oppOVW-2018-13830-cfda16.023-instructions..pdf

OMB Number – 1122-0020 Expiration Date: 12/31/2018

U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)

OVW Fiscal Year 2018 Sexual Assault Services Culturally

Specific Program Solicitation

Release Date: on or about January 5, 2018

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are limited to: private nonprofit organizations for which the primary purpose of the organization as a whole is to provide culturally specific services to American Indians (including Alaska Natives, Eskimos, and Aleuts), Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other

Pacific Islanders, Blacks, or Hispanics.

(See “Eligibility Information”)

Deadlines

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (E.T.) on February 15, 2018.

(See “Submission Dates and Times”)

Registration Information: To submit an application, all applicants must obtain a Data Universal Number System (DUNS) Number and register online with the System for Award Management (SAM) and with Grants.gov. To ensure sufficient time to complete the registration process, applicants must obtain a DUNS Number and register online with SAM and with Grants.gov immediately, but no later than, January 31, 2018.

(See “Registration”)

Letter of Registration: Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a letter of registration to OVW.SASP.Cultural@usdoj.gov by January 24, 2018. This will ensure that applicants are well-http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:OVW.SASP.Cultural@usdoj.gov ii positioned to successfully submit an application by the deadline. Submitting a Letter of Registration will not obligate a potential applicant to submit an application. Interested applicants who do not submit a Letter of Registration are still eligible to apply.

(See “Letter of Registration”)

Pre-Application Information Sessions: OVW will conduct 2 web-based Pre-Application Information Sessions for entities interested in submitting an application for the Sexual Assault Services Culturally Specific Program. Participation in these sessions is optional. Interested applicants who do not participate are still eligible to apply.

(See “Pre-Application Information Sessions”)

Contact Information

For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, email OVW at OVW.SASP.Cultural@usdoj.gov. Alternatively, interested parties may call OVW at (202) 307- 6026.

Submission and Notification Information

Submission: Applications for the Sexual Assault Services Culturally Specific Program will be submitted through Grants.gov. For technical assistance with Grants.gov, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Line at 1-800-518-4726.

The Grants.gov number assigned to this announcement is OVW-2018-13830.

Notification: OVW anticipates notifying all applicants of funding decisions by October 1, 2018.

mailto:OVW.SASP.Cultural@usdoj.gov http://www.grants.gov/ iii

Contents A. Program Description

Overview

About the OVW Sexual Assault Services Culturally Specific Program

Program Scope

Purpose Areas

Mandatory Program Requirements

OVW Priority Areas

Activities that Compromise Victim Safety and Recovery and Undermine Offender Accountability

Out-of-Scope Activities

Unallowable Activities

B. Federal Award Information

Availability of Funds

Award Period

Award Amounts

Types of Applicants

C. Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

Eligible Entities

Nonprofit Organization Requirement – 501(c)(3) Status

Nonprofit Organization Requirement – Offshore Accounts

Cost Sharing or Match Requirement

Other Program Eligibility Requirements

Limit on Number of Applications

D. Application and Submission Information

Address to Request Application Package

Pre-Application Information Sessions

Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Registration

Application Contents

Formatting and Technical Requirements iv

Application Requirements

Summary Data Sheet

Proposal Abstract (not scored)

Project Narrative

Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Memorandum of Exemption (MOE) (20 Points Total)

Additional Required Information

Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS Number) and System for Award Management (SAM)

Submission Dates and Times

OVW Policy on Duplicate Applications

OVW Policy on Late Submissions

Intergovernmental Review - Single Point of Contact Review

Funding Restrictions

Other Submission Requirements

Submitting a Grant Application

E. Application Review Information

Criteria

Review and Selection Process

Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

F. Federal Award Administration Information

Federal Award Notices

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Reporting

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

H. Other Information

Application Checklist

APPENDIX A

Budget Guidance & Sample Budget Detail Worksheet

APPENDIX B

Sample Letter of Registration

APPENDIX C

Disclosures of Process Related to Executive Compensation v

APPENDIX D

Summary of Current and Recent OVW Projects

APPENDIX E

Summary of Current and Pending Non-OVW Grants to Do the Same or Similar Work

OVW Sexual Assault Services Culturally Specific Services Program

(CFDA 16.023)

A. Program Description Overview 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 on issues of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Since its inception, OVW has supported a multifaceted approach to responding to these crimes through implementation of grant programs authorized by VAWA. By forging state, local, and tribal partnerships among police, prosecutors, judges, victim advocates, health care providers, faith leaders, organizations that serve culturally specific and underserved communities, and others, OVW grants help provide victims, across their life span, with the protection and services they need to pursue safe and healthy lives, while improving communities’ capacity to provide justice for victims and hold offenders accountable.

