PKG00294214.pdf

OMB No. 1121-0329

Approval Expires 02/28/2027

OJJDP FY 2026 Invited to Apply - Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Training, Technical Assistance, and Subgrants Program

Grants.gov Funding Opportunity Number: O-OJJDP-2026-172764

Application Deadlines in Eastern Time (ET):

1. Complete SF-424 and submit in Grants.gov: September 22, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. ET

2. Submit full application in JustGrants: October 8, 2026, by 8:59 p.m. ET

OJJDP FY 2026 Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Training, Technical Assistance, and Subgrants Program

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Contents

1. Basic Information

2. Eligibility

3. Program Description

4. Application Contents and Format

5. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

6. Application Review Information

7. Award Notices

8. Post-Award Requirements & Administration

9. Questions?

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1. BASIC INFORMATION

Purpose of the Funding

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is committed to advancing work that furthers the

U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) mission to keep our country safe and secure and uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of American citizens. OJP provides federal leadership, funding, and other critical resources to directly support law enforcement, combat violent crime, protect American children, provide services to American crime victims, and address public safety challenges, including human trafficking and the opioid crisis.

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the OJJDP FY 2026 Court

Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Training, Technical Assistance, and

Subgrants Program – Invited to Apply. This opportunity seeks to fund one organization to carry out key activities designed to ensure abused and neglected children involved in dependency court proceedings have access to a court appointed special advocate (CASA):

Category 2: State and Local CASA Subgrants Program

Subgrants to state and local CASA programs or organizations that support volunteer advocates who represent abused and neglected children in dependency court proceedings. Subgrantees will use their awards to initiate, sustain, and expand CASA programs and provide CASA services in communities where representation rates are low, the numbers of abused and neglected children are high, and service systems are not meeting the needs of families and children. State CASA organization subgrantees may use their awards to strengthen their capacity to provide services to local programs.

See the Eligible Applicants section for eligibility details.

Funding Details

Announcement Type Initial

Assistance Listing Number 16.756

Statutory Authority 34 U.S.C. § 20323

Grants.gov Opportunity Number O-OJJDP-2026-172764

Expected Total Amount of Funding $10,000,000

Anticipated Number of Awards 1

Award Type(s) Cooperative Agreement

Anticipated Award Amount Up to $10,000,000

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Expected Award Period(s) 18 months starting on October 1, 2026

Key Dates and Times

NOFO Release Date September 22, 2026

SAM.gov Registration/Renewal Recommend beginning the process immediately.

Step 1: Grants.gov Deadline 11:59 p.m. ET on September 30, 2026

Step 2: JustGrants Deadline 8:59 p.m. ET on October 8, 2026

See Questions? at the end of this NOFO for agency contact information.

2. ELIGIBILITY

Eligible Applicants

The types of entities that are eligible to apply are:

Other: National CASA Association

Cost Sharing (Match) Requirement: This NOFO does not require cost sharing

(match).

3. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Statutory Authority

34 U.S.C. § 20323

Agency Funding Priorities

In order to advance public safety and help meet its mission, OJP priorities include:

(a) Directly supporting law enforcement operations (including immigration law enforcement operations);

(b) Combatting violent crime;

(c) Supporting services to American citizens;

(d) Protecting American children; and

(e) Supporting American victims of trafficking and sexual assault.

Unallowable Activities: The following are certain unallowable costs and certain activities that are out of the program scope and will not be funded.

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1. Out of program scope is any program or activity, at any tier that, directly or indirectly, violates (or promotes or facilitates the violation of) federal immigration law (including 8 U.S.C. § 1373) or impedes or hinders the enforcement of federal immigration law—including by failing to comply with 8 U.S.C. § 1373, give access to DHS agents, or honor DHS requests and provide requested notice to DHS agents.

2. Out of program scope is any program or activity, at any tier that violates any applicable Federal civil rights or nondiscrimination law. This includes violations that—(1) indirectly violate the law, including by promoting or facilitating violations;

or (2) unlawfully favor individuals in any race or protected group, including on a majority or minority, or privileged or unprivileged, basis, within a given area, population, or sector.

