ovw fiscal year 2011 services to advocate for and respond to youth 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

Services to Advocate For and

Respond to Youth Program

Eligibility

Applicants are limited to nonprofit, nongovernmental entities, community-based organizations, Indian tribes and tribal organizations that provide services to teen and young adult victims affected by sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking.

(See “Eligibility,” page 6 )

Deadline

To assist OVW in planning for the independent peer review process, letters of intent to apply should be submitted by March 1, 2011. Please note that letters of intent are optional.

Interested applicants who do not submit a letter of intent by the deadline are still eligible to apply. To ensure all applicants have ample time to complete the registration process through

Grants.Gov, applicants should register online with Grants.gov by March 1, 2011.

All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. E.T. on March 16, 2011.

(See “Deadline: Application,” page 5)

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-2011-2908 All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their applications by September 30, 2011.

http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/resource-guidebook.pdf http://www.grants.gov http://www.grants.gov http://www.grants.gov

CONTENTS

Overview of the OVW Youth Services Program p.3

Deadline: Letter of Intent p.5

Deadline: Registration p.6

Deadline: Application p.6

Eligibility p. 6

OVW Youth Services Program Specific Information p. 7

Types of Applicants p. 7 Availability of Funds p. 7 Award Period p.

Award Amounts p. 7 Program Scope p.

How To Apply p.

What An Application Must Include: p.11

Summary Data Sheet p. 12 Project Narrative p.

Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative p. 15 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) p. 16

Proposal Abstract p.

Summary of Current OVW Projects p. 17 Application for Federal Assistance p. 18 Standard Assurances and Certifications p. 18 Financial Accounting Practices p. 18 Letter of Nonsupplanting p. 19 Financial Capability Questionnaire p. 19 Indirect Cost Rate Agreement p. 19

Selection Criteria p. 20

Review Process p.

Performance Measures p. 21

Notice of New Post-Award Reporting Requirements p. 21

Additional Requirements p. 22

Application Checklist p. 23

OVW Services to Advocate For and Respond to

Youth Program

(CFDA # 16.018)

Overview

This solicitation contains information on how to apply for the Services to Advocate and Respond to Youth1 Program (Youth Services Program). For general information on applying for all OVW grant programs, please see 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 Services to Advocate For and Respond to Youth Program Nationally, approximately one in three teen girls in the United States is a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner. This figure far exceeds victimization rates for other types of violence affecting youth.2 Congress recognized the need to develop the nation’s capacity to provide direct intervention and related assistance services for youth victims.

Youth victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking require specialized services designed to meet the specific needs of youth and young adults. While these crimes affect women regardless of their age, youth are especially vulnerable and face unique obstacles if they decide to seek help. Youth may not have access to money, transportation, child-care or safe shelter. Additionally, youth and young adults may be inexperienced with dating and may mistake potential abusive actions such as jealousy or controlling behavior as signs of love.

Furthermore, in working with youth and young adults, there are issues regarding the lack of confidentiality and when or if to involve child protective services in cases of assault. Service providers should adopt procedures and policies to develop and enhance state mandatory reporting laws and to address the need for parental notification and consent guidelines.

Youth victimized by other youth often face additional challenges in a “closed” school environment. For example, youth victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking may continue to live in danger if the perpetrator resides in the same community, shares mutual friends, or attends the same classes. In smaller schools or communities, a victim may wish to remain anonymous but may find this virtually impossible in an insular environment.

Similarly, stalking victims may find it difficult to escape their tormenters, because the stalker may have a “legitimate” reason for remaining in contact with or in close proximity to the victim (e.g. studying in the library). Furthermore, the fear and anguish of a sexual assault victim may continue because of frequent contact if, for example, they attend the same classes. In other cases, a victim may be harassed by classmates or by a perpetrator’s friends who claim that the victim “asked for it” or “provoked” the crime.

1 Youth refers to teens and young adults between the ages of 13-24.

2 Davis, Antoinette, MPH. 2008. Interpersonal and Physical Dating Violence among Teens. The National Council on Crime and Delinquency Focus. Available at http://www.nccd-crc.org/nccd/pubs/Dating%20Violence%20Among%20Teens.pdf http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/resource-guidebook.pdf

Youth and young adult survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking from diverse communities confront additional challenges when seeking assistance.

