# Funder Alignment Statement

Drafts a short statement connecting your mission to a specific funder's priorities, in their language, for use across outreach. Use it when preparing a letter of inquiry, a cold email, or the opening paragraph of a proposal.

## Prompt

## Context
You are helping a grant writer or development director at [ORGANIZATION NAME] draft a funder alignment statement. The organization's mission is [MISSION SUMMARY]. The target funder is [FUNDER NAME], whose stated priorities are [FUNDER PRIORITIES]. This statement will appear at the start of a letter of inquiry, email, or proposal introduction. It must show the funder that the writer has read their guidelines, not that they used a template.

## Task
Draft a funder alignment statement of 100 to 150 words that:
1. Opens by naming one specific priority from [FUNDER PRIORITIES] in the funder's own language.
2. Connects that priority directly to [ORGANIZATION NAME]'s work, with a concrete detail about who the organization serves or what it does.
3. States why [SPECIFIC PROGRAM OR PROJECT] is the right fit for this funder at this time, in one sentence.
4. Closes with a natural transition into the ask or the next paragraph.

Do not write the full letter. Write only this alignment statement.

## Standards
- 100 to 150 words, one paragraph.
- Use the funder's language for their priorities, not synonyms. If they say 'food security,' do not write 'hunger relief.'
- Ground the connection in specific facts about the organization's work, drawn from [PROGRAM DETAILS].
- Do not invent statistics, program outcomes, dollar amounts, or prior funder relationships.
- Do not make promises about what the program will achieve. State what it does.
- Tone should be confident and direct, not grateful or deferential.
- If a specific named input is missing or ambiguous, ask before drafting.

## Variables

- ORGANIZATION NAME
- MISSION SUMMARY
- FUNDER NAME
- FUNDER PRIORITIES
- SPECIFIC PROGRAM OR PROJECT
- PROGRAM DETAILS

## Input checklist

- [ ] The funder's current guidelines, strategic plan, or priority statement, copied directly (not paraphrased)
- [ ] A specific program or project to connect to this funder, not a general description of the organization
- [ ] Concrete program details: who you serve, what you do, and one data point you can support
- [ ] Strip any beneficiary personal data or confidential program notes before pasting, or confirm your AI tool is approved under your organization's data policy
- [ ] Check the funder's RFP or guidelines for any language preferences or restricted vocabulary, and include those as part of the funder priorities input

## Verification checklist

- [ ] Confirm the funder's priority language in the statement matches the actual words in their guidelines, not a paraphrase
- [ ] Verify every program fact or data point cited can be documented by your organization
- [ ] Check that no statistics, outcome figures, or prior grant relationships were invented
- [ ] Confirm the statement does not promise outcomes, only describe existing work
- [ ] Read it as the funder: does it sound like you read their guidelines, or like you sent the same letter to ten funders?
- [ ] Verify the word count falls between 100 and 150 words before sending

## Sample output

Sample output. Generated by AI from sample inputs:

The Hartfield Foundation's commitment to youth economic mobility in rural communities matches the work Riverside Youth Coalition has done in Grant County for the past six years. Our workforce readiness program serves young adults ages 16 to 24 who have left school without a credential, the exact population your 2024 strategic plan identifies as underserved by existing workforce systems. The Trades Entry Program, which we are seeking to expand to a second county site, prepares participants for certified apprenticeships in construction and electrical trades through a 14-week cohort model. Graduates enter apprenticeships at a rate we track and report publicly each year. We are requesting $75,000 in general operating support to extend this model to Caldwell County, where the youth unemployment rate runs nearly double the state average.

## Customization notes

When the funder's priorities are broad (community health, economic opportunity), narrow the statement to the single priority that most specifically fits your program rather than trying to match all of them. For family foundations, research the founder's biography or the foundation's history and name a specific connection if one exists. For repeat funder relationships, open by acknowledging the prior grant and stating what has changed since then.

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From The Nonprofit Grant & Fundraising Library at vetslearn.com/libraries/nonprofit