About the OVW Sexual Assault Services Culturally Specific Program This program is authorized by 34 U.S.C. § 12511(c). Survivors of sexual assault from culturally specific communities frequently confront unique challenges, such as linguistic and cultural barriers, when seeking assistance. In order to provide the most appropriate services to such victims, the Sexual Assault Services Culturally Specific Program (hereinafter referred to as the SAS Culturally Specific Program) supports nonprofit organizations that focus primarily on culturally specific communities and have experience in the area of sexual assault or who partner with an organization having such expertise. The goal of the SAS Culturally Specific Program is to create, maintain, and expand sustainable sexual assault services provided by culturally specific organizations, which are uniquely situated to respond to the needs of sexual assault victims from culturally specific communities.

For additional information on the SAS Culturally Specific Program, including what past SAS Culturally Specific Program grantees have accomplished with their grant funds and to view the SAS Culturally Specific Program performance measures and grantee-reported data, see http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/vawamei/saspculturalmain.htm.

Program Scope Activities supported by the SAS Culturally Specific Program are determined by statute, federal regulations, and OVW policies. If an applicant receives an award, the funded project is bound by the provisions of this solicitation, the DOJ Financial Guide, including updates to the guide after an award is made, and the conditions of the award.

Purpose Areas In FY 2018, funds under the SAS Culturally Specific Program may be used to support the establishment, maintenance, and expansion of culturally specific intervention and related assistance for victims of sexual assault.

http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/vawamei/saspculturalmain.htm https://www.justice.gov/ovw/file/892031/download

Mandatory Program Requirements Sexual Assault Victim Services For the purposes of the SAS Culturally Specific Program, proposed activities regarding sexual assault victim services must extend beyond intimate partner sexual violence and include services to a broad range of survivors (e.g., adults abused as children, child and youth survivors, adults sexually assaulted by those other than an intimate partner such as a stranger, neighbor, family member, coworker, community leader, or clergy/spiritual leader). Applications proposing projects to serve only survivors of intimate partner sexual violence will be considered out of scope and removed from further funding consideration.

Applicants that receive funding under the SAS Culturally Specific Program will be required to provide intervention services and related assistance, which may include, but are not necessarily limited to:

o 24-hour hotline services providing crisis intervention services and referral;

o Accompaniment and advocacy through medical, criminal justice, and social support systems, including medical facilities, police, and court proceedings;

o Crisis intervention, short-term individual and group support services, and comprehensive service coordination and supervision to assist sexual assault victims and family or household members;

o Information and referral to assist the sexual assault victim and family or household members;

o Community-based, culturally specific services and support mechanisms, including outreach activities for underserved communities; and o Development and distribution of materials on issues related to the services offered.

OVW Priority Areas In FY 2018, OVW is interested in meaningfully increasing access to OVW programming for specific marginalized and/or underserved populations (based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, etc.). The SAS Culturally Specific Program is implementing this priority by encouraging applications that propose to develop and/or enhance culturally specific services for victims from underserved Black/African American communities.

Activities that Compromise Victim Safety and Recovery and Undermine Offender Accountability The following activities have been found to jeopardize victim safety, deter or prevent physical or emotional healing for victims, or allow offenders to escape responsibility for their actions:

1. Procedures or policies that exclude victims from receiving safe shelter, advocacy services, counseling, and other assistance based on their actual or perceived sex, age, immigration status, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental health condition, physical health condition, criminal record, work in the sex industry, or the age and/or gender of their children;1

2. Procedures or policies that compromise the confidentiality of information and/or privacy of persons receiving OVW-funded services;

1If an award is made, the recipient will also be subject to statutory prohibitions on discrimination. For further information on these civil rights requirements, see the section "Violence Against Women Act Non-Discrimination Provision” under “F. Federal Award Administration Information.”

3. Procedures or policies that require victims to take certain actions (e.g., seek an order of protection, receive counseling, participate in couples counseling or mediation, report to law enforcement, seek civil or criminal remedies, etc.) in order to receive services;

4. Procedures or policies that fail to include conducting safety planning with victims;

5. Project designs and budgets that fail to account for the access needs of individuals with disabilities, with limited English proficiency, or who are Deaf or hard of hearing;

6. Requiring mediation or counseling for couples as a systemic response to domestic violence or sexual assault, or in situations in which child sexual abuse is alleged;

7. Procedures or policies that deny access to services based on the victim’s relationship to the perpetrator; and

8. Materials that are not tailored to the dynamics of sexual assault or the culturally specific population to be addressed by the proposed project.

This list is not exhaustive. Applications that propose any activities that compromise victim safety and recovery or undermine offender accountability may receive a deduction in points during the review process or may be eliminated from consideration entirely.

