ovw fiscal year 2011 stop violence against women formula grant 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

STOP Violence Against Women

Formula Grant Program

Eligibility

Applicants are limited to any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern

Mariana Islands.

(See “Eligibility,” page 4)

Deadline

To ensure all applicants have ample time to complete the registration process through GMS, applicants should register online with GMS by February 14, 2011.

All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. E.T. on February 23, 2011.

(See “Deadline: Application,” page 3)

Contact Information

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

In Fiscal Year 2011, OVW STOP applications will be submitted through the Office of Justice Programs’ Grants Management System (GMS). For further information and assistance, please see the OVW Grant Program Solicitation Reference Guide at http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/resource-guidebook.pdf.

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

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

CONTENTS

Overview of the OVW STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program p.3

Deadline: Registration p.4

Deadline: Application p.4

Eligibility p.4

OVW STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program Specific Information p.5

STOP Certification Requirements p.5 Availability of Funds p.6 Award Period p.6 Award Amounts p.6 Program Scope p.6 Program Requirements p.10 Required Match p.13

Training and Technical Assistance p.15

How To Apply p.15

What An Application Must Include: p.16

Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) p.16 Standard Assurances and Certifications p.16 Narrative p.16 Letters Regarding Grant Funds p.17 Letters Demonstrating Participation p.17 Letters Documenting Consultation p.17 Certification of Compliance with the Statutory Eligibility Requirements of VAWA p.18 Letter of Nonsupplanting p.18 Fiscal Requirements p.18

Performance Measures p.19

Notice of New Post-Award Reporting Requirements p.19

Additional Requirements p.20

Public Reporting Burden p.20

Application Checklist p.20

Appendix p.22

OVW STOP Violence Against Women Formula

Grant Program

(CFDA 16.588)

Overview This solicitation contains information on how to apply for the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant 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 STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program This solicitation provides program and application guidelines for the Fiscal Year 2011 Services*Training*Officers*Prosecutors (STOP) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program (STOP Program) funding, including guidelines for complying with requirements of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) as amended. By statute, the STOP Program supports communities in their efforts to develop and strengthen effective law enforcement and prosecution strategies to combat violent crimes against women and to develop and strengthen victim services in cases involving violent crimes against women.

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 the Office of Justice Programs (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 http:www.lep.gov http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/resource-guidebook.pdf 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 GMS registration deadline is February 14, 2011. For more information on the process of registering and applying in GMS, 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 GMS. Both electronic and hard copy submissions are required.

The deadline for applying for funding under this announcement is February 23, 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 February 23, 2011 to:

The Office on Violence Against Women Attn: STOP Unit 145 N Street, NE 10th Floor Washington, DC 20530

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their applications well in advance of the deadline to ensure a successful submission through GMS. 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:

Any State of the United States;

the District of Columbia; and, http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/grants-resource-guide.htm the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands (hereafter referred to as “States and Territories”).

OVW STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program

- Specific Information

STOP Certification Requirements To be eligible for funds, States and Territories must certify that they are in compliance with the statutory eligibility requirements of the Program. The Certification of Compliance with the Statutory Eligibility Requirements of the Violence Against Women Act (as Amended) form must be signed and submitted annually by the Authorized Representative to demonstrate compliance with these requirements. (This form can be found in the Appendix.) STOP Program applicants must also provide a brief description of the status of their compliance with the statutory requirements and submit copies of any legislative or administrative rule changes regarding these requirements that have occurred since submission of the State or Territory’s last application for STOP funds.

1. With respect to the VAWA requirement concerning costs for criminal charges and protection orders, a State or Territory must certify: that its laws, policies, and practices do not require, in connection with the prosecution of any misdemeanor or felony domestic violence offense, or in connection with the filing, issuance, registration, or service of a protection order, or a petition for a protection order, to protect a victim of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault, that the victim bear the costs associated with the filing of criminal charges against the offender, or the costs associated with the filing, issuance, registration, or service of a warrant, protection order, petition for a protection order, or witness subpoena, whether issued inside or outside the State, Tribal, or local jurisdiction.