3. As specified in the DOJ Grants Financial Guide, in Chapter 3.13 “Unallowable

Costs” (“Legal Services for Aliens”), any obligations of funds, at any tier, under this award to provide (or to support the provision of) legal services to any removable alien or any alien otherwise unlawfully present in the United States shall be unallowable costs for purposes any award made under this notice, but the foregoing shall not be understood to apply: (1) to legal services to obtain protection orders for victims of crime; or (2) to immigration-related legal services that may be expressly authorized or required by any law, or any judicial ruling, governing or applicable to the award.

Goals and Objectives of This Funding Opportunity

Goal: The overall goal of this program is to improve outcomes for children in the child welfare system by providing effective and timely advocacy for abused and neglected children in dependency courts. Under this program, this will be done by implementing a robust subgrants program for state and local CASA organizations. Together, these activities will work to increase the numbers of children receiving services from CASA programs.

Category 2: State and Local CASA Subgrants Program

• Objective 1: Develop, implement, and oversee a subgrant funding strategy that allocates a minimum of 80 percent of overall funding for this project to support state and local CASA programs nationwide. This includes providing assistance to help subgrant applicants and subawardees apply for, implement, and administer their subawards over the life of the project period.

• Objective 2: Administer and oversee subgrants to initiate, sustain, and expand local and state CASA programs, to include distributing subgrants to states/localities that have no existing CASA program.

For a description of how awards under this NOFO will contribute to achieving these goals and objectives, see the Performance Reports section below.

https://www.ojp.gov/doj-financial-guide-2024

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Expected Outcomes

OJP expects recipients to submit deliverables and performance reports, as described below. Read the Application Resource Guide for more information. OJP will measure success by reviewing a recipient’s submission of performance reports and data and the extent to which project implementation reflects progress toward the goals and objectives of this NOFO.

Deliverables

Specific deliverables for this program include but are not limited to the following:

Category 2: State and Local CASA Subgrants Program

• Develop and administer a subgrant funding strategy to initiate, sustain, and expand local and state CASA programs. This strategy should offer funding opportunities targeted at programs and communities with varied needs related to

CASA programming and increasing and maintaining access, including a focus on localities/jurisdictions that have no existing CASA program.

• Develop and publish RFPs as OJJDP approves.

• Provide training and technical assistance specific to the release of the OJJDP-approved RFP for each category of subgrant funding proposed.

• Manage a peer review process to evaluate applications for funding for each category.

• Provide oversight and subgrant monitoring activities in accordance with the DOJ

Grants Financial Guide.

Performance Reports

OJP requires recipients to submit regular performance reports that communicate progress toward achieving Program Goals and Objectives. Read information on performance reporting.

A list of performance measure questions for this funding opportunity can be found on

OJJDP’s Performance Measures page.

Substantial Involvement of Federal Agency: OJP expects to make some or all awards under this NOFO as cooperative agreements, which allows OJP to have substantial involvement in carrying out the project. Read the Application Resource

Guide for a discussion of this involvement and related award conditions.

4. APPLICATION CONTENTS AND FORMAT

Application Contents List

The table below lists the contents of your application. Refer to the DOJ Grant

Application Submission Checklist for application instructions.

Application Item Submission Type https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#general-information-about-post-federal-award-reporting-requireme https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#general-information-about-post-federal-award-reporting-requireme https://www.ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/grant-performance-measurement/performance-measures https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#administrative https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#administrative https://justicegrants.usdoj.gov/training/checklist-application-submission https://justicegrants.usdoj.gov/training/checklist-application-submission

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Step 1: Grants.gov

Application for Federal Assistance: SF-424 Online Form

Step 2: JustGrants

Standard Applicant Information Online Form

Proposal Abstract Text Box

Data Requested With Application

• Financial Management and System of Internal

Controls Questionnaire (including Applicant

Disclosure of High-Risk Status)

• Agency Funding Priorities Inventory

Online Form

Proposal Narrative Attachment

Budget Online Form

Other Budget/Financial Attachments

• Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)

• Consultant Rate (if applicable)

• Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee

Compensation for Awards Over $250,000; Waiver (if applicable)

• Disclosure of Process Related to Executive

Compensation (if applicable)

Attachment

Additional Application Components

• Curriculum Vitae or Resumes

• Position Descriptions

• Logic Model

Attachment

Standard Applicant Information

Review and edit as needed the information imported from the SF-424 submitted in

Grants.gov. Add ZIP codes for areas affected by the project.

