candidate. If the letter is lacking, you’ll be mistaken for a novice rather than a candidate worthy of doing business.
If you’re interested in learning more about the grant writing process, then take a look at our grant writing certification course.
Get Straight to the Point in Your Grant Proposal Cover Letter
Everybody knows why you’re writing a grant proposal cover letter; it’s in the name. Meaning, there’s no reason to sugarcoat it.
After you nail the introduction, it’s time to introduce yourself and your organization. In the first paragraph, format the content into no more than 2 sentences. Here, you’ll write who you are and your job title. That’s it.
Next, get right to the point. Describe why your organization or foundation needs the grant, what your mission is, and most importantly, the budget you’re requesting. You can use the grant proposal budget template to help you out. Maybe you’re working on a community project, or it’s a charity. Either way, make it brief.
While on the topic, you should create a proposal for grants of all sizes. Even if a smaller grant doesn’t suffice, having it can attract larger grants, there are about 900 federal grant programs. Don’t limit yourself.
Another great touch is to validate your project via research. If you have cold data that justifies your organization’s existence, rarely will anyone find a way to object.
If you’re not 100% sure how to format the paragraph, create a sample cover and share it with friends or co-workers. Write the section, read the grant request introduction, then ask two questions.
- Can you tell me what the project is about? – Although the mission is clear to you as a writer, it might read astrophysical development documents to a fresh pair of eyes.
- How did you feel when you read the requested funding? – This is to see how another person will react. Keep in mind that how your friend and the funder reacts can differ.
Methods, Strategies & Solutions
In the next paragraph, you should explain how you plan to use the grant to the grantor. By doing this, you’re effectively telling the funder that you have a plan in motion. You can also include a graphical modal for visual representation, depending on the format.
Some writers like to use a numbered sample. The format can work both when you’re explaining your goals and strategies:
- The organization’s four main goals
- The project’s five phases
Usually, you want to back up each number with further details. However, an excellent overview, simply including a couple of numbers in your letter, won’t suffice. Find the balance between simplicity and complexity. Numbering provides a clear summary, while further details should give the letter a more professional tone.
An additional touch is to offer a timeline where you explain significant milestone and their due dates. You can also do that by using a brief bullet-point format. The timestamps can be months or quarters, depending on the project’s length.
Again, remember you’ll go into full detail in the grant proposal. Although defining strategies and methods isn’t crucial for the cover letter, add it if you can fit it on that one page.
Cover Letters & Necessary Data
After the mission details and budget proposals, it’s time to quickly cover organization info and structure. It can be tedious, but every grant proposal needs it, especially if you grab their attention.
Again, keep it short. Explain your corporate structure and related information in just a couple of sentences, including the founding date. Grant proposals require data, and although you’re not writing a contract but a cover letter, you still need to present the essential information.
You should also explain how your project aligns with the funder’s priorities and why the funder should prioritize your support and funding.
As always, double-check the information in your proposal letter, especially if you’re running a nonprofit organization. It’s somewhat easier to get grants for a nonprofit project, but funders are more likely to check the details. Although many think that foundation funding is the primary source for nonprofits, about 80% of income comes from other sources.
If the grant funder likes your cover letter, you want to make it easy for them to contact you about the grant proposal.
Always end all your cover letters with a positive closing line, such as “Looking forward to your response.” The goal is for the letter to sound optimistic, grateful, but not needy.
Sign the letter, and if your organization has an executive director, have them sign as well.
Cover Letter Tips & Mistakes to Avoid
To polish your proposal, you can add elements to give the letter a more personal and professional touch.
Ask for Feedback
Before pressing “send,” have co-workers read the sample of the proposal one more time. Good feedback is hard to find, and once you make contact, the fabled typos become irreversible. Don’t be shy about reaching out to your wider community for support.
Send the proposal sample page to anyone you can and collect their feedback. Naturally, you don’t want to spend half of your waking life collecting feedback. Still, a cover letter is just words on paper without the reader understanding what you want, especially when they’re giving you money.
