Into Letter - Local Officials

Sample introductory letter from CDFI Fund to Local CD/ED Officials:

CDFI FUND LETTERHEAD

DATE

Dear XXX:

The Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund of the U.S. Department of the Treasury has contracted with the Urban Institute, a non-profit policy research organization based in Washington, DC, to conduct a survey of local community and economic development officials. This survey will help the Fund better understand the role of local government and community organizations in the projects initiated by Community Development Financial institutions and Community Development Entities (CDEs) certified by the CDFI Fund.

Your community has been selected at random from among the many communities in the country that have such projects. While your participation in this study is voluntary, I encourage you to participate; through your participation, you will help the CDFI Fund learn more about how its programs fit into local community and economic development plans and initiatives.

It is the CDFI Fund’s intention to use the information collected only in aggregate form and only for research purposes, unless we are required by law to release more detailed information. All requests for information from the public (through the Freedom of Information Act [FOIA] or otherwise) will be examined by the CDFI Fund on a case-by-case basis to ensure that, where possible, personally identified information is protected from release.

The Urban Institute has a longstanding and excellent reputation. Silber & Associates, an independent survey research firm, will be working with the Urban Institute to administer this survey.

The attached letter from the Urban Institute provides detailed information on the survey. Should you have any concerns about participating, please do not hesitate to call Greg Bischak, the CDFI Fund’s Manager for Financial Strategies and Research, at (202) 622-8669 or bischakg@cdfi.treas.gov.

Sincerely,

Donna J. Gambrell,

Director