2. With respect to the VAWA requirement concerning forensic medical examination payment for victims of sexual assault, a State or Territory must certify:

the State or Territory or another governmental entity incurs the full out-of-pocket cost of forensic medical exams for victims of sexual assault; and, that it will not require a victim of sexual assault to participate in the criminal justice system or cooperate with law enforcement in order to be provided with a forensic medical exam, reimbursement for charges incurred on account of such an exam, or both.

Note: STOP funds may now be used to pay for forensic medical exams performed by trained examiners for victims of sexual assault, except that such funds may not be used to pay for forensic medical exams if victims of sexual assault are required to seek reimbursement for such exams from their insurance carriers.

3. With respect to the VAWA requirement concerning judicial notification, a State or Territory must certify:

that its judicial administrative policies and practices include notification to domestic violence offenders of the requirements delineated in section 922(g)(8) and (g)(9) of title 18 of the United States Code, and any applicable related Federal, State, or local laws.

4. With respect to the VAWA requirement prohibiting polygraph testing, a State or Territory must certify:

that its laws, policies, or practices ensure that no law enforcement officer, prosecuting officer or other government official shall ask or require an adult, youth, or child victim of an alleged sex offense as defined under Federal, Tribal, State, Territorial, or local law to submit to a polygraph examination or other truth telling device as a condition for proceeding with the investigation of such an offense, and the refusal of a victim to submit to a polygraph examination or other truth telling device shall not prevent the investigation, charging, or prosecution of an alleged sex offense.

For more information on these statutory requirements, please contact your OVW Program Manager or consult OVW’s Web site at http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/FAQ_FINAL_nov_21_07.pdf for Frequently Asked Questions on STOP Formula Grants.

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.

Award Period The award period for these grants will be 24 months.

Award Amounts By statute, OVW will award a base amount of $600,000 to each State and Territory. Funds remaining after the allocated base amount will be distributed among the States and Territories according to population. The most accurate and complete data compiled by the United States Bureau of the Census are used to determine the populations. By statute, Indian Tribal populations are not included in the population count.

Program Scope The scope of the STOP Program is defined by the statutory purpose areas and the identified program activities.

http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/FAQ_FINAL_nov_21_07.pdf

Statutory Program Purposes

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

STOP Program grants are intended for use by States and Territories; State, local, and Tribal courts (including juvenile courts); Indian Tribal governments; units of local government; and nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services programs, including those of faith-based and community organizations. Grants and subgrants supported through this Program must meet one or more of the following statutory purpose areas:1 training law enforcement officers, judges, other court personnel, and prosecutors to more effectively identify and respond to violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating violence;

developing, training, or expanding units of law enforcement officers, judges, other court personnel, and prosecutors specifically targeting violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence;

developing and implementing more effective police, court, and prosecution policies, protocols, orders, and services specifically devoted to preventing, identifying, and responding to violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence;

developing, installing, or expanding data collection and communication systems, including computerized systems, linking police, prosecutors, and courts or for the purpose of identifying and tracking arrests, protection orders, violations of protection orders, prosecutions, and convictions for violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence;

developing, enlarging, or strengthening victim services programs, including sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating violence programs, developing or improving delivery of victim services to underserved populations, providing specialized domestic violence court advocates in courts where a significant number of protection orders are granted, and increasing reporting and reducing attrition rates for cases involving violent crimes against women, including crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence;

developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs addressing stalking;

developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs addressing the needs and circumstances of Indian tribes in dealing with violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence;

supporting formal and informal Statewide, multidisciplinary efforts, to the extent not

1 42 U.S.C. § 3796gg(b).