If still not convinced, it takes between 80 and 200 hours to write a grant proposal, and it can cost several thousand dollars if you’re hiring a grant writer. You don’t want a single page to ruin all the hard work.
Use Plain English
We all want to impress others. But using complex words can easily backfire and ruin your chance.
The point of a proposal letter isn’t to show your vocabulary but to state your case as straightforwardly as possible. If you’re unsure if you’re overdoing it, some helpful apps and websites will tell you if a sentence is too long or too complex.
Final Formatting
Ensure the dates match since you’ll have a date both in the cover letter and the main grant proposal. You don’t want to send a proposal where the grant proposal has April 5th while the cover letter has November 27th. This goes for other files you’ll send as well.
The cover letter should use single spacing and leave space between addresses in the heading. Double-space means less room to write the limited information you need. This doesn’t mean you should delete the area between paragraphs. Give the letter room to breathe.
Although unnecessary, it can be a nice touch if you place your signature in live ink. Leave about three empty spaces, the complimentary close, and your name for the signature.
Send the Cover Letter in PDF
If you’re emailing the grant proposal letter, send the document as a PDF. There’s a chance the foundation will offer to sign documents digitally. Additionally, unlike other text files,a PDF is safe from malware. Meaning, a PDF will not only look competent but also leave a good impression with the more “tech-savvy” grant funders.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are the most frequently asked questions about grant proposal cover letters.
1. How can I make my grant proposal cover letter capture attention immediately?
The first few sentences of your cover letter should grab the reader’s attention and communicate your client’s goals clearly. Use persuasive win themes that align with the funder’s mission, and highlight your competitive advantage or distinct needs early on. A compelling executive summary—even just one or two sentences long—sets the tone and helps reviewers quickly understand why your project deserves funding.
2. What communication techniques make a cover letter more persuasive?
To communicate effectively, blend logic and emotion. Incorporate customer benefits, solution features, and a personalized offer that reflects your organization’s unique value. Mention relevant references, testimonials, or senior sponsorship to build credibility. If possible, leverage existing relationships or partnerships to strengthen your case, showing funders that your proposal is backed by collaboration and trust.
3. What are the key steps in writing a strong grant proposal cover letter?
A structured approach helps ensure your letter is both professional and persuasive. Seasoned proposal professionals often recommend the following critical steps:
- Analyze the RFP (Request for Proposal) or funder’s guidelines.
- Craft a clear offer that matches their funding priorities.
- Introduce your organization and project purpose concisely.
- Emphasize how your proposal aligns with the funder’s goals.
- Conclude with a strong closing paragraph, summarizing your quality cover letter and inviting next steps or contact.
This method ensures clarity and purpose throughout the writing process.
4. Are there sample templates or examples I can use to guide my cover letter?
Yes. You can find sample grant proposal cover letters and business proposal cover letter templates across professional grant writing resources and nonprofit support websites. Many industry pros recommend starting with a boilerplate letter as a foundation, then tailoring it to fit each opportunity. Templates offer useful guidance on tone, structure, and formatting while helping you maintain efficiency and consistency.
5. How can I continuously improve my proposal and cover letter writing skills?
Improving your writing skills involves consistent learning and practice. Review your past RFP responses using an RFP response template to identify strengths and weaknesses. Incorporate customer quotes, callout boxes, and concise value propositions to make your writing more engaging. Consider using proposal software to streamline formatting and collaboration. Studying examples from experienced proposal professionals can also refine your understanding of what funders expect.
6. What’s the difference between a grant proposal cover letter and a regular business letter?
While both follow a professional tone, a grant proposal cover letter is specifically designed to complement the larger grant application. It focuses on demonstrating alignment between your project and the funder’s priorities, showcasing measurable impact, and presenting a clear offer for support. A regular business letter, by contrast, typically emphasizes commercial relationships or transactions rather than community benefit and mission alignment.
If you are new to grant writing and are looking to break in, we recommend taking our Grant Writing Certification Course, where you will learn the fundamentals of being a grant writer, how to write proposals that win grants, and how to stand out as a grant writing candidate.
