Letter of Inquiry

The Letter of Inquiry (LOI) template is accessible below. Please submit your completed Letter of Inquiry, along with any attachments, as a single PDF emailed to sugarbushfoundation@ohio.edu by 11:59 p.m., November 30, 2026.

Sugar Bush Foundation LOI Template Questions

Applications must be submitted jointly by an Ohio University college, school, department, or program and at least one community nonprofit or governmental partner, who will collaborate on developing the project and budget. The Sugar Bush Foundation does not fund capital projects and does not fund health-care-related initiatives unless connected to one of our other areas of priority.

Letters of Inquiry should be no more than three pages, plus a cover page with contact information, and should be written for a lay reader—avoiding academic language and explaining any industry terms or acronyms.

*Please copy and paste the following five questions into a Word document for completion. Save as a PDF to attach to an email.*

1. Ohio University Partner(s): 
   Lead Contact Name: 
   Phone: 
   Email:
    
2. Community Nonprofit or Government Entity Partner(s):
   Lead Contact Name: 
   Phone: 
   Email: 
   Address: 
   Tax ID:
    
3. Proposed Project Name:
    
4. Description of project, including:
   • How university and community partners plan to collaborate to design and implement this project. 
   • How your project will balance the benefits and responsibilities between the partners
   • How this project builds on regional assets (natural, environmental, social, cultural, intellectual, financial, human or built).
   • How this project can make a lasting impact on lives, local food systems, *socio-economic development, and/or the environment of Appalachian Ohio.
   • How this project will involve university students.
   • How this project supports the mission of the Sugar Bush Foundation.
     • Sugar Bush Foundation mission: The Sugar Bush Foundation works within Ohio University and local communities to improve the local community-university connections by fostering community-university partnerships, engaging Ohio students in sustainable environmental and socioeconomic development.
        
5. Funding Request:
   • How much funding are you requesting from the Sugar Bush Foundation? 
     • Note: New projects are encouraged to limit requests to $50,000.
   • Over how many years are you seeking this funding? (1-3)
   • Do you have other anticipated funding sources for this work? If so, please list them.

*Socio-economic development is the process of improving a community’s quality of life and economic well-being through combined social and economic progress.