ovw fiscal year 2011 rural sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking assistance program.pdf

OMB Number: 1122-0020

Expiration Date: 6/30/2013

U.S. Department of Justice

Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)

OVW Fiscal Year 2011

Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic

Violence, Dating Violence and

Stalking Assistance Program

Eligibility

Applicants are limited to States, Territories, Indian Tribes, Local Governments and nonprofit, public, or private entities, including Tribal nonprofit organizations.

(See “Eligibility,” page 5)

Deadline

To ensure all applicants have ample time to complete the registration process through

Grants.Gov, applicants should register online with Grants.gov by March 8, 2011.

All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. E.T. on March 22, 2011.

(See “Deadline: Application,” page 4)

Contact Information

For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, contact OVW at (202) 307-6026.

In Fiscal Year 2011, OVW applications will be submitted through Grants.gov. For further information and assistance, please see the OVW Grant Program Solicitation Reference Guide at http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/resource-guidebook.pdf.

Grants.gov Number assigned to announcement OVW-2011-2907

All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their applications by September 30, 2011.

CONTENTS

Overview of the OVW Rural Program p. 3

Deadline: Registration p. 4

Deadline: Application p. 4

Eligibility p. 5

OVW Rural Program Specific Information p. 6

Types of Applicants p. 6

Availability of Funds p. 6

Statutory Funding Considerations p. 6

Award Period p. 6

Award Amounts p. 6

Program Scope p. 7

How To Apply p. 10

What An Application Must Include: p. 10

Summary Data Sheet p. 12

Project Narrative p. 12

Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative p. 15

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) p. 16

Proposal Abstract p. 18

Summary of Current OVW Projects p. 18

Application for Federal Assistance p. 19

Standard Assurances and Certifications p. 19

Financial Accounting Practices p. 19

Letter of Nonsupplanting p. 20

Financial Capability Questionnaire p. 20

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement p. 20

Proof of Nonprofit Status, if Applicable p. 20

Eligible Service Area Documentation p. 20

Selection Criteria p. 21

Review Process p. 22

Performance Measures p. 22

Notice of New Post-Award Reporting Requirements p. 23

Additional Requirements p. 23

Application Checklist p. 24

Appendix A p. 25

Service Area Documentation p. 26

Service Area Map p. 28

OVW FY2011 Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic

Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking

Assistance Program

(CFDA 16.589)

Overview This solicitation contains information on how to apply for the FY2011 Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking Assistance Program. For general information on applying for all OVW grant programs, please see the OVW Fiscal Year 2011 Grant Program Solicitation Reference Guide (Reference Guide) at http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/resource guidebook.pdf. All applicants should read carefully both this solicitation and the Reference Guide before beginning the application process.

About the OVW Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking Assistance Program Victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities face unique challenges and barriers to receiving assistance rarely encountered in urban areas.

The geographic isolation, economic structure, particularly strong social and cultural pressures, and lack of available services in rural jurisdictions significantly compound the problems confronted by those seeking support and services to end the violence in their lives. These factors also complicate the ability of the criminal justice system to investigate and prosecute sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking cases. In addition, socio cultural, economic, and geographic barriers create difficulties for victim services providers to identify and assist victims of these crimes.

Recognizing this, Congress established the Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Enforcement Grant Program (Rural Program) with the passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 1994 and reauthorized it in the Violence Against Women Act of 2000. The Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (VAWA 2005) expanded the scope of the Rural Program to include sexual assault and stalking, and modified the eligibility criteria as well as the statutory purpose areas under which projects must be implemented. The title of the program was revised to reflect these changes. The primary purpose of the Rural Program is to enhance the safety of rural victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking and support projects uniquely designed to address and prevent these crimes in rural areas. The Rural Program welcomes applications that propose innovative solutions to achieving this goal and encourages collaboration among criminal justice agencies, victim services providers, social services agencies, health professionals, and other community organizations to overcome the problem of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking and ensure that victim safety is paramount while providing services to victims.

Changes to the program in 2011 Several changes have been made to the Rural Program for the 2011 Solicitation. Please read the instructions carefully. Reviewers base their evaluations upon the information applicants provide within their proposals in response to the guidance contained within this solicitation.