supported by State funds, to coordinate the response of State law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, victim services agencies, and other State agencies and departments, to violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating violence;

training of sexual assault forensic medical personnel examiners in the collection and preservation of evidence, analysis, prevention, and providing expert testimony and treatment of trauma related to sexual assault;

developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs to assist law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and others to address the needs and circumstances of older and disabled women who are victims of domestic violence or sexual assault, including recognizing, investigating, and prosecuting instances of such violence or assault and targeting outreach and support, counseling, and other victim services to such older and disabled individuals;

providing assistance to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in immigration matters;

maintaining core victim services and criminal justice initiatives, while supporting complementary new initiatives and emergency services for victims and their families;

supporting the placement of special victim assistants (to be known as “Jessica Gonzales Victim Assistants”) in local law enforcement agencies to serve as liaisons between victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and personnel in local law enforcement agencies in order to improve the enforcement of protection orders. Jessica Gonzales Victim Assistants shall have expertise in domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking and may undertake the following activities— developing, in collaboration with prosecutors, courts, and victim service providers, standardized response policies for local law enforcement agencies, including triage protocols to ensure that dangerous or potentially lethal cases are identified and prioritized;

notifying persons seeking enforcement of protection orders as to what responses will be provided by the relevant law enforcement agency;

referring persons seeking enforcement of protection orders to supplementary services (such as emergency shelter programs, hotlines, or legal assistance services); and taking other appropriate action to assist or secure the safety of the person seeking enforcement of a protection order.

Providing funding to law enforcement agencies, nonprofit nongovernmental victim services providers, and State, Tribal, Territorial, and local governments (which funding stream shall be known as the Crystal Judson Domestic Violence Protocol Program) to promote— the development and implementation of training for local victim domestic violence service providers, and to fund victim services personnel, to be known as “Crystal Judson Victim Advocates,” to provide supportive services and advocacy for victims of domestic violence committed by law enforcement personnel;

the implementation of protocols within law enforcement agencies to ensure consistent and effective responses to the commission of domestic violence by personnel within such agencies (such as the model policy promulgated by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (“Domestic Violence by Police Officers: A Policy of the IACP, Police Response to Violence Against Women Project” July 2003); and the development of such protocols in collaboration with State, Tribal, Territorial and local victim services providers and domestic violence coalitions.

Note: Any law enforcement, State, Tribal, Territorial, or local government agency receiving funding under the Crystal Judson Domestic Violence Protocol Program shall on an annual basis, receive additional training on the topic of incidents of domestic violence committed by law enforcement personnel from domestic violence and sexual assault nonprofit organizations and, after a period of two years, provide a report of the adopted protocol to the Department, including a summary of progress in implementing such protocol. As such, States and Territories are responsible for ensuring that each subgrantee receiving funds under this purpose area will receive the required annual training. States are also responsible for ensuring that subgrantees submit their two-year report to the Department. States and Territories must notify and provide OVW with a list of subgrantee recipients awarded STOP funds under the Crystal Judson Domestic Violence Protocol Program.

Special Interest Areas The emphasis of the STOP Program continues to be on the implementation of comprehensive strategies addressing violence against women that are sensitive to the immediate and long-term needs and safety of victims and hold offenders accountable for their crimes. States and Territories should seek to carry out these strategies by forging lasting partnerships between the victim advocacy organizations and the criminal justice system and by encouraging communities to look beyond traditional resources. States and Territories should also look to new partners to respond more vigorously to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking crimes, such as faith-based and community organizations.

In shaping their strategies for Fiscal Year 2011, States and Territories are encouraged to develop and support projects that:

Support core services for victims of sexual and domestic violence, particularly support for rape crisis centers and shelters;

Provide comprehensive culturally specific services beyond bilingual advocacy, particularly to individuals like the children of immigrants, who may not need bilingual services;

Provide basic and advanced training to Tribal law enforcement and Tribal courts regarding services for victims in Tribal communities;

Provide basic and advanced training to target violence against women, including violence across the lifespan and elders who cope with historical sexual abuse (e.g., sexual assault of Native American women, enslaved African women, and African/American women);

Provide basic and advanced training and services that address domestic violence or sexual assault and prisoner re-entry, including advocacy services to: battered women convicted of crimes; victims of prison rape; victims whose experiences of sexual assault or domestic violence played a role in their crimes; women whose batterers are returning from prison; and communities where a sex offender is being paroled to that community.

