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Letters of Support &
Partnerships
The reviewing committee highly values to inclusion of quality Letters of Support AND Partnerships. Letters of support are a very important piece of the application and require attention to detail and genuine partnerships.
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What's the difference?!
Is there a difference between Letters of Support and Partnerships? Well, not really. More specifically is there is different types of partnerships that you will have with different entities but they ALL should include a letter of support for your project to show that you didn't include them without their permission, they are a legitimate and committed partner in your project.
**PRO TIP: If you mention any entity as being part of your project at all, make sure a Letter of Support is included from them.
**PRO TIP: All partners should be listed in Key Personnel in your narrative
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Letters of Support
Letters of support are very important to your application. Please review these tips to ensure quality Letters of Support:
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1. Make a list of potential partners and entities who will support your project
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2. Send an email communication to each person on the list with details about your project and how you envision their involvement and if they would like to be included as a partner or provide a letter of support. Let them know you will follow up with a phone call.
*PRO TIP: Do this very early before you begin writing application, without strong Letters of Support, your application may not be considered.
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3. Follow up each email with a phone call to further discuss your project
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4. For every entity that confirms to be involved with your project, ask for an "official" letter of support. This means a letter written in support of the project, printed on their letterhead and signed by them.
**PRO TIP: It can be very helpful to send along templates and examples of other Letters of Support that include the official title of the project and other details. When working with many different leaders, assistants, etc, this helps to ensure streamlined communication.
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5. Make sure to include a deadline for when you want it completed and if they want you to pick up a hard copy or send you a signed digital copy
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SEE EXAMPLE:
Partnerships
Partnerships are the other entities who will be involved in making your project a success. These can be major partners who are involved with leadership, resources and programming, or they can play a minor role such as a sponsor, letting you use a space, promoting your program with their contacts etc. Make sure they are included in your key personnel and that each entity includes a letter of support.
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EXAMPLE: in this example below, the applicant included all the key personnel members and their tasks into a table to illustrate how everyone will work together.
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