Therefore, it is very important for applicants to prepare a clear, concise, well-organized document. Proposals should follow the format outlined within this document, addressing the elements for each section. If a particular item is not applicable, clearly state this in the proposal.

Proposals that do not follow the instructions or do not include all required elements may be removed from further review and may not be considered for funding.

Civil Rights Compliance All recipients of Federal grant funds are required to comply with nondiscrimination requirements contained in various Federal laws. In the event that a court or administrative agency makes a finding of discrimination on grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or age against a recipient of funds after a due process hearing, the recipient must agree to forward a copy of the finding to the Office for Civil Rights of OJP. All applicants should consult the Assurances required with the application funds to understand the applicable legal and administrative requirements.

Services to Limited-English-Proficient (LEP) Persons:

National origin discrimination includes discrimination on the basis of limited English proficiency (LEP). To ensure compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act, recipients are required to take reasonable steps to ensure that LEP persons have meaningful access to their programs. Meaningful access may entail providing language assistance services, including interpretation and translation services, where necessary. Grantees are encouraged to consider the need for language services for LEP persons served or encountered both in developing their proposals and budgets and in conducting their programs and activities. Reasonable costs associated with providing meaningful access for LEP individuals are considered allowable program costs. The U.S.

Department of Justice has issued guidance for grantees to assist them in complying with Title VI requirements. The guidance document can be accessed on the Internet at www.lep.gov or by contacting the OJP’s Office for Civil Rights at (202) 307-0690, or by writing to the following address:

Office for Civil Rights Office of Justice Programs U.S. Department of Justice 810 7th Street, N.W., 8th Floor Washington, DC 20531

Deadline: Registration

The Grants.gov registration deadline is March 8, 2011. For more information on the process of registering and applying in Grants.gov, please see the Reference Guide at pages 15-19.

Deadline: Application

An application submission is complete if (a) a hard copy of the entire application, with original signatures, has been submitted via overnight delivery on or before the deadline and (b) the application has been submitted through Grants.gov. Both electronic and hard copy submissions are required.

The deadline for applying for funding under this announcement is March 22, 2011, 11:59 p.m.

E.T. A hard copy must be sent via an overnight delivery method, date stamped by the shipping company on or before March 22, 2011 to:

The Office on Violence Against Women c/o Lockheed Martin Aspen Systems Corporation

Mail Stop 2K, 2277 Research Boulevard

Rockville, MD 20850

(301) 519-5000

OVW RURAL PROGRAM

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their applications well in advance of the deadline to ensure a successful submission through Grants.gov. For information on OVW’s policy for late applications, please see the Reference Guide at pages 17-19.

Eligibility

It is very important that you review this information carefully. Applications that are submitted by non-eligible entities will be screened out during an initial review process and omitted from further review.

Eligible Applicants By statute, eligible entities for this program are:

States;

Indian Tribes;

Territories;

local governments; and nonprofit (public or private) entities, including Tribal nonprofit organizations.

Eligible Service Area To be eligible for a grant, the applicant must:

Propose to serve a rural area or rural community, as defined by 42 U.S.C., § 13925(a)(21) to mean (a) any area or community, respectively, no part of which is within an area designated as a standard metropolitan statistical area by the Office of Management and Budget; or (b) any area or community, respectively, that is (i) within an area designated as a metropolitan statistical area or considered part of a metropolitan statistical area; and (ii) located in a rural census tract. Please note that all service areas outside of this definition are ineligible;

Identify all eligible areas to be served by the project as defined by county(ies) and/or census tract(s); and

Provide required documentation to determine the proposed project service area(s) or community(ies) are rural and include a map locating the area(s) to be served. Please see Appendix A for instructions as to how to document these requirements.

Additional Eligibility Requirements Applicants located in non-rural areas and/or in agencies serving both rural and non-rural areas must demonstrate how the requested funding and proposed project benefits the rural area(s) and/or rural community(ies).

Eligible applications must include a nonprofit, nongovernmental or tribal, sexual assault and/or domestic violence service provider as the lead applicant and/or a formal project partner, as demonstrated through a required memorandum of understanding (MOU).

