The Office on Violence Against Women is excited to announce its Justice for Families Program 2024.
Donor Name: Office on Violence Against Women
State: All States
County: All Counties
Territory: American Samoa, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and U.S. Virgin Islands
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/03/2024
Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
The Grants to Support Families in the Justice System Program (referred to as the Justice for Families Program) was authorized in the Violence Against Women Act of 2013 to improve the response of the civil and criminal justice system to families with a history of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, or in cases involving allegations of child sexual abuse.
The Justice for Families Program supports the following activities for improving the capacity of courts and communities to respond to families affected by the targeted crimes: court-based and court-related programs; supervised visitation and safe exchange by and between parents; training for people who work with families in the court system; and civil legal assistance.
Purpose Areas
Pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12464, funds under this program must be used for one or more of the five purposes discussed below. Although the statute contains eight distinct purpose areas, OVW is limiting applicants to addressing only purpose areas 1, 3, 5, 6, and 8:
- (Purpose Area 1) Supervised visitation and safe exchange;
- (Purpose Area 3) Training for court-based and court-related personnel;
- (Purpose Area 5) Court and court-based programs and services;
- (Purpose Area 6) Civil legal assistance; and
- (Purpose Area 8) Training within the civil justice system.
Priority Areas
In 2024, OVW has four programmatic priorities. The priorities identified below are applicable to this program. Applicants are strongly encouraged, but not required, to address a priority area. Applicants that state that they are addressing a priority area and meet the criteria for that priority area will be given special consideration.
- Advance equity and tribal sovereignty as essential components of ending sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking by improving outreach, services, civil and criminal justice responses, prevention, and support for survivors from historically marginalized and underserved communities, particularly those facing disproportionate rates or impacts of violence and multiple barriers to services, justice, and safety. Special consideration for this priority will be given to tribal applicants that propose to develop or enhance domestic violence specialized courts, consolidated courts, or dockets.
- Increase access to justice for all survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, including through exploration of survivor-centered criminal justice system reform. To receive special consideration under this priority area, applicants must demonstrate a coordinated systems and community approach for court cases involving domestic violence. Applicants addressing this priority area may propose to develop domestic violence specialized courts, consolidated courts, dockets and/or intake centers. Applicants should demonstrate meaningful coordination and collaboration with system and community partners such as prosecutors, defense attorneys, civil legal assistance, advocates, population-specific organizations, and/or a resource coordinator in the proposal narrative and signed Memorandum of Understanding.
- Expand economic justice and financial advocacy for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, including as a tool for violence prevention. To receive special consideration under this priority area, applicants must include project activities to address barriers in accessing community services due to a lack of transportation and childcare. Applicants addressing this priority area may include costs in the budget for items such as transportation for supervised visitation/safe exchange, transportation for court hearings, and childcare in court settings for domestic violence or sexual assault cases.
Types of Grants
- Standard Project: Applicants must propose activities either under purpose area 1 (supervised visitation/safe exchange) or 5 (court and court-based programs). If an applicant is proposing to provide supervised visitation/safe exchange services (purpose area 1), the applicant must propose activities under at least one additional purpose area. The courts’ purpose area (purpose area 5) can be addressed in combination with another purpose area or on its own under any one or more of the purpose area 5 sub-categories. However, applications that address pro se victim assistance programs (purpose area 5(b)) or propose education and outreach programs (purpose area 5(e)) also must propose activities under at least one more purpose area 5 subcategory or other purpose area(s).
- Comprehensive Project: Applicants must propose activities under purpose areas 1 (supervised visitation/safe exchange), 5 (court and court-based programs), and 6 (civil legal assistance). Applicants may include additional purpose areas in a comprehensive project application but are required to include purpose areas 1, 5, and 6.
Funding Information
The award period is 36 months. Budgets, including the total “estimated funding” on the SF-424, must reflect 36 months of project activity. OVW anticipates that the award period will start on October 1, 2024.
This program typically makes awards in the range of $600,000 – $700,000. OVW estimates that it will make up to 20 awards for an estimated $14,000.000.
Funding levels under this program for 2024 are:
- Standard projects: up to $600,000 for the entire 36 months.
- Comprehensive projects: up to $700,000 for the entire 36 months.
Eligibility Criteria
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- State governments
Eligible applicants are limited to: States, units of local government, courts (including juvenile courts), Indian tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, legal services providers, and victim service providers in the United States or U.S. territories (District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands).
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