Proposal Abstract

In JustGrants, enter a proposal abstract (limited to 2,000 characters) summarizing the proposed project. As abstracts for funded projects are public, do not include any personally identifying information (e.g., staff names). The abstract should include the following information:

• The name of the applicant’s proposed project.

OJJDP FY 2026 Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Training, Technical Assistance, and Subgrants Program

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• The purpose of the proposed project (i.e., what the project will do and why it is necessary).

• Where the project will take place (i.e., the service area, if applicable).

• Who will be served by the project (i.e., who will be helped or have their needs addressed by the project).

• What activities will be carried out to complete the project.

• The subrecipient(s)/partner organizations or entities, if known.

• Deliverables and expected outcomes (i.e., what the project will achieve).

View an example of a proposal abstract.

Data Requested With Application

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (including Applicant Disclosure of High-Risk Status)

Review information on this questionnaire.

Proposal Narrative

Format of the Proposal Narrative

Submit the narrative as an attachment in JustGrants. The document should:

• Be double-spaced, using a standard 12-point size font

• Have no less than 1-inch margins

• Have numbered pages

• Not exceed 20 pages

Sections of the Proposal Narrative

The Proposal Narrative must include the four sections listed below.

1. Description of the Need: What critical issue or problem do you propose to address with this project? Please include:

• A brief explanation of the need, gap, or issue to be addressed by the proposed project.

• Supporting information, data, or evidence to demonstrate the need’s existence, size, and impact on the target population and community.

• How the need relates to the purpose of the NOFO.

2. Project Goals and Objectives: How will the proposed project address the need identified and address the purpose of the NOFO? Please include:

• Project goals (goals are broad, visionary statements on what you hope to accomplish).

• Project objectives (objectives are specific outcomes you plan to achieve through project activities).

https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#proposal-abstract https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#fm-internal-controls-questionnaire

OJJDP FY 2026 Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Training, Technical Assistance, and Subgrants Program

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• How your project goals and objectives relate to the goals and objectives of the funding opportunity.

3. Project Design and Implementation: How will you implement project activities that meet the project goals and objectives? Please include:

• What activities you will conduct to achieve the proposed goals and objectives.

• How you will deliver or complete those activities.

• How will subgrants to ensure children in the child welfare system receive access to CASA volunteer services be made available and distributed, including breakdown of possible funding categories and amounts available, and any formula used to determine distribution of the subgrant funds.

• How you will oversee these subawards as required by OJP.

• When the activities will take place.

• Who in your organization will staff the activities, including key staff.

• What deliverables, reports, and other items will be produced as part of the project.

• If you plan to use subrecipients to help conduct the project, please name them (if they are known) or describe how you will identify them. Please describe their role in conducting project activities.

4. Capabilities and Competencies: What administrative and technical capacity and expertise do you bring to successfully complete this project? Please include:

• A short description of your capacity to deliver the proposed project and meet the post-award requirements, if funded.

• A description of projects or activities your organization has conducted, or is currently conducting, that demonstrates your ability to undertake the proposed project activities.

• A summary of relevant experience of team members with key responsibilities for implementing the project.

Project Evaluations: An applicant that proposes to use award funds to conduct project evaluations must follow the guidance on project evaluations.

Budget and Associated Documentation

Budget

Use the Budget Detail Worksheet (Web-Based Form) to submit the budget. Read information on budget preparation and JustGrants Application Submission Training.

• List each cost needed to implement the project under the appropriate cost category.

• Clearly name and describe each cost.

• Show the computation of each cost (e.g., cost per unit, number of units, and total cost).

https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#project-evaluations https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#budget-prep https://justicegrants.usdoj.gov/training/training-application-submission

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• Enter narrative, as needed, to explain the cost calculations and connection to your project goals, objectives, and activities.

• Include only costs that are reasonable, allocable, and necessary to implement the project. They must be allowable under the funding statute and agency requirements.1

Budget/Financial Attachments

• Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable): If the budget includes indirect costs calculated using a current, federally approved indirect cost rate, upload your indirect cost rate agreement. Read information about indirect costs.

• Consultant Rate (if applicable): Read information on limits to consultant rates and whether you need to request approval to exceed those limits.

