Preparing and submitting a letter of inquiry | Print full application guidelines
Lumina Foundation welcomes letters of inquiry (LOI) year-round from eligible organizations that seek funds for work within our mission and guidelines. Generally we review unsolicited inquiries through September. Inquiries submitted after September may be held for consideration the following year.
Organizations are not prohibited from submitting more than one inquiry at any time.
An LOI should describe the proposed work in three to five pages, using these questions as guidance:
- What are the intended outcomes, and how will the work achieve them? How does the work accelerate progress on Lumina's overarching goal (by 2025, 60 percent of the population in the United States will hold a postsecondary degree or credential)?
- Why is this work important to pursue at this time?
- What special qualifications does the organization bring to this effort?
- What other organizations are involved, if any? How will they contribute to the work?
- How does the proposed work relate to the applicant organization's mission?
- What is the geographic scope of the proposed work?
- What is the total cost of the effort? What amount do you seek from Lumina Foundation and for what period of time? What resources will other funders or organizations provide?
The Foundation considers only those inquiries that:
- Include a completed cover sheet .DOC | 200k, not to exceed one page.
- Are submitted on the letterhead of the sponsoring organization or institution
Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit LOIs electronically. Please send the LOI on letterhead and completed cover sheet as attachments to newinquiry@luminafoundation.org. Please do not send any additional materials (binders, media, etc.). Applicants are welcome to submit inquiries by mail at the address below but are asked not to submit a letter both electronically and by mail.
If you cannot submit electronically, please mail grant inquiries to:
Program Office —"New Inquiry"
Lumina Foundation for Education
P.O. Box 1806
Indianapolis, IN 46206-1806
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Info for Grant Seekers
- What We Fund
- What We Don't Fund
- Who and Where We Fund
- Preparing and Submitting a Letter of Inquiry
- The Review Process
- Solicited Proposals
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