Fundraising and grant writing
Write a letter of inquiry
Gives you a clear one-to-two page letter that introduces your work to a new funder.
Lower risk: public info only — Share only public details about your mission and program; keep client names and private budgets out.
Please note: This site is only a guide to help people understand. Consult your IT, security and/or privacy department for clarification.
Before you start, gather
Take [MISSION] and [PROJECT DESCRIPTION] from your strategic plan, and [AMOUNT] from the approved project budget. Find [REASON FOR FIT] on the funder's own giving page and past grants list.
Starter prompt
Write a one-page letter of inquiry from [ORGANIZATION NAME] to [FUNDER NAME]. Mission: [MISSION]. Project we want support for: [PROJECT DESCRIPTION]. Amount we plan to request: [AMOUNT]. Explain the need, what we will do, and why this funder is a good fit: [REASON FOR FIT]. Keep it friendly, specific and under 400 words. Do not invent funder details, past grants or results. If something is missing, write MISSING INFO.
Paste the prompt into your AI tool first, then replace the placeholders with your own details. Don't use real names of clients or donors.
Open an AI tool
You are leaving this guide. Copy the prompt first, then open a tool. The link goes to the website of the company named on each link, in a new tab. That company's terms and privacy policy apply there. Paste the prompt in, then replace the placeholders with your own details. Don't enter real names or confidential details.
- Open Claude (Anthropic) (opens Anthropic's website in a new tab)
Anthropic documents pre-filled links only for the Claude Desktop app, not for the website, so copy the prompt and paste it in.
- Open ChatGPT (OpenAI) (opens OpenAI's website in a new tab)
OpenAI does not document a link that pre-fills a prompt, so copy the prompt and paste it in.
- Open Gemini (Google) (opens Google's website in a new tab)
Google does not document a link that pre-fills a prompt, so copy the prompt and paste it in.
- Open Grok (SpaceXAI) (opens SpaceXAI's website in a new tab)
SpaceXAI (the company behind Grok) does not document a link that pre-fills a prompt, so copy the prompt and paste it in.
- Open Amazon Bedrock (hosts Llama; needs an AWS account) (opens Amazon Web Services' website in a new tab)
Llama has no chat website of its own, and Meta's own assistant (Meta AI) now runs on a different Meta model. One host is Amazon Bedrock: sign in to AWS, open a playground, and paste the prompt.
- Open Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft) (opens Microsoft's website in a new tab)
Microsoft documents no link that pre-fills a prompt, so copy the prompt and paste it in. The Copilot page shows a Sign in button, and you may need to sign in.
- Open Perplexity (Perplexity AI) (opens Perplexity AI's website in a new tab)
Perplexity documents no link that pre-fills a prompt, so copy the prompt and paste it in.
- Open Mistral Le Chat (Mistral AI) (opens Mistral AI's website in a new tab)
Mistral renamed Le Chat to Vibe, at the same web address. Mistral documents no link that pre-fills a prompt, so copy the prompt and paste it in.
- Givebutter (Givebutter): no website to open from here. Givebutter Magic works inside a Givebutter account; there is no public chat page.
- Grantable (Grantable): no website to open from here. Grantable's AI works inside a Grantable account; there is no public chat page.
Check the result
Confirm the amount, dates and mission statement are correct, and that the funder actually accepts letters of inquiry.
What it might get wrong
Funder interests it never read, like an invented focus area or past grant; a request amount or timeline that differs from your budget; a claim of an earlier relationship.