Tips for Family Justice Centers and Other Multi-Agency Collaboratives

To apply for OVW funding, an entity must be eligible to apply. Each Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) has a section titled, “Eligibility.” 

• That section includes definitions and criteria for the various types of entities that are eligible to apply. 

• Potential applicants should read that section carefully to determine if they are eligible to apply as the lead applicant. 

The list of eligible entities and/or eligibility criteria vary among grant programs. 

• Some programs have broad eligibility. For example, to be eligible to apply as the lead applicant for the Rural Grant Program, applicants may be victim service providers, governments, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors’ offices, or courts, among other entities, as defined by 34 U.S.C. § 12341(b). Other grant programs, as described below, have narrower eligibility.   
• A potential applicant may be eligible as the lead applicant for one grant program, but not for another due to differing eligibility criteria. 
  • For example, the VAWA statutory definition of “victim service provider,” as set forth in 34 U.S.C. § 12291(b)(50)) is “a nonprofit, nongovernmental or tribal organization or rape crisis center, including a State or tribal coalition, that assists or advocates for domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking victims, including 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.”  
  • However, some grant programs also include additional eligibility criteria and require that to be considered an eligible “victim service provider,” the applicant must also “provide direct services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking as one of their primary purposes and have a demonstrated history of effective work in this field.” An applicant who meets the statutory definition of “victim service provider” but does not provide direct victim services would not be eligible to apply for programs that have this additional eligibility criterion. See, e.g., OVW Fiscal Year 2025 Training and Services to End Abuse in Later Life Program Notice of Funding Opportunity, which includes this narrower definition for eligible victim service providers.  
  • Victim Service Providers and Establishing Eligibility: As part of its application, the lead applicant should document its own history of effective work (as opposed to the work of partner entities). If a grant program requires that the lead applicant “provide direct services,” as noted above, the applicant should include information about the direct services that it provides to victims (as opposed to services that co-located partner entities provide).

If an organization does not meet the requirements for eligibility as a lead applicant, there may be other entities that are part of the family justice center or multi-agency collaborative that are eligible to apply. 

• If selected to receive funding, that eligible entity can allocate resources to other agencies that are project partners or implementers, including those ineligible to apply as the lead applicant: 
  • Government Applicants: For some grant programs, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors’ offices, and other government-affiliated entities are ineligible to apply as the lead applicant. However, state, Tribal, or local governments may be eligible to apply instead. If funded, those lead government entities may then pass the funds to the government-affiliated entities (e.g., law enforcement agency or prosecutor’s office) that are implementing the project.  
  • Program Partners: Most OVW programs require recipients to partner with various entities. If an organization does not meet the eligibility requirements to apply directly for funds as the lead applicant, that organization may be able to partner with an entity that is eligible to apply as the lead applicant. That entity, if selected, can then pass funds through to the partner organization. For example, if a program requires that an applicant provide direct victim services, but it is the potential applicant’s project partner that provides direct victim services (e.g., victim advocacy, counseling, support groups, or housing), that project partner may be better suited as the lead applicant. Note that it is important for project partners to carefully read the NOFO to ensure that they meet the partner requirements.