Out-of-Scope Activities OVW has determined the activities listed below to be out of the program scope, and they will not be supported by SAS Culturally Specific Program funding.

1. Research projects (This does not include program assessments conducted only for internal improvement purposes. See “Research and Protection of Human Subjects” in the Solicitation Companion Guide).

2. Activities focused on prevention efforts and public education (e.g., bystander intervention, social norms campaigns, presentations on healthy relationships)

3. Criminal justice-related projects, including law enforcement, prosecution, courts, and forensic interviews

4. Sexual Assault Forensic Medical Examiner programs

5. Sexual Assault Response Team coordination

6. Providing training to allied professionals and the community (e.g., law enforcement, child protection services, prosecution, other community based organizations)

Applications that propose activities that are deemed to be substantially out-of-scope may receive a deduction in points during the review process or may be eliminated from consideration entirely.

Unallowable Activities OVW has determined the activities listed below to be unallowable, and they will not be supported by SAS Culturally Specific Program funding.

1. Lobbying;

2. Fundraising;

3. Purchase of real property;

4. Physical modifications to buildings, including minor renovations (such as painting or carpeting);

5. Construction.

Applicants that propose unallowable activities may receive a deduction in points during the review process or may be eliminated from consideration entirely.

https://www.justice.gov/ovw/page/file/1007726/download#Solicitation

An application that is deemed deficient in more than one of the aforementioned categories (activities that compromise victim safety, out-of-scope activities, unallowable activities) may not be considered for funding.

B. Federal Award Information Availability of Funds All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law. There is no guarantee that funds will be available in the future. Therefore, OVW encourages applicants to develop a plan to sustain project activities if federal funding through this program ceases to be available. Also, OVW may elect to make awards in a future fiscal year for applications submitted under this solicitation but not selected for FY 2018 funding, depending on the merits of the applications and on the availability of funding.

Award Period The grant award period is 36 months. Budgets must reflect 36 months of project activity, and the total “estimated funding” on the SF-424 must reflect 36 months. Generally, the award period will start on October 1, 2018.

Award Amounts Applicants should not exceed the award amounts listed in this solicitation and should carefully consider the resources needed to successfully implement the proposed project.

Awards under the SAS Culturally Specific Program for FY 2018 will be made for up to $300,000 for the entire 36 months.

OVW has the discretion to award grants for greater or lesser amounts than requested and to negotiate the scope of work and budget with applicants prior to awarding a grant.

The SAS Culturally Specific Program typically makes awards in the range of $290,000 to $320,000. OVW estimates that it will make up to 12 awards for an estimated $3,500,000.

Awards will be made as grants.

Types of Applicants In FY 2018, OVW will accept applications for the SAS Culturally Specific Program from the following:

New: applicants that have never received funding under the SAS Culturally Specific Program or whose previous funding expired more than 12 months ago.

Continuation: applicants that have an existing or recently closed (within the last 12 months) award under the SAS Culturally Specific Program. Continuation funding is not guaranteed.

SAS Culturally Specific Program grant recipients that received FY 2016 or 2017 awards are NOT eligible to apply.

Additionally, current grantees with a substantial amount (50% or more) of funds remaining at the time of application submission without adequate justification may not be considered for funding, or may receive a reduced award amount if selected for funding in FY 2018.

C. Eligibility Information Eligible Applicants It is very important that applicants review this information carefully. Applications that are submitted by ineligible entities or that do not meet all program eligibility requirements will not be considered for funding.

Eligible Entities Eligible entities for the SAS Culturally Specific Program are private nonprofit organizations for which the primary purpose of the organization as a whole is to provide culturally specific services to one or more of the following racial and ethnic communities:

• American Indians (including Alaska Natives, Eskimos, and Aleuts); Asian Americans;

Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders; Blacks; and Hispanics.2

Additionally, the applicant organization must meet the following requirements:

1. Have an advisory board or steering committee and staffing which is reflective of the targeted culturally specific community. Note: To determine whether the organization has an advisory board or steering committee and staffing that is reflective of the targeted culturally specific community, OVW will consider whether the advisory board, steering committee, and staff include members with knowledge or experience relevant to the targeted community. If federal funds are used for filling any of these positions, organizations may consider an applicant’s knowledge or experience relevant to the targeted community, as well as language skills needed to work with a particular population, but organizations may not consider a person’s race and/or ethnicity as a basis for hiring decisions.

2. Have documented organizational experience in the area of sexual assault intervention or have entered into a partnership with an organization having such experience; and

3. Have expertise in the development of community-based, linguistically and culturally specific outreach and intervention services relevant for the specific communities to which assistance would be provided or have the capacity to link to existing services in the community tailored to the needs of culturally specific populations. As defined in the Violence Against Women Act, 34 U.S.C. § 12291(a)(7), “culturally specific services” means “community-based services that include culturally relevant and linguistically specific services and resources to culturally specific communities.”

