Your proposal has been reviewed, and the letter from the foundation has arrived. What do you do? This final post will inform you of an important tip for responding to acceptance and rejection letters.
This often overlooked rule is the “Thank You” Letter. To express gratitude, regardless of acceptance or rejection, is a way of giving honor to a foundation. It also establishes your authenticity which can be important because you might apply to that foundation later on. The statistics are alarming at how few organizations actually do send personal thank-yous in response to a foundation. That being said, here are a few of the rules:
Letter Writing Rules (for acceptance & rejection responses):
1) Address the letter to the person from whom you received the acceptance/rejection notice.
2) Type the response on your organization’s letterhead, OR use a simple thank-you card that is blank inside and write your note very legibly in blue ink.
3) Thank the foundation for taking the time to review your proposal—Remember, time is the most precious resource any individual possesses.
4) Write something that you appreciated about the foundation and/or individual. (ie. “I appreciate how prompt you were to answer my questions.”)
5) Write something that you remember from your research on the foundation. (ie. “I was very impressed by the XYZ initiative you are launching to serve the homeless.”)
6) Remind them of something unique about your ministry or something they liked about you.
7) Express that, if they have time, you would appreciate their advice on how to improve your proposal.—Humility and the desire to learn are essential traits that too many organizations fail to exhibit in their interactions with foundations.
8) Invite further contact and interaction, if desired.—Do not be pushy in this. Simply make known your website or newsletter and say that you would enjoy staying in contact.
9) Keep your letter short—These need to be concise statements and paragraphs. Keep perspective; the foundation receives many requests & mailings so respect their time.
10) Sign your letter in blue ink and hand-write a short sentence next to it.
Additional Tips for Acceptance Responses:
1) Express thanks for the donor—Foundations are not ATMs; they are real people. Respect them and affirm their generous caring hearts.
2) When you talk about the donation, talk about how it is making a difference—including stories, testimonials, or pictures always is an excellent idea.
3) Do not ask for another grant—If you wish to receive additional funding, make a grant request later on, but this letter’s purpose is solely to strengthen relationships and express gratitude.
I understand, it is often easier said than done to write a thank-you letter after you have received a notice of rejection or been through an exhausting proposal process. Even still, make the effort. You never realize what an impact it could have. This impact could be in the acceptance of a future proposal to simply the encouragement of a weary heart. Be a vessel of Christ’s love.
Thank you for following this series! I welcome your feedback or questions.
-- Jessica High is a Research Assistant at Christian Foundation Grants (www.christianfoundationgrants.com) which is a subscription database of foundations that provide grants to faith based organizations. iDonate.com is a website (www.iDonate.com) that allows ministries to receive non cash gifts online