THE CHESTER COUNTY CARING COMMUNITIES COALITION
REQUEST FOR PROGRAM/PROJECT PROPOSAL SUPPORT
GUIDELINES & CRITERIA

Mission: “The Chester County Caring Communities Coalition is a web of agencies, individuals, and organizations working to prevent and reduce youth health and behavioral issues including substance abuse, delinquency, teen pregnancy, school drop out and violence through connecting resources that promote healthy youth and families throughout Chester County.”

Goals of Coalition: One of the main objectives of the Chester County Caring Communities Coalition is to promote collaboration. As a network of providers, we are charged to be a source of programmatic vision, collaboration and innovation for those working to meet the needs of our children and youth; and advocate for the expansion of community resources needed to address the prevention and intervention needs of children and youth.

It is our goal through these guidelines to support grant applications made by our partner organizations and provide a network that helps strengthen programs and proposals and whenever possible, encourage the utilization of evidence – based programs.

Letter of Support: A Letter of Support acknowledges that the program brought before the board addresses an identified need in the community and supports that this program/project could meet this need.

Letter of Support Requirements:

Letter of Support: Applicants must provide the following information for a letter of support:
a. Identify title/name of the Program/Project
b. Program/Project description
c. Target population and any eligibility requirement to participate in the Program/Project
d. Location of Program/Project
e. Risk Factors Program/Project addresses (identified community need)
f. Identify funding source for application
g. Identify additional partners
h. Identify term of the funding
i. Identify method of evaluating Program/Project effectiveness

Considerations for the Advisory Board:
The following criteria will be used as considerations by the Advisory Board to determine if a Letter of Support will be written.
1. a. Which problem behaviors, as stated in the Coalition’s Mission
Statement, does the program/project address and how will it positively
affect the incidence of the problem behavior?
b. Does the Program/Project have the cooperation of all entities involved
in the endeavor ?
c. Can the Program/Project work with the diverse racial, cultural, and
economic groups in the identified community?
d. Does this Program/Project complement or duplicate other programs
presently available?
e. Has the program been evaluated? What evidence exists of its
effectiveness? How will applicant measure program outcomes?
f. Does this Program/Project encourage community growth and
awareness of youth issues through continued expansion of community
collaborations?

2. Following a review of the Program/Project information, the
Advisory Board will discuss the request and vote accordingly.

3. The Advisory Board Chairperson will develop and submit Letters of
Support on behalf of the Coalition.

4. All Letters of Support are based on specific grant applications. All letters
of endorsed support from the coalition can only be utilized for the
specific Program/Project request. Applicants must request additional
Letters of Support for additional funding sources and/or
re-application.