Note: If the culturally specific program is one division within a larger organization with other focuses (for example, a sexual assault organization with a division that focuses on Hispanic victims), the organization is not eligible because providing culturally specific services is not the

2 The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 defines “culturally specific” as “primarily directed toward racial and ethnic minority groups (as defined in section 1707(g) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. § 300u-6(g)).” 34 U.S.C. § 12291(a)(6). Section 300u-6(g)(1) defines the term “racial and ethnic minority group” to mean “American Indians (including Alaska Natives, Eskimos, and Aleuts); Asian Americans; Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders; Blacks; and Hispanics.” Therefore, applicants must demonstrate that the primary purpose of the organization as a whole is to provide services to one or more of these minority groups.

primary purpose of the organization as a whole.

Nonprofit Organization Requirement – 501(c)(3) Status To be eligible for the SAS Culturally Specific Program, an entity must be an organization that is described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of that Code. See 34 U.S.C. § 12291(b)(16)(B).

Nonprofit Organization Requirement – Offshore Accounts Any nonprofit organization that holds money in offshore accounts for the purpose of avoiding paying the tax described in section 511(a) of the Internal Revenue Code is not eligible for a grant from the SAS Culturally Specific Program.

Cost Sharing or Match Requirement This program has no match or cost sharing requirement.

Other Program Eligibility Requirements In addition to meeting the eligible entity requirements outlined above, applications for the SAS Culturally Specific Program must also meet the requirements below. All certification and other eligibility related documents must be current and developed in accordance with the FY 2018 solicitation. Applications that do not meet all of the program eligibility requirements below will not be considered for funding under the SAS Culturally Specific Program.

Required Partnerships In general, partners identified in the application as receiving a portion of the award are subrecipients and not contractors because they meet the criteria in 2 C.F.R. § 200.330 for distinguishing between subrecipients and contractors: they will be using federal funds to carry out a program for a public purpose specified in the authorizing statute for this program (as opposed to providing goods or services for the benefit of the applicant), will have their performance measured in relation to whether objectives of the grant program were met, and will have responsibility for programmatic decision making. For more information, see the Solicitation Companion Guide.

All applicants must meet one of the following categories as it relates to partnership requirements:

1. Category I – a) The applicant is a culturally specific organization AND b) the agency has a demonstrated history of providing sexual assault victim services, beyond intimate partner sexual violence, for a minimum of three (3) years. Therefore, no partnership is required.

2. Category II – a) The applicant is a culturally specific organization and will be partnering with another culturally specific organization(s) that would otherwise be eligible to apply independently under the SAS Culturally Specific Program; AND b) either the applicant agency or partner(s) has a demonstrated history of providing sexual assault victim services, beyond intimate partner sexual violence, for a minimum of three (3) years.

3. Category III – The applicant is a culturally specific organization with less than three (3) years of experience providing sexual assault victim services beyond intimate partner sexual violence. The applicant will be partnering with a sexual assault victim services organization that is otherwise NOT eligible to apply independently under the SAS Culturally Specific Program. In such a case, partner compensation is limited to $30,000 for the three-year award period. These funds should be used to provide technical assistance on sexual assault and related victim services to the applicant/lead agency.

Partnership Category

Applicant is a Culturally Specific Organization

Sexual Assault Victim Services Experience*

Partner Organization

Category I Yes Minimum of 3 years None required Category II Yes Minimum of 3 years – held by either applicant or partner agency

Another culturally specific organization.

No cap on partner compensation.

Category III Yes Less than 3 years Non-culturally specific sexual assault victim services organization.

Compensation capped at $30,000.

*NOTE: Sexual assault victim services experience must include working with survivors beyond the context of intimate partner violence.

Limit on Number of Applications OVW will consider only one application per organization in response to this solicitation. If an applicant submits multiple versions of the same application, OVW will review only the most recent system-validated version submitted before the deadline.

D. Application and Submission Information Address to Request Application Package The complete application package is available on Grants.gov or at the OVW website. Applicants wishing to request a paper copy of the application materials should contact OVW.SASP.Cultural@usdoj.gov.

Pre-Application Information Sessions OVW will conduct 2 web-based pre-application information sessions for entities interested in submitting an application for the SAS Culturally Specific Program. Participation in these sessions is optional. Interested applicants who do not participate are still eligible to apply.

