7.5 Example: Cover Letter

[Your Organization’s Letterhead]
April 30, 2025

Dr. Olivia Petras
Director of Grants and Partnerships
Joyful Futures Foundation
123 Giving Way
Chicago, IL 60603

Re: RFP#1234 Never Sleeps Community Health 

Dear Dr. Petras,

I am writing on behalf of Never Sleeps Community Health, a nonprofit dedicated to providing mental health services to underserved youth in the greater Chicago area. We respectfully request a grant of $150,000 from the Joyful Futures Foundation to support the expansion of our Never Sleeps Community Youth Wellness Program, which offers free 24/7 counseling, mentorship, and resilience workshops to at-risk teens.

[Explain Company Values] Your foundation’s unwavering commitment to early intervention and youth mental health strongly resonates with our mission. Like Joyful Futures, we believe that mental health care must be always accessible, culturally competent, and rooted in community trust. This shared vision forms the basis of our proposal and partnership request.

[Explain Need and Support With Data] In 2024, Chicago Public Schools reported a 47% increase in anxiety and depression diagnoses among high school students, with the highest rates in neighborhoods served by our clinics. Our pilot program, launched last fall in West Town and Lincoln Park, reached 120 youth in three months. Of those, 83% reported improved emotional well-being, and school counselors noted a marked drop in behavioral referrals.

With your support, we plan to scale this program to four additional neighborhoods over the next 12 months, enabling us to serve an estimated 400 youth through:

• Weekly drop-in counseling (in-person and virtual)
• Peer support circles led by trained mentors
• Monthly mental wellness workshops for parents and caregivers

[Demonstrate Credibility and Trust] Since our founding in 2012, Never Sleeps has built lasting relationships with local schools, faith organizations, and clinics. Our team includes licensed clinicians, youth advocates, and peer mentors, 70% of whom are from the communities they serve. We bring both clinical expertise and lived experience—critical for effective, trust-based mental health care.

This version of our proposal reflects direct feedback from prior grant cycles: It includes clear impact metrics, a detailed timeline, and a strong emphasis on equity. We’re committed to continuous, sustainable learning and transparent communication with all funding partners.

[Give Appreciation and Call to Action] Thank you for considering this request. We value the work Joyful Futures does to advance youth mental health across the nation, and we would be honored to be part of that movement. I welcome the opportunity to speak further or provide additional materials.

Sincerely,

Sarah Salsa
Executive Director
Never Sleeps Community Health
ssalsa@neversleeps.org
(617) 555-2201