Letter of Intent
A well-crafted letter of intent can be crucial to securing funding for your project.
The letter should be brief, no more than three pages, and should focus on how
your project meets the grant requirements.
Introduction
List your organization’s name, the amount of funding requested, a description of
the project and its timetable.
The ABC Police Department is requesting $150,000 to obtain a software system
that will aid in dispatching officers and allow for improved record keeping. The
department plans to purchase the system in early February 2008. After two
weeks of staff training, the ABC Police Department plans to go live with the new
software by March 1, 2008.
Organization description
Give a concise history of your organization, and summarize your agency’s ability
to meet the grant’s requirements and successfully implement the program.
The ABC Police Department was formed in 1941. Since then, it has worked to
meet the needs of the residents of ABC city. The department has created a
gang-prevention model now used throughout the state, and has twice won the
Excellence in Law Enforcement Award.
In 1991, the department purchased its first computer-aided dispatch software.
That system, now 15 years old, is incompatible with virtually all new technology
and has started to corrupt the agency’s data files.
In preparation of purchasing a new system, the ABC Police Department has
updated its office modem. The staff will also undergo a series of trainings to help
them understand how to use the new software.
Statement of Need
This is the time to convince the reader that your agency has important needs
that can be met through the grant funding. The statement of need can include
statistical data and concrete examples.
Every second counts when responding to an emergency. In 2006, the ABC
County coroner found that the lives of two drowning victims and one homicide
could have been saved if the ABC Police Department had arrived at the scene
sooner. Currently, the department responds to 90 percent of emergency calls
within six minutes of the time they are received. By decreasing the average
response time to four minutes, the ABC Police Department will be able to better
protect the citizens of ABC City.
The department plans to use the new CAD system to meet the goal of
responding to calls within four minutes. Using the new CAD system, dispatchers
will be able track when a call was placed, and determine how quickly a police
officer responded to the incident.
The department also hopes to use the new CAD system to create a reliable
database of names, addresses and incidents. The ABC Police Department’s
current database is filled with duplicate entries and inaccurate information. After
a two-week examination of the system in June 2007, the departments head
supervisor estimated that 25% of data is duplicated, outdated or contains errors.
The new CAD system would allow dispatchers to enter data once. The data
would then be automatically populated into appropriate records, reducing the
chance that data will be entered incorrectly.
Methodology & Funding Sources
This section should present a clear solution to the stated need. Other funding
sources should be listed briefly.
The ABC Police Department has chosen software solutions from Spillman
Technologies to help them meet their public safety needs. After a two-year
investigation and bidding process, the department concluded that Spillman
offered the best plan for reliable customer service, and could provide the
department with a system that can be enhanced over time and modified to meet
ABC City’s evolving law enforcement needs.
The total cost of the system is $150,000. ABC City will contribute $75,000. The
$150,000 system cost includes installation, training and a one-year maintenance
agreement.
The Final Summary
The final summary restates the intent of the project and affirms your readiness to
answer further questions
Thank you for considering ABC Police Department’s grant application. The
department firmly believes that a new software system will allow them to better
serve the residents of ABC City and create a comprehensive, reliable database.
Please direct any questions or concerns to Chief John Doe at xxx-xxxx.
SOURCE: Foundation Center