Victims with disabilities may struggle with obstacles, such as shelters that cannot physically accommodate them. Youth from culturally specific communities may face linguistic or cultural barriers to obtaining services as well as discrimination when they attempt to obtain services.

In response, Congress created the Youth Services Program as part of the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (VAWA 2005), 42 U.S.C.

§14043c. This is the first Federal funding stream solely dedicated to the provision of direct intervention and related assistance for youth victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. Overall, the purpose of the Youth Services Program is to provide direct counseling, advocacy, legal advocacy, and mental health services for youth victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, as well as linguistically, culturally, or community relevant services for underserved populations.

Please read the Services to Advocate For and Respond to Youth Program Solicitation in its entirety before beginning your application. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete and that all eligibility requirements have been met at the time of application submission. OVW will remove an application from consideration if the application is incomplete. Final award decisions are not appealable.

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 http://www.lep.gov

Deadline: Letter of Intent

If you intend to apply for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 funding under this program, we encourage you to submit a letter stating that you intend to apply for funding. The letter will not obligate you to submit an application. Please see http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/sample_letter_of_intent.pdf for a sample letter. The letter should be submitted to OVW by March 1, 2011. You may send the letter to OVW at ovw.youthservices@usdoj.gov. OVW will use these letters to predict the number of peer review panels needed to review the applications. You may still submit an application for funding if you do not submit a Letter of Intent.

Deadline: Registration

The Grants.gov registration deadline is March 1, 2011. For more information on the process of registering and applying in Grants.gov, please see the Reference Guide at pages 15-19.

Pre-Application Conference Calls

OVW will conduct three (3) Pre-Solicitation Conference Calls. During these calls, OVW staff will review the Services to Advocate For and Respond to Youth Program Solicitation requirements and the application process as well as answer questions about the Program. Participation in these calls is optional for applicants.

Conference Call Schedule The conference calls are all scheduled for 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. E.T. on the following dates:

Thursday, February 24, 2011 Tuesday, March 1, 2011 Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Registration Instructions Anyone who is interested in submitting an application may register to participate in the calls.

The total number of participants for each call is limited to 50. To register, please e-mail ovw.youthservices@usdoj.gov and include your name, organization and registration date. If you are unable to participate on the call, OVW will post the transcript on the OVW website and answer questions via email.

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 16, 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 16, 2011 to:

mailto:ovw.youthservices@usdoj.gov mailto:ovw.youthservices@usdoj.gov http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/sample_letter_of_intent.pdf http://www.grants.gov http://www.grants.gov http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/grants-resource-guide.htm

The Office on Violence Against Women c/o Lockheed Martin Aspen Systems Corporation Youth Services Program Mail Stop 2K 2277 Research Boulevard Rockville, MD 20850

(301) 519-5000

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.

By statute, eligible entities for this program are:

a nonprofit, nongovernmental entity, whose primary3 purpose is to provide services to teen and young adult victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking;

a community-based organization specializing4 in intervention or violence prevention services for youth;

an Indian Tribe or tribal organization providing services primarily to tribal youth or tribal victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence or stalking; or a nonprofit, nongovernmental entity providing services for runaway or homeless youth affected by domestic or sexual abuse.

In addition, OVW requires each applicant must meet all of the following eligibility criteria:

have documented expertise and experience in providing intervention or prevention services relevant to the youth population;

have documented specialized expertise in the area(s) of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking OR enter into a partnership with an organization having such expertise with the issue the applicant is proposing to address;

have expertise in the implementation of community-based, linguistically and culturally specific outreach and intervention services relevant to the specific communities to whom assistance would be provided OR have the capacity to link to existing services in the community tailored to the needs of the identified underserved population to be served.

The intended applicant for Youth Services funds is an organization focused on direct services to a youth specific population such that the services are delivered in the language of that population and are tailored to their culture and unique needs. As such, the organization should have a board of directors and/or staffing which are reflective of the specific community they

3 The mission of the organization is to serve youth, not as a secondary service to adult victims.

4 This program should be an independent and comprehensive service to youth victims. For example, an afterschool program or a youth health program.

serve through including members with knowledge or experience relevant to the targeted community.

