Pacific Northwest Program / Community Grants

Letter of Inquiry Guidelines

Grant applications to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Pacific Northwest Program begin with a letter or inquiry (LOI). Foundation staff review and respond to all LOIs, usually within two months. Please do not submit a full proposal unless the foundation invites one. Additionally:

  • Please limit your LOI totwo pages
  • Number and label each section of your LOI to correspond with the instructions below
  • Include your organization’s name and submission date in the LOI footer
  1. Project Description

Approximately one page of your LOI needs to cover this section.

  • Describe your project. What are thestrategies and activities of your project? How many people will be served?
  • What results do you expect? What changes will result from your work?
  • Describe the project need and the group or community your project will serve. What is the problem or issue you are trying to address?
  • Describe any project partners on which project success is dependent.

1A. Additional information for capital campaigns

Please answer the following questions only if your request is for capital funding. i.e. to build or renovate a building.

  • Fundraising information. What is the total campaign goal and how much has been raised to date? Include detail on major commitments. Describe your funding plan and timeline, including a breakdown of sources. e.g. private funds, government grants, and financing. Have you conducted a formal or informal fundraising feasibility study? Note: The foundation will not fund more than 20 percent of the project’s private fundraising goal.
  • Building information. Include status and schedule of major milestones. e.g. site control, design (conceptual design, schematics, design development, construction documents), permits, bidding, and construction.
  • Organizational information. What is the status of your board campaign?Describe the campaign leadership/volunteer committee structure. Describe your organization’s previous fundraising track record.
  1. Financial Information
  • Tell us the amount you are requesting from the Gates Foundation, the total project budget amount, and state your organization’s total annual budget.
  • If known, indicate which itemized costs you are seeking funding for from the Gates Foundation.
  • The foundation does not fund more than 20 percent of the project’s total cost. Describe the overall funding plan for the project and include any other funding sources currently committed to the project.
  • Describe how you will financially sustain the project in the long term.
  1. Organization Background

Briefly describe your organization’s history and mission (one paragraph or less), and tell us why your organization is qualified to do this project.