TLDR
The LOI writing process should take 4–6 hours, not 40 — the work that takes the most time is the research phase that confirms the funder's current priorities, because an LOI that responds to the RFP from two years ago is declined before it's read. Research first, write second, and every paragraph must connect to something the funder said they care about.
Foundation program officers read dozens of LOIs each week. The ones that advance share two characteristics: they demonstrate genuine familiarity with the funder’s current priorities, not the priorities listed on a website that hasn’t been updated since 2023, and they describe a program clearly enough that the program officer can summarize it in two sentences to a colleague. Neither characteristic requires writing talent; both require preparation.
When to run this workflow
Run this workflow each time you prepare a new letter of inquiry. Do not adapt an LOI written for a previous funder without completing Step 1 from scratch — funder priorities change, and an LOI written for last year’s priority language is often declined before the program description is read.
Common pitfalls
Starting with the draft instead of the research. Writers who open a document before completing funder research spend the most time on the LOI and produce the least aligned result. The 90-minute research phase in Step 1 makes every subsequent step faster and more specific.
Using the same opening paragraph for all funders. The opening paragraph is the most important and the most often recycled. A program officer who sees an opening paragraph that could have been written for any funder in the field knows immediately that the organization did not do its homework. The opening must contain language that only makes sense for this specific funder.
Inflating the problem with national statistics. A program serving clients in Tarrant County, Texas should use Tarrant County data, not national statistics. National data is available and easy to cite; local data requires more effort to find and demonstrates more credibility.
Submitting without internal review. The alignment check in Step 9 catches the most common rejection reason before submission. It takes 20 minutes. Organizations that skip it submit LOIs that read as technically competent but strategically misaligned.
How GrantPipe supports the grant development pipeline
GrantPipe tracks LOIs, full proposals, and awards in a single pipeline view — so the grants manager and Executive Director can see the full development calendar, not just active awards. Start a trial.
Free resource
Get the Nonprofit Grant Compliance Checklist
A practical checklist for post-award grant compliance: restricted funds, reporting cadence, audit prep, and common failure points. Delivered by email.
Frequently asked