Provide comprehensive training to court personnel on sexual assault issues;

Support Full Faith and Credit training for Tribes, States and Territories; and Develop and implement risk/danger assessments to address issues of victims who are considered to be in high risk of lethality in relationships.

Program Requirements Upon satisfying the application requirements, a State or Territory shall be qualified for funds under the STOP Program provided that the State or Territory complies with the following program requirements:

Program Purposes The funds can be used for any of the fourteen statutory purpose areas listed previously set forth in the STOP Program statute and outlined above.

STOP Implementation Plan In FY 2010, all States and Territories should have submitted a new or substantially revised implementation plan covering a three year period. In 2011 and 2012, the State or Territory fulfills the implementation plan requirement by providing OVW with a certification letter that indicates whether the three-year plan has changed. If the implementation plan has not changed, the State or Territory should so indicate in a certification letter and submit it to the appropriate OVW STOP Program Manager for approval within 120 days after receiving the award. If there are revisions to the three-year plan, the State or Territory must submit a revised implementation plan or certification letter setting forth the changes, and mail the revised plan or certification letter to the appropriate OVW STOP Program Manager for approval within 120 days after receiving the award. Regardless whether changes were made to the three-year plan, all States and Territories must submit relevant State statistics, data, or information relating to underserved populations and submit this information along with the certification or revised implementation plan. Applicants are reminded that they will only be able to draw down

10% of their total funds until their revised implementation plan or certification letter has been approved by OVW. For assistance in conducting the State planning process and developing implementation plans, please refer to STOP State Implementation Plans: A Tool for Administrators, on OVW’s website, which is located at http://www.usdoj.gov/ovw/docs/implementation_plan_tool.pdf.

Note: If grantees submit revised implementation plans, they must develop those plans through deliberative consultation and coordination with nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services programs (including sexual assault and domestic violence programs). States and Territories must demonstrate through the plan that they have consulted and coordinated in a meaningful way with sexual assault and domestic violence victim services programs and coalitions.

The identification of which victim services programs to consult is at the discretion of each State or Territory; however, States and Territories should bear in mind that VAWA defines a victim services program as “a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that assists domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking victims, including rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters, faith-based organizations, and other organizations with a documented history of effective work concerning domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking.”

States and Territories are strongly encouraged to involve representatives from Indian Tribal governments in their planning processes and to consider the needs of Indian Tribes in developing the State’s law enforcement, prosecution, court, and victim services strategies.

A revised implementation plan must describe:

the process used to redevelop the plan and the involvement of victim services, Tribes, diverse populations, programs and advocates;

major shifts in direction, if any, because of reevaluation or reassessment of previous efforts;

how the approach to reducing and preventing violence against women this year will build on efforts of previous years;

the types of programs the grantee intends to support;

whether the revised program will target the Crystal Judson Domestic Violence Protocol Program; and how the success of the revised grant-funded activities will be evaluated.

The implementation plan also should describe how the State or Territory will achieve and ensure the following:

the continued equitable distribution of monies on a geographic basis, including nonurban and rural areas of various geographic sizes; and http://www.usdoj.gov/ovw/docs/implementation_plan_tool.pdf recognition and meaningful response to the needs of underserved populations and ensure that monies set aside to fund linguistically and culturally specific services and activities for underserved populations are distributed equitably among those populations.

Allocation of Funds

The Implementation Plan must clearly state that, of the total award amount:

at least 5 percent will be allocated for State and local courts including juvenile courts;

at least 25 percent will be allocated for law enforcement;

at least 25 percent will be allocated for prosecutors; and, at least 30 percent will be allocated for nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services, of which at least 10 percent is to be distributed to culturally specific community-based organizations.

The implementation plan shall also briefly summarize how the statute will use administrative funds.

