RFO Cover Letter Template

U nited States Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Statistics Service

What do I do next?

Complete your survey in one of the following ways:

Online at agcounts.usda.gov. Online reporting is fast and secure. You just need your unique survey code on the enclosed form to begin. [Add the following NERD info, if/when needed: Some answers in your online questionnaire may be pre-filled with information from previous NASS surveys of your operation.]

By mail or fax. Complete the questionnaire and mail it back in the prepaid return envelope provided or fax it to [Click to enter FAX # - text].

Click here to enter a date

Why am I getting this letter?

Enclosed is your [Click here to add Survey Title - text] survey [match what’s on the questionnaire]. Your participation is important. [Add one or two sentences here about survey benefits/why important]. Please complete the questionnaire at your earliest convenience.

You may receive an email reminder [keep this sentence in all cover letters]. If we do not receive your completed questionnaire by [Click for date] [bold date], we contact you for an interview.

How will the data be used?

[Describe here how the data are used.]

We recommend that you respond online. On the Respondent Portal, you can complete your survey, track upcoming surveys, access data visualizations and reports of interest, link to other USDA agencies, and more. [You can remove the respondent portal sentence, if needed.]

The information you provide will be used for statistical purposes only. In accordance with federal law, your responses will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed in identifiable form. We will publish the data [Click to add release date] in the [Click here to enter report name – text] [title should be in italics] report [and/or in NASS’s searchable database, Quick Stats,] at nass.usda.gov.

Thank you for your participation and support of U.S. agriculture. For more information about this survey, visit nass.usda.gov/Surveys/Guide_to_NASS_Surveys [or other more specific, short/easy URL]. If you need assistance, please contact us at [Click to enter phone number, email, etc. - text].

Sincerely,

[Click here to enter – Name]

Director/State Statistician,

Enclosure

Click here to enter text Mailing Address City, State Zip

www.nass.usda.gov

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.