There are three considerations regarding letters of intent. First, you may not be required to write one at all. Second, you may be requested to write the letter, but not required to send it. Third, you have no choice. In this case, the letter of intent is a necessity, and it will have an absolute deadline for reaching the foundation or government office.

If the instructions say nothing at all about letters of intent, you can assume that it is neither required nor requested. When one is requested but not required, the instructions about a letter of intent say something like, “You are not required to submit a letter of intent, and doing so does not commit you to applying for this grant.”

When a letter of intent is required, the instructions will say something like, “You are required to submit a letter (or notice) of intent to apply by 5:00 P.M. on January 20. Only those organizations submitting a letter of intent by the indicated deadline will be eligible to apply for funds under this grant program.” Make no mistake — you must meet that deadline. If it gets there at 5:01 P.M., the letter will be too late.