The allocation of funds is a statutory requirement. These allocations may not be redistributed or transferred to another funding allocation area. States and Territories have

24 months (the duration of the grant period) to meet the statutory funding allocations. The remainder of the funds (15%) may be spent at the discretion of the State or Territory to address the statutory program purposes described previously. However, no one group is entitled to all or a portion of the funding. Each is equally entitled. Grantees are required to submit only total cost estimates, not category-specific amounts, for each subgrant. Decisions about the allocation of STOP Program funds must be made in a manner that avoids any conflicts of interest as described in the OVW Grants Financial Management Guide.2

Unallowable Activities

Grant funds under the STOP 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

2 OVW Grants Financial Management Guide

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

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 States and Territories not to include these activities in their application for funding:

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

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

requiring victims to report sexual assault, stalking, or domestic violence crimes to law enforcement or forcing victims to participate in criminal proceedings;

relying on court-mandated batterer intervention programs that do not use the coercive power of the criminal justice system to hold batterers accountable for their behavior;

supporting policies that deny individuals access to services based on their relationship to the perpetrator;

developing materials that are not appropriately tailored to the dynamics of sexual assault;

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

sharing confidential victim information with outside organizations and/or individuals without the documented consent of the victim;

placing of batterers in anger management programs; or, procedures that would penalize or impose sanctions on victims of domestic violence or sexual assault for failure to testify against the abuser and/or the perpetrator.

Confidentiality Applicants should be cognizant of victims’ confidentiality. Please see Reference Guide p. 7 for more information.

Required Match There is a 25% match requirement imposed on grant funds under this program. A grant made under this program may not cover more than 75 percent of the total costs of the project being funded. The applicant must identify the source of the 25 percent non-Federal portion of the budget and how match funds will be used. Applicants may satisfy the required match with either cash or in-kind services.

Exception: VAWA 2005, as amended, created a new provision eliminating match in certain circumstances and providing for waivers of match in other circumstances.

Specifically, 42 U.S.C. § 13925 (b)(1) provides:

No matching funds shall be required for any grant or subgrant made under this Act for— any tribe, Territory, or victim service provider; or any other entity, including a State, that— petitions for a waiver of any match condition imposed by the Attorney General or the Secretaries of Health and Human Services or Housing and Urban Development; and whose petition for a waiver is determined by the Attorney General or the Secretaries of Health and Human Services or Housing and Urban Development to have adequately demonstrated the financial need of the petitioning entity.

Note: This provision does not relieve the State from providing the full 25 percent match unless the State requests and receives a waiver. For more information, please contact your OVW Program Manager or consult OVW’s Web site at http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/FAQ_FINAL_nov_21_07.pdf for Frequently Asked Questions on STOP Formula Grants.

The following provisions apply to match requirements:

The State may satisfy the match requirement with either cash (e.g., funds contributed from private sources or State and local governments) or in-kind services (e.g., services or goods donated by the applicant organization or other entities).

Funds from other Federal sources may not be used to meet the match requirement. A State may use its discretion to require some or all of its subgrantees (except victim services organizations and Indian Tribal governments) to meet the match requirement, in whole or in part. OVW encourages States to consider the ability of subgrantees to meet match requirements when deciding whether and how much of the match to pass on;

however, the State remains responsible for satisfying the match requirement.

Funds or in-kind resources used as match must be directly related to the project goals and objectives.

Grantees or subgrantees “must maintain records which clearly show the source, the http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/FAQ_FINAL_nov_21_07.pdf amount, and the timing of all matching contributions.” 3

Sources of match are restricted to the same requirements as funds allocated under the STOP Program and must be documented in the same manner as STOP Program funds, including financial and programmatic reports.

The State must calculate its match based on the entire STOP formula award, including amounts States are allowed to allocate for administrative expenses.