During these sessions, OVW staff will review the SAS Culturally Specific Program requirements, review the solicitation, and allow for a brief question and answer period. These sessions are tentatively scheduled for:

1. Friday, January 12, 2018 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. E.T.

2. Friday, January 19, 2018 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. E.T.

Anyone interested in submitting an application to the SAS Culturally Specific Program may register to participate in a pre-application information session. The total number of participants for each session may be limited. Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis, and space is not guaranteed. Interested participants from the same agency/jurisdiction are strongly encouraged to participate together so that as many interested applicants as possible can join a session. OVW reserves the right to deny multiple registrations from a single agency/jurisdiction.

https://www.justice.gov/ovw/open-solicitations

To register, contact Charlayna Brady at Charlayna.brady@usdoj.gov. Registration must be received at least 1 day prior to the start of the session. Participants are not registered until they receive a confirmation email. Webinars will be captioned in English and Spanish. Interested applicants needing additional language assistance should contact Charlayna Brady at Charlayna.brady@usdoj.gov as soon as possible.

Content and Form of Application Submission The information below (“Letter of Registration” through “Additional Required Information”) describes the full content and form of application submission.

Letter of Registration Applicants intending to apply for FY 2018 funding under this program are strongly encouraged to submit a letter of registration. The letter should state that the applying organization is registered and current with SAM and with Grants.gov. The letter should be submitted to OVW at OVW.SASP.Cultural@usdoj.gov by January 24, 2018. This will ensure that the applicant is well-positioned to successfully submit a proposal by the application deadline. This letter will not obligate the applicant to submit an application. See Appendix B for a sample Letter of Registration.

Application Contents This section describes what is included in a complete application package. Applicants should anticipate that failure to submit an application that contains all of the specified elements will negatively affect the review of the application and may result in the application not being considered for funding. Should a decision be made to make an award, the award may include special conditions that preclude access to or use of award funds pending satisfaction of the conditions. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that a complete application is submitted by the deadline.

Applicants should not submit documents that were not specifically asked for in the solicitation.

Providing information that was not requested will not increase the likelihood that an application will be selected for funding. All materials submitted as part of an application may be released pursuant to a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

Formatting and Technical Requirements Applications must follow the requirements below. Points may be deducted for applications that do not adhere to the following requirements:

1. Double spaced (Project Abstract, Summary Data Sheet and charts may be single space)

2. 8½ x 11 inch paper

3. One-inch margins

4. Type no smaller than 12 point, Times New Roman font

5. Page numbers

6. No more than 20 pages for the Project Narrative

7. Word documents in the following formats: Microsoft Word (.doc), PDF files (.pdf), or Text

Documents (.txt).

8. Headings and sub-headings that correspond to the sections identified in this section of the solicitation.

mailto:Charlayna.brady@usdoj.gov mailto:Charlayna.brady@usdoj.gov

Application Requirements Applications must include the following required documents and demonstrate that the program eligibility requirements have been met. OVW will not contact applicants for missing items on the list below. Applications that do not address all of the following components will be considered substantially incomplete and will not be considered for funding:

1. Project Narrative

2. Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative

3. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Memorandum of Exemption (MOE)

In addition to the application being scored on the documents listed above, the Summary Data Sheet will also be scored.

Summary Data Sheet (5 Points Total) The Summary Data Sheet should be one to four pages in length and may be single or double spaced. The Summary Data Sheet does not count toward the 20 page limit for the Project Narrative. Provide the following information:

1. Name, title, address, phone number, and e-mail address of the individual with authority to accept grants on behalf of the applicant.

2. Name, title, address, phone number, and e-mail address for the grant point-of-contact.

This person must be an employee of the applicant.

3. Statement as to whether the applicant (i.e., the organization whose DUNS number is being used for the application) will serve as a fiscal agent/sponsor for an entity or entities that will ultimately implement the project, and that the applicant itself will not be involved with implementation of the project beyond issuing a subaward or subawards to other entities. If this is the case, the applicant must include a statement acknowledging that, should an award be made, the applicant will be responsible for all applicable statutory, fiscal, and programmatic requirements, including those of 2 CFR Part 200, as well as all project deliverables. The applicant must also list all of the entities with which it will enter into agreements to implement the project, and should include a description of how these entities intend to accomplish the purposes of the award (if such a description is not already provided in a Memorandum of Understanding submitted as part of the application). Note that, in such situations, the fiscal agent/sponsor must be an eligible applicant for the program.

4. Statement as to whether the applicant has expended $750,000 in federal funds in the applicant’s past fiscal year. If so, specify the end date of the applicant’s fiscal year.

5. Summary of current and recent OVW projects (if applicable). If the applicant has a current grant or cooperative agreement under any OVW grant program or an award that has been closed within the last 12 months from the date this solicitation closes, the information must be provided in a table using the format found in APPENDIX D. Failure to provide the required table will result in a loss of points.