OVW FY 2011 Rural Program – Specific Information

Types of Applicants In FY 2011, OVW will accept applications for the Rural Program from applicants who are currently receiving and/or have previously received funding under the Rural Program and whose funding will expire on or before September 30, 2011. The FY 2011 Rural Program will also accept applications from applicants that have not previously received funding under this program. Grantees that received new or supplemental funding for 24 months in FY 2010 are not eligible to apply. Eligible current grantees may apply for continuation or supplemental funding to support on-going activities or enhance projects.

Current grantees should note that additional funding is not guaranteed. All applicants are subject to the same review criteria, with no preference given to current or new grantees.

Additionally OVW will only accept one application per eligible entity for the Rural Program.

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. Funding is not guaranteed.

Statutory Funding Considerations By statute, at least 75% of the total amount of funding made available for this program shall be allocated to eligible entities in rural states. A rural state is a state that has a population density of 52 or fewer persons per square mile or a state in which the largest county has fewer than 150,000 people, based on the decennial census of 2000. Applicants from statutorily defined rural states must also submit the eligibility and service area documentation as identified above. 1

In addition, by statute, no less than 25% of Federal Fiscal Year 2010 appropriated funds will be set aside for activities that meaningfully address sexual assault in rural communities.2

Priority will be given to the needs of underserved populations.

Award Period The award period for these grants will be 3 years: October 1, 2011 – September 30, 2014.

Budgets must reflect thirty-six (36) months of project activity, and the total “estimated funding” (block 15) on the SF-424 must reflect thirty-six (36) months.

Award Amounts Applicants should carefully consider the resources needed to successfully implement the project proposed and present a realistic budget that accurately reflects project costs. Requests should be tied to a specific project or proposal. Rural Program funds for FY 2011 will be awarded based on the following guidelines:

1 The following states are designated as “rural” based on the 2000 Census: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming.

2 This may be larger based on the size of the appropriation. Based on historical appropriation amounts, the set aside has remained at 25%.

necessary to complete the proposed project;

The dollar amount requested should be based upon what is needed to carry out the tasks identified within the project proposal;

Although there are no budget caps this fiscal year, it is unlikely that grant awards will exceed

$1 million in funding; and, OVW has the discretion to make grants for greater or lesser amounts than requested and to negotiate the scope of work and budget with applicants prior to award of a grant.

Program Scope The scope of the Rural Program is defined by the following statutory program purposes.

Proposed activities must be consistent with the statutory program purposes.

Statutory Program Purposes

By statute, funds under the Rural Program may be used for the following purposes:

To identify, assess, and appropriately respond to child, youth and adult victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking in rural areas or rural communities, by encouraging collaboration among sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking victim service providers; law enforcement agencies;

prosecutors; courts; other criminal justice service providers; human and community service providers; educational institutions; and health care providers;

To establish and expand nonprofit, nongovernmental, State, Tribal, Territorial, and local government victim services in rural areas or rural communities to child, youth, and adult victims;

To increase the safety and well-being of women and children in rural areas or rural communities by dealing directly and immediately with sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking occurring in rural areas or rural communities; and creating and implementing strategies to increase awareness and prevent sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and/or stalking.

Grant funds may support eligible entities to carry out programs serving rural areas or rural communities that address sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and/or stalking by:

Implementing, expanding, and establishing cooperative efforts and projects among law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim advocacy groups, and other related parties to investigate and prosecute incidents of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and/or stalking;

Providing treatment, counseling, advocacy, and other long- and short-term assistance to adult and minor victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking in rural communities, including assistance in immigration matters; and

Working in cooperation with rural areas and rural communities to develop education and prevention strategies directed toward such issues.

FY 2011 Rural Program Areas of Special Interest Innovative strategies to address the geographical isolation and economic constraints faced by victims in rural communities to bring services to the rural victim of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and/or stalking; to transport rural victims to service centers; and/or to increase access to health services for women in rural areas;

Develop, enhance, or strengthen programs to address stalking, such as establishing or developing specialized staff or units to investigate and prosecute stalking cases; providing support to victims of stalking in the form of dedicated advocates; development of linkages to community-based agencies to provide stalking victims with immediate intervention and long-term assistance to include safety planning; training on various stalking issues; and/or projects that address the intersection of partner stalking and sexual abuse are encouraged;