The formula for calculating the required match is:

Award Amount ÷ 75% Federal Share = Adjusted Project Costs

Adjusted Project Costs X 25% Recipient's Share = Required Match

Example: 75/25% Required Match

For a Federal award amount of $350,000, required match would be calculated as follows:

$350,000 ÷ 75% = $466,667

$466,667 X 25% = $116,667 Required Match

Grantees are advised that further guidance on the calculation, documentation and auditing of the match requirement can be found in the OVW Grants Financial Management Guide and on OVW’s Web site. For more information and ideas regarding match, please see OVW’s Web site at http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/match_requirement.pdf.

Training and Technical Assistance

OVW holds an annual mandatory STOP Administrators conference to provide STOP Administrating Agencies with a forum to share critical information about the STOP Program.

Access to current research and practices relating to violence against women through training and technical assistance can reduce staff burnout, improve project performance, and positively impact project sustainability.

How To Apply

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

3 OVW Grants Financial Management Guide http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/match_requirement.pdf

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 the application is complete. Please be sure to number each page of the application.

Applications must use the following page format requirements:

Double spaced 8½ x 11 inch paper One inch margins Type no smaller than 12 point, Times New Roman font

Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) Please see the Reference Guide at page 6 for additional information. This form will be filled out online and you should print out a copy for your hard copy submission.

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 7 for additional information. These forms will be filled out online and you should print out a copy for your hard copy submission.

Narrative The following narrative must be submitted as an attachment in GMS and should contain the following elements:

if applicable, please address any innovative or promising practices being proposed in your State or Territory;

a report on the status of subgrant awards for fiscal years 2005 - 2010, if none has been submitted to date or if the status has changed since the last report; if the State or Territory has not completed making subgrants, the State or Territory should provide the amount of each fiscal year’s funds not yet awarded, an explanation of why the funds have not been awarded, and the anticipated date funds will be obligated;

what outreach efforts are being made to underserved populations as defined by VAWA to include populations underserved because of geographic location, underserved racial and ethnic populations, populations underserved because of special needs (such as language barriers, disabilities, alienage status, or age) and other populations determined to be underserved by the Attorney General, to more fully engage them in the following activities: (1) State planning process, (2) increased application submission, and (3) enhancing services for these specific populations;

a description of current projects meeting the 10% set aside for culturally specific community-based organizations;

information on whether the project or activity proposed in the application includes research that may involve human subjects, as defined in 28 CFR Part 46, or collection or use of information identifiable to a private person as defined in 28 CFR Part 22;

a description of the types of projects to be funded with Fiscal Year 2011 funding;

a brief description on how the State or Territory makes its subgrant awards (i.e., a competitive process); and a brief summary (not a detailed budget) of how administrative funds will be used.

Note: Items described below must be submitted via attachments to the application in GMS. Please use descriptive titles for all on-line attachments.

Letters Regarding Grant Funds Applicants must submit four separate and distinct letters to OVW regarding grant funds. At least one letter must be submitted from each of the following areas: (1) prosecution, (2) law enforcement, (3) courts, and (4) victim services programs, each letter demonstrating the need for the grant funds for the particular constituency, intended use of grant funds, expected results from the use of the grant funds, and demographic characteristics of the populations to be served, including age, marital status, disability, race, ethnicity, and language background. This documentation may be in the form of letters from current grantees or State or territory-wide organizations representing prosecution, law enforcement, courts and victims services able to comment on the current and proposed use of grant funds.

Letters Demonstrating Participation Applicants must submit letters demonstrating the commitment of nonprofit, nongovernmental victim-services programs to participate in the development of the grantee’s implementation plan.

This documentation may be in the form of letters from members of the planning team and should indicate that the plan will address the needs and services identified as priorities by the team, including the needs of underserved populations. Also provide documentation that a copy of the implementation plan has been provided or made accessible electronically to the organizations participating in the development of the implementation plan.

Letters Documenting Consultation

State applications must include “documentation showing that Tribal, State, or local prosecution, law enforcement, and courts have consulted with Tribal, State or local victim services programs during the course of developing their Fiscal Year 2011 grant applications in order to ensure that proposed activities and equipment acquisitions are designed to promote the safety, confidentiality, and economic independence of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence.” This should include dates and content of planning meetings with victim services programs and advocates.