6. Statement as to whether the applicant is a nonprofit organization that is described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of that Code.

7. A list of other federal grant programs from which the applicant currently receives funding or for which it has applied for funding in FY 2018 to do similar work. Provide this information in a table using the format found in APPENDIX E.

8. Statement as to whether the applicant is a nonprofit organization that holds money in offshore accounts for the purpose of avoiding paying the tax described in section 511(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl

9. Statement as to whether the applicant is a nonprofit organization that uses the Internal Revenue Service's three-step safe-harbor procedure to establish a rebuttable presumption that its executives' compensation is reasonable. If the applicant is not a nonprofit organization or is a nonprofit that does not use the safe-harbor procedure, provide a statement to that effect. For additional information about the safe-harbor procedure, see "Disclosures Related to Executive Compensation" in the Additional Required Information section.

10. Statement as to whether the application addresses the priority area of developing and/or enhancing culturally specific services for victims from underserved Black/African American communities.

11. Culturally specific population(s) served by the organization and the culturally specific populations to be served under the grant project.

12. The number of individuals on the lead agency’s advisory board, steering committee, and staff and whether they reflect the targeted culturally specific community either through knowledge or experience relevant to that community.

13. Statement as to whether the applicant is submitting an MOE or an MOU. If the applicant is submitting an MOU, please list the name(s) of MOU project partner(s) and the Partnership Category (II or III) (see “Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Memorandum of Exemption (MOE)” in the “Content and Form of Application Submission” section).

14. The full mission statement of the applicant organization.

Proposal Abstract (not scored) The Proposal Abstract should provide a short and accurate summary (no more than two pages double-spaced) of the proposed project, including who will be involved with the proposed project, what will be done as primary activities, what products will be produced, the service area where the proposed project will take place and who will be impacted by the proposed project.

Applicants should not summarize past accomplishments in this section.

Project Narrative (60 Points Total) The Project Narrative may not exceed 20 pages in length, double-spaced. The Project Narrative must include the following three sections:

Purpose of Application (20 points) This section must:

1. Describe a) the service area for the project and b) the target population including geographic location, population, and demographic information (including any marginalized and/or underserved populations);3

2. Describe the problem of sexual assault within the local community (please use local statistics or narrative accounts whenever possible);

3. Describe the current level of sexual assault victim services in the community (from mainstream organizations as well as other culturally specific organizations) and the proximity of those services to the lead applicant and target population;

4. Describe in detail the gaps in current services and how the target population is currently underserved;

5. Describe the barriers individuals from the identified culturally specific group who are victims of sexual assault experience while attempting to seek services;

3 Applicants should use U.S. Census and other government data, as well as the Limited English Proficient Mapping Tool, available at www.lep.gov/maps/, to obtain this information.

http://www.lep.gov/maps/

6. Clearly state the need for the project. The need must directly relate to the culturally specific population to be served; and

7. Describe how the target population would benefit from the project, including how the project activities will address the identified gaps.

What Will Be Done (20 points) The application must provide a clear link between the proposed activities and the need identified in the “Purpose of Application” section above.

NOTE: Goals and activities cannot focus solely on serving survivors of intimate partner sexual violence, but must include services to a range of survivors (e.g., adults abused as children, child and youth survivors, adults sexually assaulted by those other than an intimate partner such as a stranger, neighbor, family member, coworker, community leader, clergy/spiritual leader). In consideration of funding limitations and agency needs, applicants may choose to focus goals and objectives on a certain age range.

1. Detail the goals and objectives, describing the specific tasks and activities necessary to accomplish each. Activities must be directly related to:

a. The needs of the identified culturally specific population; and

b. The types of direct intervention and related assistance for sexual assault victims as described in the table below. Applicants do not need to provide all of the services listed below as part of their projects; however, the proposed goals, objectives, and activities should generally reflect the types of services listed. The table is intended to describe the broad range of services that advocacy agencies may provide, but is not exhaustive. Different cultural expressions of trauma may require culturally congruent responses. Services made available to survivors of sexual assault should be representative of the specific community’s needs.4

2. Provide a tentative time line for the implementation of the proposed activities.

3. Describe whether the project will focus on a specific age demographic in the delivery of services to sexual assault victims (e.g., child and youth victims of sexual assault, adult victims, or sexual assault across the lifespan).

4. List current activities that address victim safety and recovery.

5. Provide a plan to address victim safety and recovery in the proposed project.

6. Describe how the proposed project will be accessible to individuals with disabilities, individuals who are Deaf of hard of hearing, and persons with limited English proficiency.

Applicants should consider the accessibility of services, products, outreach materials, websites, and trainings. Applicants can describe how they meet these accessibility concerns with current service delivery and whether these access options will be extended to victims requesting services under this project. Alternatively, applicants can include funds in their budgets to help improve accessibility.

4 Information about core and comprehensive services was taken from the “Building Comprehensive Sexual Assault Services Programs” publication created by the National Sexual Assault Coalition Resource Sharing Project and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. The resource was developed as part of the OVW Sexual Assault Demonstration Initiative and supported by Grant No. 2009-TA-AX-K011.

*Core Services are the basic services sexual assault service agencies provide to sexual violence survivors and the community. They are the essential services that meet the immediate needs of survivors. In many states and territories, state coalitions or state agencies define these core services by setting minimum standards of practice: the types of

Types of Services Core Services* Comprehensive Services** Core services plus…

Crisis Intervention Available 24 hours a day/7 days a week; Active listening and empathy; Reinforcement of coping skills

Consistency in crisis intervention for survivors who frequently access support;

Face-to-face options available for support on an ongoing basis (distinct from professional therapy); Staff and volunteers trained in and use techniques to help reduce trauma

Advocacy Education about medical options; Medical accompaniment and advocacy during forensic exam or other emergency care; Education about justice and safety options; Legal accompaniment and advocacy during reporting and through prosecution;

Legal accompaniment and advocacy provided for securing orders of protection;

Advocacy as requested by survivor for other basic needs

Medical accompaniment and advocacy provided for non-emergency medical services (e.g., OB/GYN care, dental care); Legal accompaniment and advocacy provided for civil law cases; Advocacy provided for other impacts on survivor (e.g., with employers, schools);

Ongoing evaluation of advocacy needs and delivery

Information and Referral Referrals to other service providers that can support survivors (e.g., therapists, social services, housing, legal assistance, holistic healing services)

Screening of agencies and service providers on referral list;

Policies for maintaining confidentiality when communicating with agencies and service providers;

Referrals for a wide range of health care (e.g., OB/GYN, chiropractors, massage therapists, acupuncturists);

Ongoing evaluation of new services that must be offered and the way services must be provided. These often include services such as 24-hour crisis intervention, hospital and legal accompaniment, and information and referrals for other needs.

**Comprehensive Services include core services as well as additional opportunities for survivors to heal and communities to prevent violence. These include services that address the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of sexual assault survivors and their allies.

These services go beyond the most immediate, pressing needs to support more in-depth healing, empowerment, and integration.

information and referral needs

Counseling and Therapy Psychoeducation about effects of trauma; Supportive listening, validation, and empowerment; Assistance with coping skills and trigger plans

Planned interventions and goals;

Ongoing evaluation of counseling and therapy delivery and outcomes; Use of specific modalities;

Provided by trained and/or licensed counselor or therapist

Support Groups Groups exchange information, share techniques for problem-solving, and explore feelings;

May be run by advocates or counselors; Peer-led support groups; May be curriculum-based, open or closed, short-term or ongoing; Culturally-relevant groups/Talking Circles; Sexual violence specific groups

Groups for adult survivors of child sexual abuse; Groups for male survivors; Groups for parents of child survivors;

Groups for LGBTQ survivors;

Groups for age-specific groups; Groups for survivors with disabilities; Groups in multiple languages (determined by community needs); Ongoing evaluation of delivery/outcomes

Holistic Healing Healing arts opportunities5 (e.g., art therapy, music therapy); Creative arts opportunities (e.g., knitting circles, writing groups);

Movement and exercise groups and classes;

Meditation and mindfulness classes and groups; Yoga;

Nutritional education;

Somatic (body) based approaches; Outdoor-based healing activities; Culturally-based approaches to healing;

Ongoing evaluation of survivor interests and delivery and outcomes of holistic opportunities

5 An emerging body of research suggests that somatic interventions (e.g., yoga) and mindfulness approaches may be effective for treating and managing trauma. See, for example: Epstein, R., & González, T. (2017). Gender & trauma

– somatic interventions for girls in juvenile justice: implications for policy and practice. Washington, DC:

Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality; and Mitchell, K. S., Dick, A. M., DiMartino, D. M., Smith, B.

