Environmental Funders Network

Guidelines and Procedures for Letters of Inquiry

There is a printable version of the Guidelines and Procedures available for download here.

Vision to Action: A Commitment to Maine’s Quality of Place A Funding Opportunity Background, Goals, & Guidelines for Letters of Inquiry

Deadline: August 13, 2010

The Environmental Funders Network’s From Vision to Action: A Commitment to Maine’s Quality of Place initiative is entering its second year. A limited amount of funding may be available for additional grants in 2010, beyond the funding required to continue the work being done by the first set of grantees. The following outlines the process for first-time applicants for funding for the 2010-2011 program cycle.

Initiative Outcomes

The Initiative promotes the following outcomes:

• The concept of Quality of Place and the link between built and natural environments achieve broad-based, statewide support.
• Regional collaborations demonstrate the efficacy of partnerships in supporting or protecting both built and natural places, and the link between them.
• Nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies, business, and philanthropy work together to implement Quality of Place strategies.
• Knowledge, and resources are shared among and across the sectors.
• Best Quality of Place practices are identified and promoted.
• Barriers and funding gaps for effective Quality of Place projects are identified and addressed.

We request that you carefully consider whether your proposal is both exceptionally creative and in-line with these outcomes and whether it addresses the criteria listed below. Available funding is limited.

Project Criteria

Quality of Place strategies seek to involve diverse interests that include: tourism, natural resource based industries, outdoor recreation and leisure, land conservation, arts and culture, historic preservation, downtown and community revitalization, municipal, regional, transportation, workforce, business and economic development interests.

Through financial support and learning opportunities, EFN’s Quality of Place Initiative advances projects that:

1. Strengthen the links between Maine’s natural and built environments.
2. Emphasize public understanding of and engagement in Maine’s Quality of Place.
3. Highlight the effectiveness of well formed and broad based collaborations.
4. Identify elements required to build and sustain support for Quality of Place work.
5. Achieve measurable impact.
6. Demonstrate the potential to be a model.

Projects are considered based on these criteria. Greater consideration will be given to projects that meet the most criteria with emphasis on collaboration.

Capital projects, endowment campaigns, stewardship, land acquisition or general operating expenses unrelated to the specific project are ineligible.

Letter of Inquiry Process & Format

EFN will consider Letters of Inquiry (LOI) from nonprofit organizations working in Maine. LOI’s must be submitted using the Request Form . Please note this form is a modified version of the Common Request Form created by the Maine Philanthropy Center and used by other grantmaking institutions. Following review of the LOI’s by the EFN Quality of Place Advisory committee, selected applicants will be asked to submit full proposals later this fall.

In the “Purpose of the Request” section of the Request Form, statements should reflect consideration of the following questions:

1. What is the Quality of Place challenge your project intends to address?
2. Which Quality of Place Initiative outcomes most closely align with your goals?
3. How will diverse stakeholders and the general public be engaged in or affected by the project?
4. Will your project seek to change public opinion or contribute to changes in public policy to further protect Maine’s Quality of Place?

Tips & Timeline

EFN is a volunteer-driven network with lean staffing and is unable to field phone calls regarding Letters of Inquiry. If you have questions to clarify the criteria, please send them via email to efn@mainephilanthropy.org by August 6.

To be eligible for funding, applicants must be a 501c3 nonprofit organization or a regional collaboration’s designated lead organization (501c3 organization or agency).

Letters of Inquiry must be submitted electronically, as a word document attachment (not PDF) with EFN/Quality of Place Initiative as the subject line, to efngrants@mainecf.org no later than August 13, 2010. Please adhere to space requirements, and please do not include a cover letter or attach additional information. The committee will only see the Request Form.

The advisory committee will review and discuss the LOI’s and may contact your organization, partners, or others.

Invitations to submit a full proposal will be sent in late September. Grants will be awarded in December.

2010 Grant Timeline

December 2010
Grants will be awarded.

October 15,  2010
Proposals due.

September 2010
Invitation to submit full proposals.

August 13, 2010
Letters of Inquiry are due.

August 6, 2010
Deadline for clarification questions (email only).

June 2010
EFN announces 2nd Quality of Place grant.

Learn More

About the Goals for the Initiative

Advisory Committee

About the Governor’s Council on
Quality of Place Recommendations

Application Guidelines (2010) 

Letter of Inquiry Guidelines (2010)

2009 Grantees