How to Write a Letter of Intent (LOI) for a Grant, With a Simple Outline
Many funders screen with a one-to-three-page letter of intent before inviting full proposals. Here's exactly what goes in each paragraph — and the mistakes that end your application at round one.
By The Grant Officer AI Team
Many foundations don't want your 15-page proposal — at least not yet. They ask first for a letter of intent for a grant (LOI): a one-to-three-page summary they use to screen for fit before inviting full applications. That makes the LOI a different kind of writing challenge: you have a page or two to prove alignment, credibility, and clarity. Here's the structure that works.
What Funders Use LOIs For
An LOI protects both sides' time. The funder screens dozens of letters instead of reading dozens of full proposals; you invest two pages instead of two weeks in a funder who may not fund your kind of work. Reviewers read LOIs asking three questions: Does this fit our priorities? Is this organization credible? Is the request realistic? Every sentence should serve one of those answers.
The Paragraph-by-Paragraph Outline
- 1Opening: the ask and the fit. One paragraph naming your organization, the amount you'll request, the program it funds, and — explicitly — how it aligns with the funder's stated priorities. Don't bury the number.
- 2The need. Two to four sentences of evidence that a specific problem exists for a specific population. One statistic and one human sentence beat five statistics.
- 3Your solution. What you'll do, for whom, over what period. Concrete activities and a headline outcome ("200 families will receive...").
- 4Your credibility. Why your organization can deliver: brief track record, key partnerships, relevant results.
- 5Budget snapshot. Total project cost, the amount requested from this funder, and other confirmed or pending sources.
- 6Closing. Thank them, offer to provide a full proposal, and give a real contact person.
Tone and Length Rules
- ✓Follow their instructions exactly. If the funder says two pages, two pages. If they specify sections, use their headings.
- ✓Write to this funder. Reference their published priorities in your own opening — generic letters are obvious and fatal.
- ✓Plain language. No jargon, no acronym soup. A board member from another field should understand every sentence.
- ✓Specific numbers. Vague LOIs don't get invited. Name the amount, the population, and the outcome.
Common LOI Mistakes
The three most common failures: writing a mission statement instead of a project description (funders fund projects, not missions), omitting the request amount (reviewers won't guess), and ignoring fit (if you can't explain why this funder, they conclude you're mass-mailing). An invited full proposal starts life far ahead of a cold one — treat the LOI as the pitch it is. When the invitation comes, our guide to writing a winning grant application takes it from there.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a grant letter of intent be?+
Follow the funder's instructions first. Absent guidance, one to two pages is standard — never more than three. The LOI's job is to earn an invitation, not to make the full case.
Is a letter of intent binding?+
No. A grant LOI is an expression of interest and a screening document, not a contract. You can adjust details in the full proposal, though large changes from what you described may need explaining.
Should the LOI include a budget?+
Include a budget snapshot, not a full table: total project cost, the amount you'll request from this funder, and other funding sources. Save the line-item budget and narrative for the full application.
Your AI Grant Officer drafts tailored LOIs from a short interview about your program — aligned to each funder's priorities, with the numbers reviewers look for.
Draft my LOIGrant Officer AI helps you find and prepare funding applications. We don’t guarantee funding, and we’re not a government agency or a provider of legal, tax, or financial advice. Always review official program rules before applying.