Recovery Act - STOP Violence Against Women Act Grant

The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is a component of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). Created in 1995, OVW implements the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and subsequent legislation and provides national leadership against domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. Since its inception, OVW has launched a multifaceted approach to responding to these crimes. By forging State, local and tribal partnerships among police, prosecutors, the judiciary, victim advocates, health care providers, faith leaders, and others, OVW grants help provide victims with the protection and services they need to pursue safe and healthy lives and enable communities to hold offenders accountable.

Recovery Act: VAWA Program States Allocations

The Services Training Officers Prosecutors (STOP) Violence Against Women (VAWA) Formula Grant Program (STOP Program), promotes a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to improving the criminal justice system's response to violent crimes against women. The STOP Program encourages the development and strengthening of effective law enforcement and prosecution strategies to address violent crimes against women and the development and strengthening of victim services in cases involving violent crimes against women. The STOP Program is administered at the federal level by the Office on Violence Against Women, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice and at the state level by the Missouri Department of Public Safety, Office of the Director.

Federal Stimulus Grant

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ("Recovery Act") of 2009 was signed into law by the President on February 17, 2009. The law included a direct appropriation of $225 million in grant funding to be administered by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). Of the total amount of this appropriation, $50 million shall be for transitional housing assistance grants for victims of domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault as authorized by section 40299 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-322).

Applying For Funding Through DPS

Please note: Applicants under this solicitation must include a DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) number in their application. Applications without a DUNS number are incomplete. In addition to the DUNS number, applicants are required to maintain current registrations in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database. If your organization does not know its DUNS number or needs to register for one, visit Dun & Bradstreet at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do

Allocation of Funds

The STOP Program Funds are to be distributed to public and nonprofit agencies to carry out programs and projects specified under the eligible statutory purposes. States must allocate at least 25 percent of each year's grant award to law enforcement programs, at least 25 percent to prosecution programs, at least 5 percent for court programs, and at least 30 percent to nonprofit, nongovernmental victim service programs, of that 10 percent must be allocated to culturally specific community-based organizations. These are statutory requirements. These allocations may not be redistributed or transferred to another area. The remainder of the funds may be spent at the discretion of the state to address the statutory program purposes of this program.

Statutory Purpose Areas

  • Training law enforcement officers, judges, other court personnel, and prosecutors to more effectively identify and respond to violent crimes against women
  • Developing, training, or expanding units of law enforcement officers, judges, other court personnel, and prosecutors specifically targeting violent crimes against women
  • Developing and implementing more effective police, court, and prosecution policies, protocols, orders, and services specifically devoted to preventing, identifying, and responding to violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence
  • Developing, installing, or expanding data collection and communication systems for the purpose of identifying and tracking arrests, protection orders, violations of protection orders, prosecutions, and convictions for violent crimes against women;
  • Developing, enlarging, or strengthening victim services programs;
  • Developing, expanding, or strengthening programs addressing stalking;
  • Supporting formal and informal statewide, multidisciplinary efforts to coordinate the response of agencies to violent crimes against women;
  • Training of sexual assault forensic medical personnel examiners in the collection and preservation of evidence;
  • Developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs to address the needs and circumstances of older and disabled women who are victims of domestic violence or sexual assault;
  • Providing assistance to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in immigration matters.

Match Requirements

All STOP recipients must provide 25% of the total project cost in cash or in-kind match.

Subgrantee Organization Eligibility Requirements

  • Be a public or nonprofit organization, or a combination of such organizations.
  • Comply with the applicable provisions of STOP, the Program Guidelines, and the requirements of the OJP Financial Guide.
  • Maintain statutorily required civil rights statistics on victims served.
  • Grantees and subgrantees shall develop a plan for implementation.
  • Applicants and grantees must certify that its laws, policies, and practices do not require that the victim bear the costs associated with the filing of criminal charges against the offender, or the costs associated with the filing, issuance, registration, or service of a warrant, protection order, petition for a protection order or witness subpoena, whether issued inside or outside the state.
  • Applicants are discouraged from proposing projects that include activities that may compromise victim safety.

Eligible Subgrantee Organizations

State and local units of government and public and private nonprofit organizations are eligible to receive STOP funds.

Allowable Services

In general, STOP Program funds may support personnel, training, technical assistance, evaluation, data collection, and equipment costs to enhance the apprehension, prosecution, and adjudication of persons committing violent crimes against women, and enhance services that meet the needs of women victimized by violence.

Contract Period

TBA

VAWA Stimulus Funding: Approximately $2,655,994 to be spent over duration of 2 years

Due to limited funding provided for VAWA grants, Victim Service programs are also encouraged to apply for JAG funding under the Crime Victim and Witness Programs purpose area.

Proposals are no longer being accepted for Recovery Act Victims of Crime Act Grant funding.