Please note: The term “youth” refers to teens and young adults between the ages of 13-24.

OVW Services to Advocate For and Respond to Youth Program – Specific Information

Types of Applicants In FY 2011, OVW will accept applications for the Services to Advocate For and Respond to Youth Program from all eligible applicants. Grantees that received funding for 36 months in FY 2010 are not eligible to apply.

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. Requests should be tied to a specific project or proposal.

Award Period The award period for these grants will be 36 months. Budgets must reflect 36 months of project activity, and the total “estimated funding” (block 15) on the SF-424 must reflect 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. Youth Services Program funds for FY 2011 will be awarded to selected, applicants for up to $300,000. OVW has the discretion to make awards for greater or lesser amounts than requested. In addition, OVW may negotiate the scope of work and the budget with applicants prior to making the award.

Awards will be made as cooperative agreements, in amounts up to $300,000 for a 36 month period. Awards will be divided into two phases: a planning phase and an implementation phase.

Funded applicants will have access to a maximum of $50,000 during the planning period phase.

The remaining funds will be used to support the implementation phase of the project. OVW will withhold implementation phase funds until it determines that all necessary requirements of the planning phase have been successfully met.

Note: The length of the planning phase will be dictated by the ability of the award recipient to successfully complete all required activities including developing appropriate policies, procedures, and guidelines. OVW expects that the planning phase will take approximately four months to complete; however, applicants should be aware that the planning phase may vary in length. Applicants should also be aware that OVW will work closely and collaboratively with recipients in shaping and implementing the goals and objectives of the project.

Program Scope Overall, the purpose of the Youth Services Program Solicitation is to design or replicate and implement programs and services using domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking intervention models to respond to the needs of youth who are victims of such crimes.

Please note that prevention services are considered out of scope for this Program.

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 Youth Services statutory purpose areas will be disqualified from further funding consideration.

Statutory Program Purposes

By statute, funds under the Youth Services Program must be used for the following purpose:

Providing direct counseling and advocacy for youth and young adults who have experienced domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking.5

In addition, funds may also be used for the following purposes:

Providing mental health services for youth and young adults who have experienced domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking;

Providing legal advocacy efforts on behalf of youth and young adults with respect to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking; and

Providing additional services and resources for youth, including childcare, transportation, educational support, and respite care. Please note that not more than 25% of the budget may be allocated for these services.

Areas of Interest In Federal Fiscal Year 2011, OVW encourages applications that address one or more of the following areas of interest:

Develop or enhance victim service sexual assault programs that provide sexual assault specific services for youth;

Develop innovative programs that will provide culturally relevant direct services to victims from underserved populations, including underserved communities of color, to increase accessibility and availability to these populations;

Develop innovative programs that will provide relevant services to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirited, queer, and questioning youth victims;

Develop or enhance programs that address the intersection of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking with other youth issues (i.e. teen pregnancy, health concerns, gang violence, bullying); and

Incorporate strategies to involve youth in the development and implementation of direct services provided by the applicant.

Program Requirements Successful applicants under this Solicitation must demonstrate their ability to meet the following program requirements:

Projects must include linguistically, culturally, and community relevant services for underserved populations or linkages to existing services in the community tailored to the needs of underserved populations;

5 This may include safety and support planning, navigating systems and institutions, and providing resources and referrals.

Awardees and their corresponding MOU partners must demonstrate a high level of commitment to close collaborative working relationships;

When applicable, partnering agencies with sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking expertise may be required to engage in cross training activities for youth and the proposed culturally specific populations;

Awardees will be required to complete a planning phase, during which time a strengths assessment, needs assessment, and strategic plan following activities must be completed with support from the OVW designated technical assistance provider and submitted to OVW for review and approval;

Awardees may not engage in providing grant-funded services until they have successfully completed, as determined by OVW, the planning phase activities;

Awardees must develop policies to address confidentiality, information sharing, parental consent (if necessary), and mandatory reporting.

To meet these requirements, OVW strongly encourages applicants to have in place a structure for governing, planning, and implementation.