• Limitation on Use of Award Funds for Employee Compensation for Awards

Over $250,000; Waiver (if applicable): Read information on this limitation and to determine whether you need to submit a waiver.

• Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation (if applicable):

An applicant that is a nonprofit organization may be required to make certain disclosures relating to the processes it uses to determine the compensation of its officers, directors, trustees, and key employees. Read information about this disclosure and documentation to upload.

Applicants to this funding opportunity are not required to provide this disclosure.

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Supporting Documents (if applicable)

Attach a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or letter of intent between the applicant and each of the project partner(s). Read information on what to include in an MOU/letter of intent.

MOUs should be submitted as one separate attachment to the application. Unsigned draft MOUs may be submitted with the application, but you should describe in a cover page to the attachment why they are unsigned.

Additional Application Components

Attach these in JustGrants:

• Tribal Authorizing Resolution (if applicable): Read information on whether you may need to submit a Tribal Authorizing Resolution.

• Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity Statement (if applicable): Read information whether you may need to submit this statement.

1 See 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Subpart E and the DOJ Grants Financial Guide. Read information on unallowable costs that apply to all funding opportunities.

https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#indirect-cost https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#consultant-rate-if-applicable https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#limitation-use-award https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#disclosure-process-executive https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#memorandum-of-understanding-mou-and-supporting-documents https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#memorandum-of-understanding-mou-and-supporting-documents https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#tribal-authorizing-resolution https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#research-evaluation https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#subpart-E https://www.ojp.gov/funding/financialguidedoj/overview https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#unallowable-uses-of-funds

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• Curriculum Vitae or Resumes: Provide resumes of key personnel who will work on the proposed project.

• Position Descriptions: Provide position descriptions of key personnel who will work on the proposed project.

• Logic Model: Applicants may include, as a separate attachment, a logic model that graphically illustrates how the performance measures are related to the project’s problems, goals, objectives, and design.

Disclosures and Assurances

Read the disclosures and assurances and complete them in JustGrants:

• Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

• Disclosure of Duplication in Cost Items (if applicable)

• DOJ Certified Standard Assurances

• DOJ Certifications

• Applicant Disclosure and Justification – DOJ High-Risk Grantees (if applicable)

5. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES

The DOJ Grant Application Submission Checklist provides instructions for how to submit you application by the deadlines. Executive Order (E.O.) 12372 (Intergovernmental

Review of Federal Programs) does not apply to this funding opportunity: read the

Application Resource Guide for details. Read OJP’s policy for applicants to request late submission due to technical difficulties, severe weather, or natural or manmade disasters.

6. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

OJP will review applications to ensure the information presented is reasonable, understandable, measurable, achievable, and consistent with the goals of the funding opportunity. In addition, OJP reviews invited applications for consistency with the invitation letter and invited applicant guidance. See the Application Resource Guide for information on the application review process, including risk review, and the deciding official.

7. AWARD NOTICES

Read about the award notification process.

https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#disclosures-and-assurances https://justicegrants.usdoj.gov/training/checklist-application-submission https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#guidance-for-specific-sf-424-fields https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#experiencing-unforeseen-technical-issues https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#experiencing-unforeseen-technical-issues https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#programmatic-and-financial-review-criteria https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#federal-award-notices

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8. POST-AWARD REQUIREMENTS & ADMINISTRATION

Read the Application Resource Guide for more information about: standard award terms and conditions, administrative and national policy requirements, and post-award reporting requirements.

9. QUESTIONS?

NOFO Contact Name: Calvin Cannon

Phone: 202-856-8334

Email: Calvin.C.Cannon@usdoj.gov

SAM.gov Help Desk Website: sam.gov/help

Hours: 8 a.m.–8 p.m. ET, Monday–Friday (closed federal holidays)

Grants.gov Help Desk Phone: 800-518-4726

Email: support@grants.gov

Website: grants.gov/support

Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (closed federal holidays)

JustGrants Help Desk Phone: 833-872-5175

Email: JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov

Hours: 7:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. ET, Monday–Friday and 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sunday, and federal holidays.

https://www.ojp.gov/funding/apply/ojp-grant-application-resource-guide#general-information mailto:Calvin.C.Cannon@usdoj.gov https://sam.gov/help mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/support mailto:JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov