The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) is seeking applications for its Federal Victims of Crime Act Victim Assistance Grant.
Donor Name: Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)
State: Kansas
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/22/2023
Grant Duration: 12 months
Details:
The purpose of this grant program is to fund public agencies, American Indian tribe/organizations, nonprofit, community, and faith-based organizations, including underserved and culturally specific populations providing direct assistance to crime victims. For the purpose of these grant program guidelines, direct services are defined as those efforts that
- respond to the emotional and physical needs of crime victims;
- assist primary and secondary victims of crime to stabilize their lives after a victimization;
- assist victims to understand and participate in the criminal justice system; and
- provide victims of crime with a measure of safety such as boarding up broken windows and replacing or repairing locks. A crime victim is a person who has suffered physical, sexual, financial, or emotional harm as a result of the commission of a crime.
The Crime Victims Fund has experienced a significant decline in recent years resulting in fewer VOCA funds being awarded to states and territories. As a result, the KGGP is projecting approximately 40 percent less funds available for FY 2024 VOCA subgrant awards.
Distribution of funds
- Priority is given to victims of adult sexual assault, domestic violence, and child physical and sexual abuse. Thus, a minimum of 10 percent of each federal fiscal year’s grant will be allocated to each of these categories. An additional 10 percent of each federal fiscal year’s grant will be allocated to victims of violent crime (other than the “priority” category as stated above) who were “previously underserved” (40 percent total). These underserved crime victims of either adult or juvenile offenders may include, but are not limited to, victims of federal crimes; survivors of homicide victims; or victims of assault, robbery, gang violence, hate and bias crimes, intoxicated drivers, bank robbery, economic exploitation, fraud, or elder abuse.
- Organizations are strongly encouraged to engage community partners in identifying gaps, developing collaborative partnerships, and creating innovative ways to reach underserved populations of crime victims. Where multiple applications are received from the same community, applicants should demonstrate communication and planning to ensure proposed projects would complement one another and do not duplicate services, unless necessary to meet the needs of crime victims in the community.
- The KGGP may award VOCA funds to organizations physically located in an adjacent state, when there is an efficient and cost-effective mechanism available for providing services to victims who reside in Kansas. When grant awards are made to organizations in an adjacent state, the amount of the grant award must be proportional to the number of Kansans to be served by the organization. It would be the responsibility of the applicant to track, both programmatically and fiscally, the Kansas-specific victims served, and services provided.
Project Period
Grant projects funded by this VOCA grant program shall be for a period of 12 months from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024.
Eligibility Criteria
VOCA specifies an organization must provide services to crime victims and be operated by a public agency, nonprofit, community, or faith-based organization, or a combination of such agencies or organizations, to be eligible to receive VOCA funding. Eligible organizations include, but are not limited to, sexual assault and rape crisis centers, domestic violence programs and shelters, child abuse programs, centers for missing children, mental health services, community and faith-based organizations, and other community-based victim coalitions and support organizations.
In addition, organizations are eligible to receive VOCA funds, if the funds are used to expand or enhance the delivery of crime victim services. These organizations include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Criminal Justice Agencies
- Agencies such as law enforcement organizations, prosecutors’ offices, courts, corrections departments, and probation and paroling authorities are eligible to receive VOCA funds to help pay for victim services. For example, prosecutor-based victim services may include victim-witness programs, victim notification and victim impact statements, including statements of pecuniary damages for restitution. Corrections-based victim services may include victim notification, restitution advocacy, victim-offender mediation programs, and victim impact panels. Police-based victim services may include victim crisis units or victim advocates, victim registration and notification, and cellular phone and alarm services for domestic abuse victims. In general, VOCA funds may be used to provide crime victim services that exceed a law enforcement official’s typical duties. Regular law enforcement duties such as crime scene intervention, questioning of victims and witnesses, investigation of the crime and follow-up activities may not be paid for with VOCA funds.
- Faith-Based Organizations
- Such organizations receiving VOCA funds must ensure services are offered to all crime victims without regard to religious affiliation and the receipt of services is not contingent upon participation in a religious activity or event.
- Hospitals and Emergency Medical Facilities
- KGGP encourages such organizations to offer crisis counseling, support groups, and/or other types of victim services. In addition, the KGGP may only award VOCA funds to a medical facility for the purpose of performing forensic examinations for sexual assault victims if the examination meets the standards established by the state, local prosecutor’s office, or statewide sexual assault coalition; and appropriate crisis counseling and/or other types of victim services are offered to the victim in conjunction with the examination. State law requires counties where the alleged offense occurs to be responsible for the cost of conducting a sexual assault examination for the purpose of gathering evidence .
- Others
- State and local public agencies such as mental health service organizations, state/local public child and adult protective services, state grantees, legal services agencies, and public housing authorities that have components specifically trained to serve crime victims.
For more information, visit OVC.