Out-of-Scope Activities

Although certain activities may appear to relate to the Statutory Program Purposes listed above, OVW determines these activities to be out of the program scope. The following is a list of activities that are out of the scope of this program and cannot be supported by Youth Services grant funding:

Direct Legal Representation Grant funds may not be used to provide legal representation in civil and criminal matters, such as family law cases (divorce, custody, visitation and child support), housing cases, child welfare, consumer law cases and others. Grant funds may be used to provide legal representation to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking in the context of protection order proceedings.

Prevention Activities All applicants addressing prevention activities (e.g., outreach to elementary and secondary schools, and public/community awareness campaigns) will be considered out of scope and removed from further consideration for funding. Grantees are only permitted to engage in outreach activities to inform potential victims about the availability of services such as distributing brochures advertising services.

Child Abuse Grant funds may not be used to directly address child abuse such as physical abuse and neglect by a parent against a child. Funds may be used to address sexual abuse victims between the ages of 13-24 when the parent is the perpetrator.

Children Applicants may not use grant funds to provide direct services to children under the age of thirteen. This includes children who are witnesses or victims of violence.

Unallowable Activities Grant funds under the Services to Advocate For and Respond to Youth Program may not be used for any unauthorized purposes, including but not limited to the following activities:

Lobbying;

Fundraising;

Research projects;

Purchase of real property;

Construction;

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

Lease or purchase of vehicles;

Prevention and Public Awareness campaigns (e.g., social norm campaigns, presentations on healthy relationships, etc.); and Training of allied professionals (i.e, police department, court personnel, and prosecutors).

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 discourages inclusion of these activities in your application for funding:

Developing or implementing policies that deny individuals access to services based on their relationship to the perpetrator;

Developing materials that are not tailored to the target youth population to be served;

Developing or implementing policies or engaging in practices that impose restrictive conditions to be met by the victim in order to receive services (e.g. counseling, seeking an order for protection);

Failing to conduct safety planning with victims;

Failing to develop policies regarding confidentiality, parental involvement/consent, mandatory reporting duties, and working with other ancillary service providers;

Ordering victims and offenders to attend mandatory couples counseling or mediation;

Referring victims to Child Protective Services solely for failure to protect the minor child when witnessing domestic violence except if required under state law; and Procedures that would penalize victims of violence for failing to testify against their abusers or impose other sanctions on victims.

Activities that compromise victim safety and recovery will be a factor during the OVW internal and peer review. Applications may be considered out of scope if significant activities are included that could compromise victim safety and recovery.

Confidentiality Applicants should be cognizant of victims’ confidentiality. Please see Reference Guide p. 7 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 application 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 the following requirements:

Double spaced (except that any included graphs and charts may be single-spaced) 8½ x 11 inch paper One inch margins Type no smaller than 12 point, Times New Roman font Include a brief Summary Data Sheet Include a Project Abstract (please limit to one page) Include a list of all current OVW projects as described below (if applicable) No more than 20 pages for the Project Narrative (item II below) Organization mission statement on letterhead 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 the following materials are missing:

Proposal Abstract Summary of Current OVW Projects 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) Financial Accounting Practices Letter of Nonsupplanting Financial Capability Questionnaire (If appropriate) Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (If appropriate) Organizational Mission Statement on Letterhead

Sections I through XIII 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.

Name, title, address, phone number, and e-mail address for the authorized representative.

(Please see the Reference Guide at page 8 for more information on who can be an authorized representative.);

services; OR the tribe that will serve as the lead applicant;

Name of the culturally and linguistically specific community-based organization that will serve as the partner organization and partnering organizations;

Indicate the youth specific populations/s currently served by the organization. This should be at least one primary population (i.e., Homeless/Runaway, Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, Transgender, Two-Spirited, Queer/Questioning, Youth in the Sex Trade, Latino/Hispanic, African American, Asian, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Native American/Alaska Native, Other, etc). If other please describe. List of services currently being provided to the culturally and linguistically specific population and how those services are tailored to their unique language and cultural needs;

Whether the target population for this grant proposal is the same as the community currently being served or if the proposal will focus on a narrower/more specific population within the community;

Number of years the organization has been providing sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking services to youth. If the lead agency has not provided these services, please indicate the name of the partnering agency that has been providing these services and for how long;

Name(s) of other collaborating project partners who will be involved in project development and implementation;

Number(s) of the Youth Services Program Statutory Purpose Area(s) (see page 8) being addressed in the proposal;

stalking (the project may focus on more than one area);

specify the end date of the fiscal year.