Initiatives that address sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking for diverse and traditionally underserved populations, such as: American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals; immigrants; gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning (GLBTQ) individuals; individuals with disabilities; and individuals experiencing abuse in later life. These are examples of traditionally underserved populations, however, the list is not all-inclusive. Applicants are strongly encouraged to explore, identify and propose projects for the underserved populations that exist within targeted eligible service areas;

Developing or enhancing services specifically for sexual assault victims, such as long-term therapy and support; advocacy and accompaniment for a sexual assault victim or a victim of child sexual assault at a health care facility during a medical forensic examination;

and specially-trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) and/or Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners (SAFEs) to conduct medical forensic examinations for sexual assault victims; programs designed to establish or enhance community collaboration with mental health and substance abuse services; and/or outreach programs and services targeting teen or college-aged victims;

Initiatives that address child sexual assault, such as providing appropriate immediate intervention services to the child sexual assault victims or serving adults molested as children, and supporting efforts to provide services to the victim’s non-offending family members and/or significant others. Additionally, services to provide appropriate long-term counseling, support, and education in an effort to prevent revictimization; and, Outreach efforts such as satellite offices located in the rural areas or rural communities targeted, and/or other outreach methods for providing project activities in areas where services have not been available previously, and bringing services to rural populations that experience geographical isolation or significant transportation problems where victims of these crimes are not directly able to reach the nearest shelter or rape crisis center, such as providing services through community partners, faith-based organizations, and others.

Out-of-Scope Activities During the OVW internal review, applications that are partially out of scope will receive up to a 25-point deduction. Applications that propose projects that are substantially outside the scope of the Rural Program statutory purpose areas will be disqualified from further funding consideration. The following activities have been determined to be out-of-scope, as explained below:

Supervised visitation programs;

Legal services in civil and criminal matters, such as family law cases (divorce, custody, visitation and child support), housing cases, consumer law cases and other legal services for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, beyond assistance in seeking protection orders and limited immigration matters (i.e. U-visas). Legal representation may be provided to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking in the context of protection order proceedings and limited immigration matters;

Services to children for anything other than child sexual assault or teen dating violence and sexual assault, or services beyond ancillary services provided to a victim’s child when there is an inextricable link between the child’s need for services and a parent’s victimization and as a direct result of providing victim services for the parent. For example, funds may support services for children of battered clients residing in a shelter;

Broad-scoped education and prevention for elementary, middle or high school students not specifically related to child sexual abuse and/or dating violence or sexual assault, such as “bullying” or “character building” educational programs. However developing prevention, education and outreach programs and materials for sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and/or stalking are encouraged; and

Grant funds may not be used to directly address child abuse, or other family violence issues such as violence perpetrated by a child against a parent, or violence perpetrated by a sibling against another sibling.

Unallowable Activities

Grant funds under the FY 2011 Rural Program may not be used for any unauthorized purposes, including but not limited to the following activities:

carpeting) Purchase of certain law enforcement equipment, including uniforms, guns, bulletproof vests, and ammunition Counseling not directly related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and/or stalking;

Issuing a solicitation/RFP to redistribute any or all of the awarded grant funds after receiving a direct award.

Activities That May Compromise Victim Safety and Recovery

The following activities have been found to jeopardize victim safety, deter or prevent physical and emotional healing for victims, or allow offenders to escape responsibility for their actions.

OVW strongly encourages you not to include these activities in your application for funding:

Practices that fail to conduct safety planning with victims;

Facility procedures and policies that fail to account for physical safety issues;

Practices that fail to maintain the confidentiality of victims, such as failing to address the confidentiality of the victims’ identity in case management and/or data collection systems;

Requiring alternative dispute resolution, mediation or couples counseling as a systemic response to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking;

Offering perpetrators the option of entering pre-trial diversion programs;

Requiring victims to seek legal sanctions against their perpetrator or offender (e.g., seek a protection order, file formal complaint; forcing the victim to testify against their perpetrator or offender);

Imposing restrictive conditions on victims in order to receive services (e.g., requiring a sexual assault victim to report the offense to law enforcement to receive a medical forensic examination, counseling or advocacy services; requiring a domestic violence victim to seek a protection order or counseling as a precondition to services);

Excluding victims from receiving safe shelter, advocacy services, counseling, and other assistance based on their age, immigration status, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, mental health condition, physical health condition, work in the sex industry, or the age and/or gender of their children;

Procedures that indicate criminal record background checks are performed on individuals presenting for services prior to individuals receiving services;

Policies or practices that discourage prosecutors from accepting cases for victims who do not have physical evidence of domestic violence or sexual assault;

Batterer’s Intervention Programs that are voluntary and not court-mandated; and Offering anger management classes for offenders.

