LOI Overview

Once you’ve determined that you’re eligible, you can send us a Letter of Inquiry (LOI). Please note that inquiries from new applicants are restricted to the first quarter of the year. Returning grantees may submit a renewal request at any time. Our next open solicitation period is from January 1 to March 31, 2024. We will accept LOIs for Community Development, Middle East Peace, Traumatic Brain Injury, Environmental Conservation, and Immigration and Human Rights. Traumatic Brain Injury requests may be submitted at any time during the year.

Within about three months, we will decide whether or not to request a proposal from your LOI submission. If we request a proposal from you, it means we’re interested in your project, but it doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to give you a grant. You can expect to find out within three months of a proposal submission if your organization will receive funding from us. If you have not heard from us in that time-frame, please check in with us for an update. If we decline to fund your request, then you must wait one full year before reapplying.

Letter of Inquiry Guidelines

The LOI should be no longer than 6 pages: 2 pages of text (maximum), and a few pages of financial documentation: your organization’s Statement of Activity (also called Statement of Revenue and Expense, Income Statement, or Profit and Loss Statement), Statement of Financial Position (also called a Balance Sheet), and if appropriate, a project budget. Financial documents should be for your most recently completed fiscal year. Please include your full contact information including physical address, contact name, phone, email, and website URL within the LOI.

In the first paragraph, describe your project and the amount of your grant request.

In the remainder of the LOI, address the items below. The format and content (following the first paragraph) is up to you. You may answer each bullet point with a single phrase or sentence. You don’t have to compose a formal letter, but be sure to address all the questions and requests for information.

1. What problem(s) does your project address?

2. What makes your organization the right one to conduct this project?

3. What other organizations will you work with, if any? How?

4. What organizations have you worked with in the past?

5. What are the project goals?

6. How will you evaluate success or failure?

7. Will the project go forward without funding from Firedoll?

8. If you requested funds from other sources (or plan to), list them and their status.

9. Which foundations, if any, support your organization now?

10. Don't forget the financial documents (see first paragraph above).

Helpful hints for your LOI

Avoid technical jargon and “foundation speak.” Be clear; be simple. Letters of reference or recommendation from current Firedoll Foundation grantees in your program area are very helpful. Please see our Current Grantees page.

Grant Amounts

Typical grant amounts range from $10,000 to $30,000, with a total of approximately $2,000,000 distributed during the fiscal year. If you’re new to Firedoll, please do not request or expect to receive the maximum grant amount; tailor your request in the middle to low end of our grant range, depending on your need. 

Where to send

Electronic submissions may be sent to LOI@firedoll.org

If you need to send by post, please mail to:

Firedoll Foundation
1460 Maria Lane, Suite 400
Walnut Creek, CA
94596
USA

Questions?

Don’t be intimidated by our process. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Please direct all questions to our Program Officers.