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.

A. Purpose of Application (10 points)

This section will be rated on the detail with which you provide the information below:

Describe the community's service area in which the project would be implemented, including location, population, and demographic information if possible;

http://www.grants.gov

Identify the targeted youth specific population within that service area and describe current services and gaps for the targeted population;

Identify the targeted culturally and linguistically specific population within that service area and describe current services and gaps for the targeted population;

Describe the barriers faced by youth from the identified population who are victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking when attempting to access services (Please use current anecdotal or statistical information);

Describe prior efforts of the lead and partner agencies to serve victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking from the identified youth specific population;

Describe how the targeted population would benefit from the proposed project and state how the proposed project incorporates lessons learned and overcome barriers mentioned to address the needs of the target population;

Describe how the proposed project will complement other OVW-funded projects, if applicable, and not duplicate efforts; and

Describe how the proposed project complements the priorities included within the State’s STOP Violence Against Women Implementation Plan if applicable. This is not required for Tribal governments or nonprofit organizations.

B. What Will Be Done (35 points)

This section will be rated on the detail with which the applicant provides the information below as well as the quality of the proposed activities:

The extent to which the application provides comprehensive intervention services to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking youth victims;

Describe measurable project goals and objectives for the proposed project;

Describe specific tasks and activities necessary for accomplishing all stated goals and objectives in both the planning and implementation phase;

Include a description of the products, if any, that will be generated and how these products could be used to assist the area to address the needs of youth victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking;

Include a reasonable, detailed time-line that realistically identifies when specific task and activities will be accomplished and could feasibly succeed within the grant cycle;

Describe how proposed activities would address the need described;

Describe how services will be accessible to youth in the community;

Describe in detail the cultural and linguistic services to be provided;

Detail the role, coordination, and information sharing among the partners.

Ensure proposed project activities are clearly reflect sound and/or innovative strategies to improve victim safety and offender accountability;

Ensure that the application does not include any activities that may compromise victim safety and describe how the applicant plans to address and protect victim safety and autonomy in the project; and

Ensure all project activities fall within the statutory scope of the program.

In addition, if applicants are proposing to use any technology (including, but not limited to, GPS, hotlines, and databases), they should explain how they plan to address any victim safety concerns that may arise from the use of the technology, such as confidentiality, and informed consent.

Furthermore, grantees and sub-grantees are prohibited from disclosing personally identifying information collected in connection with services requested, utilized, or denied through the grantee’s program, to any third party or third party database without informed, written, reasonably time-limited consent of the person, unless compelled by statutory or court mandate.

C. Who Will Implement the Project (10 points)

This section will be rated on the detail with which the applicant provides the information below:

Describe the mission and services provided by the lead organization responsible for implementing the project;

the collaborative relationship to be developed or enhanced;

Identify key personnel and their relevant experience addressing sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking of youth victims and young adult victims and culturally specific tailored services; or where positions are vacant applicants should describe the expertise that will be sought;

Provide detailed information that demonstrates the lead organization has the experience and capacity to provide direct intervention services to youth victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking. Note: If the organization does not have this experience, it is required to partner with a non-profit victim services agency with such expertise and must detail the following information:

dating violence, and stalking is one of the partner organization’s primary purposes and demonstrate the organization’s history of effective work concerning such issues;

o Describe how the partner organization addresses a demonstrated need in the community by providing services that create options for victims, promote the dignity and self-sufficiency of victims, and improving victim access to resources;

o Address how the partner organization’s policies and procedures ensure victim safety and confidentiality;

o Describe the roles and responsibilities of each agency in implementing the project activities;

qualifications and skills to achieve the project goals. Position descriptions and resumes (if available) should also be submitted with the application. If possible, include documentation of prior culturally and linguistically specific outreach and intervention services to the target population.

Victim service providers can provide varying degrees of confidentiality, often depending on state, tribal, and Federal laws. This may affect what information about victims they can share with partners. Other partners may have legal limitations as well. Applicants should explain information sharing between partners, including how they will protect information that is confidential or privileged.