N., Niles, B., Koenen, K. C. & Street, A. (2014). A pilot study of a randomized controlled trial of yoga as an intervention for PTSD symptoms in women. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 27, pp. 121–128. doi:10.1002/jts.21903.

http://www.law.georgetown.edu/academics/centers-institutes/poverty-inequality/upload/gender-and-trauma.pdf http://www.law.georgetown.edu/academics/centers-institutes/poverty-inequality/upload/gender-and-trauma.pdf

Institutional/Systems Advocacy

Professional training;

Community task forces (SARTs, etc.); Media advocacy

Regular review and improvements of protocols and policies;

Creation/integration of roles relevant to sexual assault intervention and prevention;

Regular communication with medical and legal partners;

Regular communication with other social services;

Ongoing evaluation of systems coordination and community change6

Support for Significant Others

Information and referrals;

Crisis intervention

Advocacy; Support groups;

Counseling/therapy; Child care

Survivor Activism and Involvement

Survivor participation in program advisory board;

Volunteer opportunities;

Survivor-led philanthropic events; Survivor political action committees;

Opportunities for survivors to speak publicly about their experiences (e.g., Speak Outs, Clothesline Project, art exhibits, publications, speakers’ bureau); Peer-led groups; Recruitment strategies when hiring to ensure survivors can and are encouraged to apply; Support for and empowerment of staff who are survivors7

Who Will Implement the Project (20 points)

1. Identify the key individuals and organizations involved in the proposed project.

2. Demonstrate that the individuals and organizations identified have the capacity to address the stated need, including the expertise necessary to appropriately serve any marginalized and/or underserved populations identified in the Purpose of the Application section, and can successfully implement the proposed project activities.

3. Describe the mission and the range of services provided by the organization.

6 Although critically important, these are not services and are generally out of scope activities under this program, and therefore cannot be supported with grant funds.

7 Although critically important, these are not services and are generally out of scope activities under this program, and therefore cannot be supported with grant funds.

4. Detail the overall experience and expertise of the organization.

5. Detail how the organization primarily focuses on the identified culturally specific community.

6. Describe how the various services provided are reflective of and responsive to the culturally specific community served and the needs of survivors.

7. Detail the organization’s expertise in developing community-based services that include culturally relevant and linguistically specific services for the identified community(ies) to be served. If the organization does not have this expertise, provide in detail the organization’s capacity to link to existing services within the community that provide such services tailored to the needs of the identified culturally specific population.

8. Clearly state whether the applicant organization has the required expertise providing sexual assault services along with a brief description of that expertise. If the applicant organization does not have this expertise, clearly state which partnering organization does along with a brief description of that expertise. NOTE: additional details about the level and range of organizational sexual assault expertise will be required in the Memorandum of Understanding or Memorandum of Exemption section.

9. Describe how the organization’s advisory board or steering committee members and staff are reflective of the identified culturally specific community through their knowledge or experience relevant to the targeted community.

10. Detail the expertise of the advisory board or steering committee as it relates to addressing sexual assault in the identified culturally specific community.

11. Detail the experience and expertise of key personnel who will be directly involved with the project, including job responsibilities of any new hires. Information provided should directly address whether such experience/expertise includes providing sexual assault services and to what extent this experience extends beyond intimate partner sexual violence.

12. If applicable, detail the experience and expertise of key personnel of any project partners. Information provided should directly address whether such experience/expertise includes providing sexual assault services and to what extent this experience extends beyond intimate partner sexual violence.

Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative (15 Points) All applications must include a detailed budget and budget narrative. A sample Budget Detail Worksheet is available in Appendix A. When preparing the Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative, use the Sample Budget Detail Worksheet as a guide and be sure to include all necessary budget categories as outlined in the Worksheet. Also, keep in mind that budgetary requirements vary slightly among programs. Applicants must read the solicitation closely to determine the requirements of the budget and budget narrative for each OVW program.

Additionally, the budget must adhere to the guidelines contained in the DOJ Financial Guide.

Award Period and Amount

1. The grant award period is 36 months. Budgets must reflect 36 months of project activity.

2. Awards for FY 2018 will be made for up to $300,000. Proposed budgets should not exceed this amount.

Budget Requirements Applicants must submit reasonable budgets based on the resources needed to implement their projects in their specific geographic location. The budget should display a clear link between the specific project activities and the proposed budget items. It should not contain any items that are not detailed in the project narrative. The budget narrative must support all costs included in the budget and explain how the costs of goods and services are determined and how they will fulfill the overall objective of the project.

In some circumstances, the budget and budget narrative will be reviewed separately from the proposed project narrative. Therefore, it is very important that the budget narrative be as comprehensive as possible and describe in a narrative format each line item requested in the budget.

The budget must:

1. Include funds to attend OVW-sponsored training and technical assistance in the amount of $12,000 for organizations located in a United States Territory, Hawaii, or Alaska and $10,000 for organizations in all other states. The $10,000 or $12,000 is for the entire 36 months and NOT per year. See Training and Technical Assistance in the Funding Restrictions section of the solicitation.

2. Include funds or explain that the organization has other resources available to support activities to ensure access for individuals with disabilities, Deaf/hard of hearing individuals, and persons with limited English proficiency. See “Accessibility” under “F.

Federal Award Administration…