ILLUSTRATIVE SAMPLE · Model organization: Riverbend Community Table, a food pantry. Names and figures are not real.
March 3, 2027
Ms. Dana Whitfield
Program Officer, Hunger and Basic Needs
The Example Family Foundation
Re: Letter of Inquiry: Saturday Fresh Market, $25,000 request
Dear Ms. Whitfield,
Riverbend Community Table respectfully requests the opportunity to submit a full proposal for $25,000 to expand our Saturday Fresh Market from two to four Saturdays each month for the 12 months beginning July 2027.
The need. In our county, many working families earn too much to qualify for federal food assistance but not enough to cover groceries every week. Our weekday pantry hours serve seniors well, but 41% of the families who visit us tell us they work weekdays and can come only on Saturdays. Today we can open just two Saturdays a month, and we turn away an average of 37 households each of those days when produce runs out.
The program. The Saturday Fresh Market is a client-choice pantry: families shop for fresh produce, dairy and protein instead of receiving a pre-packed box. Adding two Saturdays a month will let us serve an estimated 180 additional households each month, about 2,160 household visits over the year.
Outcomes we will measure. (1) Household visits per Saturday, tracked at check-in; (2) households turned away, which we aim to bring to zero; and (3) pounds of fresh food distributed, from our warehouse logs. We will report results to the Foundation at six and twelve months.
Why Riverbend. Since 2015, Riverbend has distributed food every week without interruption, with a volunteer team of 60 and partnerships with two regional food banks. Your support would cover produce purchasing, refrigerated transport and a part-time Saturday coordinator. The remaining $14,600 of the $39,600 program budget is committed from our annual appeal and a local grocery partner.
This project aligns closely with the Foundation’s priority of increasing access to healthy food for working families. We would welcome the chance to send a full proposal and to host you at a Saturday market.
With gratitude,
Jordan Ellis
Executive Director, Riverbend Community Table
(555) 010-0199 · jordan@example.org