Letters of Support: Who’s in Your Corner?

As a nonprofit or charity, you probably have a unique relationship with members of your community who participate in your programs as volunteers and beneficiaries. These relationships may be obvious to you because you’re immersed in the community delivering programs and working closely with those you serve; however, funders may be unaware of your local connections and impacts. This is why letters of support are useful tools to describe your reputation in the community and to demonstrate how collaboration will reach the greatest number of people. You won’t need letters of support for every application but some funders will require them and they will outline this in their grant application guidelines.

A letter of support can be thought of as a testimonial that shows how other people, businesses, and organizations believe that your work has the ability to make a difference. Asking the right people or organizations to provide letters of support will highlight your relationships in the community and increase the strength of your overall application. A letter of support could be from community leaders, such as partner organizations or stakeholders who may work with you to implement programming, or it might be from people who receive the programs/services themselves. Whoever you choose, their letter should convey enthusiasm for your work, the benefits of your programming, and also lend credibility to your organization.

Ideally you will be creating your partnerships in advance, so that you can fully discuss each organization’s roles in the project, who will pay for what, and your intended outcomes. That way when grant opportunities arise, you will already have clear information that you can convey on the application and to the funder. Letters of support from partners should detail the relevant information about the resources, activities, and funding each partner will contribute. It is important to be as clear and transparent as possible to ensure everyone - including the funder - understands all of the roles in the project. 

It is crucial to ask partners for a letter of support at the outset of starting your application. Often, these letters can take time to write, get approvals, and make their way back to your inbox. Remember to ensure that your partners have plenty of time and support to write a persuasive letter!