The OVW state and territory domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions program, (coalitions program, cfda 16.556) is authorized by 34 U.S.C. 10441(c) and 34 U.S.C. 12511(d)

The Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice, awarded $243,213 to Alabama Coalition Against Rape, Inc. on October 1, 2025, under the State Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program (CFDA 16.556).

Alabama Coalition Against Rape, Inc., doing business as Acar, a Montgomery, Alabama-based nonprofit, coordinates statewide victim services activities and collaborates with federal, state, and local entities engaged in violence against women activities. The award funds coordination of victim services, training and technical assistance to member organizations and allied professionals including law enforcement, medical personnel, and victim advocates, development of service standards for underserved populations, and facilitation of multi-agency coordination efforts to prevent and respond to sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking across Alabama.

The period of performance runs from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Place of performance is Montgomery, Alabama.

The State Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program is a formula grant program that supports state and territory coalitions. Grant funds may be used to coordinate victim services activities, collaborate with federal and state entities on violence against women activities, work with local sexual assault programs and service providers, encourage appropriate responses to sexual assault in courts and law enforcement, develop responses to child custody and visitation issues involving sexual assault, design and conduct public education campaigns, and coordinate the distribution of grants to other state and territory entities.

This grant program supports the critical work of state and territory domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions. IT is a set-aside program under the OVW stop violence against women formula grant program statute and also includes a statutory set aside from the sexual assault services program (sasp) statute, specifically for state and territory sexual assault coalitions. Grant funds authorized under the stop set-aside may be used for one or more of the following purposes: 1. Coordinating state and territory victim services activities. 2. Collaborating and coordinating with federal, state, territory, and local entities engaged in violence against women activities. Grant funds authorized under the sasp set-aside may be used for one or more of the following purposes: a) working with local sexual assault programs and other providers of direct services to encourage appropriate responses to sexual assault within the state or territory. B) working with judicial or law enforcement agencies to encourage appropriate responses to sexual assault cases. C) working with courts, child protective services agencies, and childrens advocates to develop appropriate responses to child custody and visitation issues when sexual assault has been determined to be a factor. D) designing and conducting public education campaigns. E) planning and monitoring the distribution of grants and grant funds to their state or territory. F) collaborating with and informing federal, state, or local public officials and agencies to develop and implement policies to reduce or eliminate sexual assault.