Public Safety Grants 101: Crafting a Narrative and Budget

For public safety agencies facing budget constraints, securing grant funding can be a great way to procure innovative tools that may not be possible otherwise. However, when current budgets fall short, a well-prepared grant application can bridge the gap. You can strategically prepare for grant opportunities by crafting a compelling narrative and budget that can be submitted for any grant opportunities that arise.

Each organization has an annual budget and as we all know, not every want or need makes it into the final published version. Those five desired Skydio X10s may end up in the final published budget as only one X10. This is how you can make up for budget shortfalls.

How to prepare a strong public safety grant application

The grant application process can be highly competitive. To set your agency up for success and give yourself the best chance at winning the award, you should be preparing the components of your grant application now. Use this strategy to build the foundation of any grant application–a compelling narrative and a budget–for any project or equipment that is not currently funded by your approved budget.

Preparing a strong, competitive narrative and budget in advance will allow your agency to act quickly when funding becomes available, avoiding the rush of tight grant deadlines. Grant application deadlines always come too soon, so get ahead of the curve by doing your homework now.

Writing a compelling grant narrative for law enforcement funding

A grant narrative is the heart of your application. It tells the story of why your project matters, how it addresses a critical need, and why the requested project or equipment is the solution. Consider which departments or units will use them and their various use cases. Each different use case should be a separate application, which helps “categorize” them by project or equipment intent. This can make narrowing down future grant opportunities much easier.

Detail the specific challenge your agency faces and explain how budget shortfalls prevent addressing this issue, emphasizing that only grant funding can enable a solution. Explain why your agency needs the four X10s that were originally cut from your budget and find ways to incorporate the product features to describe how they’ll be used.

If you plan to use them for search and rescue, you might say something like:

“With advanced AI capabilities for data capture, 360-degree visibility using six custom-designed navigation lenses, thermal imaging that boasts detection at 1,640 feet and identification at 320 feet, we will be far better equipped when searching for lost kayakers in the large lakes that might otherwise take hours to clear.”

Compelling statistics about your community also make your project stand out. Consider using the number of residents in the community that will benefit from this project. Are they low-to-moderate income? If so, mention census numbers showing the number of underserved in the project population. Focus on painting a picture of the impacted community to help the reader understand who they are helping by awarding the grant to you.

For example:

“Our jurisdiction is 13 square miles serving over 30,000 residents with a mean LMI of 52% with five area lakes boasting a summertime population of nearly 100,000 residents.”

You can also include the number of call outs in the past year for search and rescue. Compelling factual statements about the need for the equipment in your community will complete the narrative abstract. These statements should incorporate your real-life scenarios that would have had better outcomes if a Skydio X10 had been deployed.

For example:

“In 2024, our organization had 15 water rescues, three of which involved capsized boats. Rapid response is a major disadvantage when responding to over six miles of the Guadalupe River in our jurisdictional area. Skydio X10 can be deployed within seconds to locate the victim, provide real-time monitoring of the situation, and deployment of rescue personnel, whether day or night. Without the Skydio X10, we send officers to a probable location at the river to gather information and supply assistance. At night, we rely on a local helicopter to provide search lights. Our current method of response without the Skydio X10 may take three hours or more and cost as much as $50,000 per flight to locate and rescue. The Skydio X10 will reduce response time by an average of 3.5 hours and increase officer safety by ensuring they aren’t navigating dangerous terrain on foot.”

The entire narrative abstract can be less than 500 words. In fact, many applications limit the number of words or characters in their applications. Since we do not have a specific grant application, keep the abstract to about one page.

Building a detailed budget for public safety grant requests

Now we are ready to put numbers to the project. Reach out to your equipment vendor to get a quote that won’t expire for at least a year. Be sure to let them know that you are applying for a grant and may not purchase the equipment immediately. The quote should include detailed line items of everything needed to operate it, including organizational training, staff overtime, and any other expenses your organization will encounter.

Consider using a spreadsheet format with each line item supported by a vendor quote, and a simple, transparent sentence justifying the need. Total the spreadsheet and include any taxes, handling, and shipping fees to see how much grant funding is needed to complete this project.

Create a reusable grant template to apply faster

When combined, these components provide a strong foundation for any grant application. Other components may be required, but they vary and should be completed on a case-by-case basis. Preparing a compelling narrative and budget ensures that when opportunities arise, you’ll only need to make a few slight edits to customize it for that specific grant and submit.

Happy grant hunting!

Kathy Wood is a public safety grant strategist with decades of experience helping law enforcement agencies secure funding for critical technology. She specializes in crafting compelling narratives that turn operational needs into funded realities.