Ensuring victim safety should be central to all programs and projects being proposed. Activities that compromise victim safety and recovery will be a factor during review and may be considered as out-of-scope activities or may be cause for removing a proposal from consideration.

Confidentiality Applicants should be cognizant of victims’ confidentiality. Please see Reference Guide p. 8 for more information.

How To Apply

See the Reference Guide at pages 15-19 for instructions on “how to apply.”

What An Application Must Include

Applicants must complete each of the following sections as part of their response to this solicitation. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that its application is complete by the deadline. OVW may remove an application from consideration prior to peer review if the application is substantially incomplete or received after the deadline without prior permission as described in the Reference Guide at pages 17-19. For each section listed below, please note the corresponding maximum point value that may be assigned during the peer review scoring process. The applicant should use headings and subheadings in the order below for ease of review. Peer reviewers may not receive any additional materials submitted beyond those required. For example, if an application includes a narrative that is 25 pages, the last five pages may be removed prior to peer review.

Applications must follow these requirements:

8½ x 11 inch paper

One inch margins

Type no smaller than 12 point, Times New Roman font

Include a brief Summary Data Sheet (limited to one, single-spaced page)

Include a Project Abstract (limited to one, single-spaced page)

A list of all current OVW projects as described below (if applicable)

No more than 20 double-spaced pages for the Project Narrative

Word processing documents must be in the following formats: Microsoft Word (.doc), PDF files (.pdf), or Text Documents (.txt).

Your application will be scored on the following sections:

Summary Data Sheet

Project Narrative

Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

We reserve the right to deduct points if any of the following materials are missing:

Summary Data Sheet (please limit to one single-spaced page)

Proposal Abstract

Summary of Current OVW Projects [If appropriate]

Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)

Standard Assurances and Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment; Suspension, and

Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (Form 4061/6) Letter of Nonsupplanting Financial Capability Questionnaire [If appropriate] Indirect Cost Rate Agreement [If appropriate] Proof of Non-profit Status [If appropriate]

An application is considered substantially incomplete if any of the following sections are not included and/or not fully completed:

Project Narrative Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Eligible Service Area Documentation

Applications that do not include the above sections or include information that is only partially complete may not be forwarded to peer review for consideration, and may be omitted from further funding consideration.

Sections I through XIV below describe the specific elements of a complete application.

I. Summary Data Sheet (5 Points) Please list the following information on a single page. The Summary Data Sheet should be a separate attachment to the application in Grants.gov and a separate section in the hard copy.

Applicant agency name, address, and service area (area the applicant organization serves, defined by county and/or census tract);

Name, title, address, phone number, and e-mail address for the authorized representative (Please see page 8 of the Reference Guide on who can be an authorized representative.);

fiscal year for the applicant. Please specify the end date of the fiscal year;

noting if the targeted areas are different from the organization’s current service area;

List of project partners being compensated, noting whether a project partner is a current

Rural Program grantee; and The percentage of the budget, if applicable, that will be used for activities that meaningfully address sexual assault.

II. Project Narrative (Total 60 Points) The following narrative should be a separate attachment to the application in Grants.gov and a separate section in the hard copy. The Project Narrative may not exceed 20 pages in length, double-spaced. Please number the pages of your narrative. Please use the section headers listed below and provide a comprehensive narrative that describes the purpose, objectives, activities, design and management of the proposed project:

A. Purpose of Application (10 points)

Describe the geographic area to be served (size and demographics);

Identify the problem (sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking) and describe the need (including target population, statistics, prevalence rates, example to support need) the project intends to address;

Describe the services currently provided and resources available to address the problem in the service area, and explain why they are not sufficient;

Describe how grant funding will address the identified problem and how the proposed project will help alleviate the gaps in services;

If the project is to serve more than one county, specifically describe how services and/or activities will be accessed and/or implemented in each county;

Describe how the proposed project complements the priorities included within the State’s STOP Violence Against Women Implementation Plan (this is not required for applications from Tribal governments or nonprofit organizations); and, Describe how the proposed project will complement other OVW-funded projects (if applicable), and not duplicate efforts.