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 Youth Services 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 Awards will be made for an amount up to $300,000 for 36 months (3 years). Funded applicants will have access to only $50,000 during the planning period. The remaining funds will be used to support the implementation phase of the project. OVW will require a special condition that withholds funds contingent upon a determination by OVW that all requirements during the planning phase have been successfully met.

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 (for three years) 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 $20,000 to account for higher travel costs. These http://www.grants.gov 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.

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.

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 extent to which the budget is complete, reasonable, and cost effective in relation to the project and does not exceed the established budget limit of $300,000;

The extent to which the budget reflects the 36 months of project activity and provides a basis of computation for all project-related costs;

The extent to which there is a clear link between proposed budget activities and proposed budget items;

The extent to which all partners are fairly compensated for their participation in any project-related activities; and

The extent to which the budget allocates funds to support travel costs associated with technical assistance and capacity-building activities sponsored by OVW technical assistance providers.

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 partnering organizations as outlined in the Youth Services Program Solicitation. The MOU should be a single attachment to the application in Grants.gov and a separate section in the hard copy.

If the applicant organization does not have experience providing direct intervention services to youth victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking it is required to partner with a non-profit sexual assault and/or domestic violence victim services organization with such expertise and the nature of the partnership must be outlined in the MOU. In addition, if the applicant organization is partnering with community agencies that provide tailored outreach and intervention services to the identified culturally specific populations, these organizations must also be included in the MOU.

http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/applicants.htm

If the applicant organization has the necessary experience in providing direct intervention services to youth victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking, it is not necessary for it to partner with a nonprofit sexual assault and/or domestic violence service provider. However, in order to meet the needs of youth victims seeking intervention and support services, applicants are expected to partner with other community organizations and agencies providing services often needed by youth victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking that the applicant organization itself does not provide (e.g., counseling, housing assistance, civil legal needs). The nature of these partnerships must be outlined in the MOU. All applicants, regardless of whether they have additional required MOU partners, must have one or more community partners to provide complementary or supplementary services.

The MOU must do the following:

Be created, signed and dated during the development of the proposal by the chief executive officers and/or directors of all project partners. Please include the printed name, title and agency under each signature at the end of the document;

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. Please list the individuals involved in the planning and implementation phase;

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

Identify the individuals who represent each agency on the planning and development team who will be responsible for implementing project activities and describe how they will work together and with project staff;

population and to provide direct services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and/or stalking;

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); and

Demonstrate a meaningful partnership among the partners and the commitment on the part of all project partners to work together to achieve stated project goals.

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 will evaluate the performance of the applicant on all current grants when considering this application. Please note that applicants that are prior OVW grantees and have failed to meet grant deadlines, failed to comply with financial requirements, or failed to comply with special conditions from current or previous grants may not be considered for funding.

VII. Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)

Please see the Reference Guide at page 8 for additional information. In Block 7 (type of applicant), please do not select “other.” This form will be filled out online and you should print out a copy for your hard copy submission.

VIII. Standard Assurances and Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (Form 4061/6)

Please see the Reference Guide at page 8 for additional information. These forms will be completed online and you should print out a copy for your hard copy submission.

IX. Financial Accounting Practices

Each applicant must prepare a response to the following questions. OVW will review the applicant’s responses to assist in evaluating the adequacy of the organization’s financial management system and to identify areas of need for training and technical assistance. This section of your application should be no more than two pages and should be a separate attachment to the online application in Grants.gov and a separate section in the hard copy.

Will all funds awarded under this program be maintained in a manner that they will be accounted for separately and distinctly from other sources of revenue/funding?

Does the applicant have written accounting policies and procedures? OVW may request a copy for review during the application/award process or as part of the grant monitoring process.

Is the applicant’s financial management system able to track actual expenditures and outlays with budgeted amounts for each grant or sub-grant?

Does the applicant have procedures in place for minimizing the time elapsing between transfer of funds from the United States Treasury and disbursement for project activities?

Does the applicant have effective internal controls in place to adequately safeguard grant assets and to ensure that they are used solely for authorized purposes? Please provide a brief description.

http://www.grants.gov http://www.grants.gov

Does the applicant have a documented records retention policy? If so, briefly describe the policy.

Is the individual primarily responsible for fiscal and administrative oversight of grant awards familiar with the applicable grants management rules, principles, and regulations?