Territorial applications must include “documentation showing that Territorial, or local prosecution, law enforcement, and courts have consulted with Territorial, or local victim services programs during the course of developing their Fiscal Year 2011 grant applications in order to ensure that proposed activities and equipment acquisitions are designed to promote the safety, confidentiality, and economic independence of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence.” This should include dates and content of planning meetings with victim services programs and advocates.

Note: The aforementioned victim services letters regarding grant funds and victim services letters regarding participation and consultation should be separate and distinct letters and not one letter addressing more than one topic. These letters also should accompany the completed application.

Certification of Compliance with the Statutory Eligibility Requirements of the Violence Against Women Act as Amended (Appendix): This form should be signed by an authorized official.

Letter of Nonsupplanting Applicants must submit a letter to OVW’s Director, certifying that Federal funds will not be used to supplant State or local funds should a grant award be made. Please refer to http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/applicants.htm for a sample letter.

Fiscal Requirements The following is a short list of fiscal guidelines:

Applicants are strongly discouraged from requesting consultant rates in excess of $650 per day, because they require prior approval from the OVW Director.

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.

Applicants may not allocate any funds for building renovations. This includes seemingly minor activities such as painting or carpeting.

Applicants may not allocate any funds to purchase vehicles. Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis for use by subgrantees with OVW prior approval.

Applicants may not allocate more than 10% of their total award for administrative funds (this includes indirect costs).

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

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.

No cost extension requests should be submitted no more than 90 days prior to the award end period and no less than 30 days prior to the end of the award period. A grant extension request submitted less than 30 days prior to the end of the award period must be submitted in writing to your Program Manager, who will then generate a Grant Adjustment Notice (GAN) on your behalf.

The individuals responsible for fiscal and administrative oversight of grant awards should be knowledgeable of the applicable grants’ management rules, principles, and regulations that apply to their organizations and its programs. If these individuals are not familiar with grants’ management, please contact your OVW Program Specialist or the OVW Grants Financial Management Division at OVW.GFMD@usdoj.gov, or 1-888-514-8556 immediately after receiving an award to coordinate the necessary training.

Performance Measures

All OVW STOP grantees are required to submit annual performance reports, which will be provided to you.

For more information, see the Reference Guide at pages 19-22.

Notice of New Post-Award Reporting Requirements

Applicants should anticipate that all recipients (other than individuals) of awards of $25,000 or more under this solicitation, consistent with the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA), will be required to report award information on any first-tier subawards totaling $25,000 or more, and, in certain cases, to report information on the names and total compensation of the five most highly compensated executives of the recipient and first-tier subrecipients. Each applicant entity must ensure that it has the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the reporting requirements should it receive funding.

It is expected that reports regarding subawards will be made through the FFATA Subaward Reporting System (FSRS), found at https://www.fsrs.gov. Additional guidance on reporting will be provided in the near future by OVW and/or the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Please note also that applicants should anticipate that no subaward of an award made under this solicitation may be made to a subrecipient (other than an individual) unless the potential subrecipient acquires and provides a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number.

http:https://www.fsrs.gov mailto:OVW.GFMD@usdoj.gov

Additional Requirements

For information on additional requirements that apply to all OVW applicants and grantees, see the Reference Guide at pages 23-24.

Public Reporting Burden

Paperwork Reduction Act Notice Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. We try to create forms and instructions that are accurate, can be easily understood, and which impose the least possible burden on you to provide us with information. The estimated average time to complete and file this form is 30 hours per form. If you have comments regarding the accuracy of this estimate, or suggestions for making this form simpler, you can write to the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice, 145 N Street, NE, Washington, DC 20530.

Application Checklist Applicants must submit a fully executed application to OVW via overnight delivery, including all required supporting documentation. If you do not have the ability to upload signed documents, you may upload an unsigned version and include the signed original in the hard copy of the application. Applications will not be accepted via facsimile. Although the application needs to be submitted through GMS as well as in hard copy form, the hard copy will be reviewed.