This section will be rated on the detail with which you provide the above information as well as the quality of the proposed activities plus the following criteria:

The level of detail provided regarding the proposed service area and targeted population demonstrating the beneficiaries of the project;

needs identified and the gaps in services that currently exist to meet these needs;

Violence Against Women Implementation Plan (this is not required for applications from Tribal governments or nonprofit organizations); and, How the proposed project will complement other OVW-funded projects (if applicable), and not duplicate efforts.

B. What Will Be Done (35 points)

Provide a full description of the project being proposed. It should be succinct, self-explanatory, and well organized so that reviewers can understand the proposed project.

objective;

be developed with grant funds. If none, indicate there are no products planned for this project;

This section will be rated on the detail with which you provide the above information as well as the quality of the proposed activities plus the following criteria:

How well the goals and objectives defined directly link to the needs described within the Purpose of the Application;

How well the specific tasks and activities described relate to successfully meeting the goals and objectives described;

How well the proposed project reflects one or more of the statutory purposes of the Rural Program;

How well the timeline of the specific tasks and activities indicates that the project will be successfully implemented and completed within the timeline provided;

How well the products that are proposed for creation or distribution with grant funds are described (if applicable);

C. Who Will Implement the Project (10 points) In this section, applicants must;

the proposed project;

Describe the expertise or experience of key staff, or include a description of the qualifications for any positions not filled; and

Identify and describe the role of any and all project partners, specifying their respective responsibilities, and the collective relationship to be developed or enhanced. Information within the narrative should reflect the information contained within the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the project partners.

All applications must involve a nonprofit, nongovernmental or tribal sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking victim service organization in the development and implementation of the project. Victim services organizations should meet all of the following criteria:

Provide services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking as one of their primary purposes and have a demonstrated history of effective work in this field;

Address a demonstrated need in their communities by providing services that promote the dignity and self-sufficiency of victims, improve their access to resources, and create options for victims seeking safety from perpetrator violence; and

Do not engage in or promote activities that compromise victim safety.

If the applicant is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization serving victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking, they must collaborate with at least one other project partner, and may certainly include more. All applicants must also submit a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Applications addressing a culturally or linguistically specific population must illustrate the capacity and expertise in addressing these underserved populations, either within their own agency, or in partnership with an agency or agencies that have a history of serving one or more of these specific underserved populations. Partnerships should be defined within the narrative and MOU, as well as appropriately compensated within the budget.

This section will be rated on the detail with which you provide the above information as well as the quality of the proposed activities plus the following criteria:

A clear link is provided to ensure that all specific activities and tasks are linked to a specific agency or organization to ensure that there is accountability;

The application is either from or includes as a partner a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization serving victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking;

A description of the experience and expertise of all current or proposed key personnel is included;

Key personnel have expertise relevant to the project; and Organizations necessary for successful implementation of the proposed project are identified as project partners.

D. Sustainability Plan (5 points)

As this is a competitive, discretionary program, there is no guarantee of continuation funding.

Applicants are required to include a plan describing their commitment and capacity to continue the project if Federal funding through the Rural Program were no longer available. Applicants must also describe at least one locally, privately, State, or Federally funded project that the applicant has sustained in the past.

Note: Continuation or supplemental funding is not guaranteed and applicants are always encouraged to seek additional means of support to sustain their current projects.

This section will be rated on the feasibility of the plan and the demonstration of commitment to continue the project if funds are no longer available.

III. Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative (Total 15 Points)

For more information and samples, please see the Reference Guide at pages 11-14. The

Budget Worksheet and Narrative should be one attachment to the application in Grants.gov and a separate section in the hard copy.

In developing the budget, applicants should financially compensate all project partners for their participation in any project-related activities, including, but not limited to, compensation for time and travel expenses to participate in project development, training, and implementation. The budget must include compensation for all services rendered by project partners, including nonprofit, nongovernmental sexual assault and/or domestic violence victim services programs and State and Tribal sexual assault and/or domestic violence coalitions. If a partner is a State or local governmental agency and the partnership duties are conducted within the course of the agency’s “regular” scope of work, the applicant does not need to compensate the partner if the partner a) offers this arrangement; and b) an explanation of this arrangement is included in the application.

Budget Limits

There are no funding caps for the FY 2011 Rural Program.

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 award of a grant.

Budget Requirements For budget guidelines, see the Reference Guide at pages 11-14. Additional guidance specific to this program is as follows:

Training and Technical Assistance.

All applicants are required to allocate funds in the amount of $15,000 to support travel costs associated with technical assistance and capacity-building activities sponsored by OVW-designated technical assistance providers. Applicants from Alaska, Hawaii, and United States Territories should allocate $25,000 to account for higher travel costs. These specific applicants may exceed the budget caps to account for this increased travel amount. Please see the Reference Guide at pages 11-12 for more information on this requirement.

Applicants are strongly discouraged from requesting consultant rates in excess of $650 per day.

Applicants may not use any OVW funds for conducting research. However, up to 1% of the budget may be allocated for the purpose of assessing the effectiveness of funded activities.

For example, funds may be used to conduct pre- and post-testing of training recipients or victim satisfaction surveys. In conducting such testing or surveys, grantees may not collect, analyze, or disseminate any information identifiable to a private person during the course of assessing the effectiveness of funded activities.

A contribution of non-Federal dollars (“match”) is not required for this program, but applicants are encouraged to maximize the impact of Federal dollars by contributing to the costs of their projects. Supplemental contributions may be cash, in-kind services, or a combination of both. Any non-Federal contributions should be discussed in the project narrative; however, these supplemental contributions should not be included in the budget or budget narrative.

A Sample Budget Detail Worksheet is available at http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/applicants.htm.

When preparing the Worksheet and Narrative, please use the Sample Budget Detail Worksheet as a guide and be sure to include all necessary budget categories as outlined in the Worksheet.

The budget should clearly describe the proposed amounts and uses of grant funds for the duration of the grant period and how the amounts of the specific budget items were determined.

The budget should demonstrate a clear link between the specific project activities and the proposed budget items. Specifically, the budget should not contain any items that are not detailed in the project narrative.

The budget narrative should support all costs included in the budget and justify the purpose of the costs in relationship to fulfilling the overall objective of the project. The narrative should also include a description of services being performed and how the cost is determined.

This section will be rated on the detail in the budget narrative plus the following criteria:

The budget supports all costs related to fulfilling the overall objectives of the proposed project;

The budget does not include any costs unrelated to the proposed project;

The budget is reasonable and cost-effective;

The budget narrative clearly describes the rationale for all costs proposed;

The budget appropriately compensates project partners; and, The budget is consistent with and adheres to the OVW Financial Grants Management

Guide.

Services to Limited-English-Proficient (LEP) Persons Applicants may allocate grant funds to support activities that help to ensure that LEP persons have meaningful access to their programs. For example, grant funds can be used to support interpretation and translation services.

IV. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (Total 20 points) Applicants are required to submit an MOU that demonstrates they have consulted and coordinated in a meaningful way with partner organizations such as victim service organizations, law enforcement agencies, pre-trial service providers, prosecutor’s offices, courts and other court organizations personnel, probation and parole agencies, schools, faith-based organizations, and/or other community organizations such as those addressing underserved populations. The MOU should be a single attachment to the application in Grants.gov and a separate section in the hard copy.

The MOU must be current (i.e., signed and dated during the development of the proposal) and must be signed by the chief executive officers and/or directors of:

The applicant organization and all project partners, including: Nonprofit, nongovernmental sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking programs, or other nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations or tribal organizations that adequately demonstrate their history and expertise in working with victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking. Additionally, the organization should appropriately correspond to sufficiently meeting the goals, objectives and activities included within the proposed project. For example, if an application focuses mainly on sexual assault, then the nonprofit partner should have demonstrated expertise in sexual assault. Applicants must demonstrate this correlation in their MOUs;

All relevant criminal justice agencies participating in the project development and implementation of goals, objectives and activities included within the proposed project (e.g., law enforcement, prosecution, the courts, and probation); and

Any other agencies or organizations that will collaborate to implement the goals, objectives or activities included within the proposed project.

Applicants that have previously been funded under this program must develop a new MOU that reflects the continuation of project activities and includes current dates and signatures from all project partners.

The MOU must:

Identify the partners and provide a brief history of the collaborative relationship among those partners, including when and under what circumstances the relationship began and when each partner entered into the relationship;

Specify the extent of each partner’s participation in developing the application;

Clearly state the roles and responsibilities each organization or agency would assume to ensure the success of the proposed project;

Identify the representatives of the planning and development team who will be responsible for developing and implementing project activities and describe how they will work together and with project staff;

Demonstrate a commitment on the part of all project partners to work together to achieve stated project goals;

Indicate approval of the proposed project budget by all signing parties; and Describe the resources each partner would contribute to the project, either through time, in-kind contributions, or grant funds (e.g., office space, project staff, and training).

In addition, OVW requires all grantees to complete a Semi-Annual Progress Report which may involve input from some or all project partners. In developing the MOU, applicants are encouraged to include a statement of the roles and responsibilities each organization would assume in meeting grant reporting requirements. For more information on these requirements, please refer to the section titled “Performance Measures” on page 22.

A cornerstone of the Rural Program is the collaborative approach of the rural community in addressing the issues of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking. It is critical that this proposal be a joint effort of relevant stakeholders in the rural area(s)/community (ies) to be served. The MOU should outline each organization/agency’s role and demonstrate that this proposal represents a coordinated approach to problem solving the issues addressed within the proposal.

The MOU should be a single document that includes signatures and dates from all partners.

Signatories should be sure to include their titles and agencies under their signatures. A sample MOU is available at http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/applicants.htm.

Letters of support may not be submitted in lieu of the MOU.

This section will be rated on the detail with which you provide the above information as well as the quality of that information plus the following criteria:

The inclusion of a current (i.e., signed and dated during the development of the proposal), single MOU signed by the chief executive officers and/or directors of:

o Relevant criminal justice agencies participating in project development and/or implementation (e.g., law enforcement, prosecution, the courts, and probation);

o All faith-based and community nonprofit, nongovernmental domestic violence and/or sexual assault victim services organizations or community groups that represent the views and concerns of victims participating in the development and implementation of the project; and o Other agencies or organizations that will collaborate to implement the project as needed and/or appropriate;

The extent to which the MOU demonstrates a meaningful partnership among the relevant agencies;

The extent to which the MOU clearly identifies the partners and provides a brief history of the collaborative relationship among those partners, including when and under what circumstances the relationship began and when each partner entered into the relationship;

The extent to which the MOU clearly identifies each partner’s participation in developing the application;

The extent to which the MOU clearly states the roles and responsibilities each organization or agency would assume to ensure the success of the proposed project;

The extent to which the MOU clearly identifies the representatives of the planning and development team who will be responsible for developing and implementing project activities;

The extent to which the MOU clearly demonstrates a commitment on the part of all project partners to work together to achieve stated project goals;

The extent to which the MOU clearly indicates approval of the proposed project budget by all signing parties; and

The extent to which the MOU clearly describes the resources each partner would contribute to the project through time, in-kind contributions, or grant funds (e.g., office space, project staff, training).

V. Proposal Abstract The Proposal Abstract should provide a short and accurate summary of your proposed project including its goals and objectives. Please do not summarize past accomplishments in this section. The Proposal Abstract should be a single page and should be a separate attachment to the online application in Grants.gov and a separate section in the hard copy.

The Proposal Abstract must not be submitted on the same page as the Summary Data Sheet.

VI. Summary of Current OVW Projects For each current OVW Project, as defined in the OVW Reference Guide at page 9, please provide the following information:

Identify grant by program, award number, and project period.

Specify the total funds remaining in each grant as of the date of application.

Provide the total funds remaining in each grant in the Personnel, Contracts/Consultants and Travel categories as of the date of application.

List the names, dates, and locations of all OVW-sponsored training and technical assistance events in which project staff or project partners participated during the current grant award period.

List the number and titles of all full-time and/or part-time positions.

This section should be clear and succinct. This should be a separate attachment to the application in Grants.gov and a separate section in the hard copy.

In addition to this information, OVW…