Below is a fictitious example of a Letter of Intent (LOI). A Letter of Intent is a 2 to 3 page summary of a grant request. It is may be the only grant application that a funder requires, or it may be the first step in a multi-step grant application process.
The writing style you use for a LOI will depend on the funder. For LOIs to government funders you may choose a more formal style of writing. When writing to a foundation, I like to take a more friendly tone of voice in the writing, and speak in less technical terms.
The example letter of intent below has all of the key elements: a summary of the organization that's applying, the purpose of the request, the program services, benefits and impacts, and how the project aligns with the grant maker's priorities. This LOI is for a Health Department's substance use program and they are writing to a federal government funder.
Sample Letter of Intent for a Federal Grant
Program Officer
HRSA Headquarters
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857 U.S.A.
Dear Program Officer,
The Somewhere County Department of Health (SCDoH) is delighted to submit this LOI in response to the Health Resources and Services Administration’s RFP for the fiscal year 2023. We respectfully request $550,000 in grant funding to support program activities for our Outpatient Opioid Addiction Treatment Program from January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2023. We believe that given the agency's focus and priority of reducing Opioid addiction in adults 18+, our program is a strong fit and can help the agency further its charge in a meaningful way.
Being situated in an HRSA Health Provider Shortage Area for mental health services, SCDoH has grappled in recent years with meeting the increased need for services in our community. We are situated in a semi-rural community of 166,617 residents; a community with limited substance use services that have been experiencing an increased demand for our services. Over the past decade, substance use deaths in the county have tripled. From 2019 to 2020, drug and alcohol-related intoxication deaths increased by a staggering 70% and Opioid-related deaths rose by 62%. With a ratio of Somewhere County population to mental health providers of 640 to 1, our Outpatient
Opioid Addiction Treatment Program is a key component to helping our community address this need.
Through our multi-faceted program, treatment professionals provide individual and group treatment to clients from 1-9 hours a week. Patients receive treatment that is tailored to their unique needs, ensuring the best chance at success. Peer support specialists and community health outreach workers help individuals connect to community resources and access other levels of care. Our jail-based treatment program begins treatment for individuals while they are incarcerated. A weekly family support group meets to discuss ways to support those who have a loved one using drugs. Members learn to avoid encouraging destructive behavior and work towards caring for themselves when the addiction is creating chaos in their world. We also train people to use Narcan (Naloxone) to reverse opioid overdoses. We offer Narcan training at the
Department of Health to the community.
Each calendar year, we are able to serve 200 - 300 people 18+ through this vital program in Somewhere, Maryland. Most of our patients have no health insurance or use state Medicaid insurance. The majority of our patients are Black (60%) and 38% White; we serve nearly equal amounts of men and women through our program (51% and 49% respectively). The average length of time patients spend in our program before being able to restart their lives is 6 months, and the average cost per patient is $2,000. A grant from the agency in the amount of $550,000, would provide meaningful support for the overall program budget during the grant period at a critical time for our community and enable our ability to expand to address an even larger portion of the need.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Nonprofit
Executive Director
Somewhere County Department of Health (SCDoH)
SGR develops competitive federal grant application packages for our customers applying for grants or cooperative agreements with SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), HRSA (Health Resources Services Administration), ACF (Administration for Children and Families), and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Using our 7-step grant development process you will never have to worry about your competitive edge or missing a deadline. To learn more about our Government Grant Application Package development process, click here.