Complete applications should include the following:

The SF-424;

Standard Assurances and Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug Free Workplace Requirements;

Letter of nonsupplanting;

Separate letters from prosecution, law enforcement, court, and victim services programs demonstrating the need for, intended use of, and expected results from the use of grant funds, and the demographic characteristics of the populations to be served;

Individual letters demonstrating the commitment of nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services programs to participate in the development of the grantee’s implementation plan;

Individual letters showing that Territorial, State, or local prosecution, law enforcement, and courts have consulted with Tribal, Territorial, State or local victim services programs during the course of developing their grant applications;

Certification of Compliance with the Statutory Eligibility Requirements of the VAWA, as amended (Appendix); and

Project Narrative.

Note: An application missing any of the above components will be considered incomplete and cannot move forward in the grant making process which may result in the delay of funding.

For additional information, please contact OVW at 202-307-6026 and reference the STOP Program.

To help expedite the review process, applicants must send via overnight delivery a complete hard copy original of the application post-marked by February 23, 2011 to:

The Office on Violence Against Women Attn: STOP Unit 145 N Street, NE, 10th Floor Washington, DC 20530

APPENDIX

CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATUTORY

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS OF THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

ACT, AS AMENDED

U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women

OMB Clearance #1122-0001

Expiration Date 11/30/2012

Certification of Compliance with the Statutory Eligibility

Requirements of the Violence Against Women Act as Amended, STOP Formula Grant Program

Applicants should refer to the regulations cited below for further information regarding the certifications to which they are required to attest. Applicants also should review the instructions for certification included in the program regulations before completing this form. Signature on this form certifies that the state is qualified to receive the funds and provides for compliance with relevant requirements under 28 CFR Part 90 and 42 U.S.C 3796gg through 3796gg-5 and 3796gg-8. The certifications shall be treated as a material representation of fact upon which the Department of Justice will rely if it determines to award the covered transaction, grant, or cooperative agreement.

Upon complying with the application requirements set forth in this Application Guide, any state shall be qualified for funds provided under the Violence Against Women Act upon certification that:

(1) the funds will be used only for the statutory purposes described in 42 U.S.C. § 3796gg (a) and (b);

(2) grantees and subgrantees will develop plans for implementation and will consult and coordinate with nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services programs, including sexual assault and domestic violence victim services programs and describe how the state will address the needs of underserved populations;

(3) the amount granted will be allocated, without duplication, as follows: not less than 25 percent for law enforcement, not less than 25 percent for prosecutors, not less than 30 percent for nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services programs (of which at least 10 percent will be distributed to culturally specific community-based organizations), and not less than 5 percent for state and local courts; and

(4) any federal funds received under this subchapter will be used to supplement, not supplant, nonfederal funds that would otherwise be available for activities funded under this chapter.

In addition, as required by 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-4, 3796gg-5, and 3796gg-8 and implemented at 28 CFR Part 90:

(1) Forensic Medical Examination Payment Requirement for Victims of Sexual Assault

(a) A state, Indian tribal government, or unit of local government shall not be entitled to funds unless the state, Indian tribal government, unit of local government, or another governmental entity incurs the full out-of-pocket costs of forensic medical exams for victims of sexual assault.

(b) A state, Indian tribal government, or unit of local government shall be deemed to incur the full out-of-pocket cost of forensic medical exams for victims of sexual assault if any government entity:

(1) provides such exams to victims free of charge to the victim;

(2) arranges for victims to obtain such exams free of charge to the victims; or

(3) reimburses victims for the cost of such exams if

(i) the reimbursement covers the full cost of such exams, without any deductible requirement or limit on the amount of a reimbursement;

(ii) the reimbursing governmental entity permits victims to apply for reimbursement for not less than one year from the date of the exam;

(iii) the reimbursing governmental entity provides reimbursement not later than 90 days after written notification of the victim’s expense; and

(iv) the…