Requesting a Letter of Support

Requesting a Letter of Support

Many agencies approach the Nassau County Department of Social Services (DSS) requesting a letter of support (LOS) for their projects. These letters are intended for inclusion with an agency's request for grant funding, usually from a foundation, corporation, or a governmental entity. A LOS may also be requested when an agency is submitting a proposal to a potential contracting agency, often in response to a request for proposals (RFP), or is seeking certification or validation for a new service.

DSS has established the following procedure for organizations seeking a LOS.

Procedure

  1. The applicant must submit a formal written request for a LOS to DSS.
  2. The email request must be submitted to: DSS.LOS@hhsnassaucountyny.us
  3. The request must be submitted no less than 10 business days prior to the grant application deadline. An exception to the submission deadline may be made if the applicant demonstrates good cause for a reduced time frame.
  4. The email request must include:
    1. Proposed draft LOS in Microsoft Word as an attachment.
    2. Brief overview of the requesting organization.
    3. Contact information for the requesting organization.
    4. Specific information about the grant that you are applying for. Please indicate if the grant requests/requires support from DSS.
    5. Please indicate if this is a competitive process. If so, is the competition local, statewide, or national?
    6. A proposal copy, abstract or other material that describes the project/program/grant award.
    7. Deadline for submission of the LOS.
  5. The request will be reviewed within DSS and a decision made as to the appropriateness of providing a LOS. For those requests that are approved, DSS will prepare the LOS and forward it to the funder and/or requesting organization.

A request for a LOS must be submitted to DSS no less than 10 business days prior to the application deadline. DSS reserves the right to not provide a LOS if the request does not conform to the submission guidelines outlined in this procedure. In those situations where DSS provides a LOS, it must be recognized that DSS is neither a partner nor a required assuring entity for the project.

DSS will review requests carefully and will give each request serious consideration, reviewing as appropriate the programmatic, fiscal, and administrative aspects of the proposal, the anticipated outcomes for the population served, as well as the need for the proposed service. DSS recognizes that grant applicants, if successful, may be able to support and/or enhance services consistent with the DSS mission, thereby, improving the lives of those DSS serves by maximizing funding resources. For this reason, DSS may wish to provide a LOS. Requesting organizations are encouraged to inform DSS of the success of their grant proposal.