U.S. Department of Justice: Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program

The Rural Program supports efforts to enhance the safety of rural victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and supports projects uniquely designed to address and prevent these crimes in rural areas. Funds under this program must be used for one or more of the following purpose areas:

1. To identify, assess, and appropriately respond to child, youth, and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities, by encouraging collaboration among domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking victim service providers; law enforcement agencies; prosecutors; courts; other criminal justice service providers; human and community service providers; educational institutions; and health care providers, including sexual assault forensic examiners
2. To establish and expand nonprofit, nongovernmental, state, tribal, territorial, and local government victim services in rural communities to child, youth, and adult victims
3. To increase the safety and well-being of women and children in rural communities, by (a) dealing directly and immediately with domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking occurring in rural communities; and (b) creating and implementing strategies to increase awareness and prevent domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking

For many applicants, the Rural Program is one of the few sources of funding to support the provision of core services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. For this reason, only applications that propose projects that implement a collaborative response, support victim services, and/or create a direct response to the aforementioned crimes in rural communities will be considered. Proposed projects must devote at least 70% of their project activities and budget to Rural Program purpose areas 1, 2 and/or 3(A). Applicants may apply to address purpose area 3(B), but no more than 30% of the project budget and activities may be dedicated to prevention and awareness activities.

In addition to the purpose areas, Rural Program grantees are required to implement at least one of the following strategies:

• Implementing, expanding, and establishing cooperative efforts and projects among law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim service providers, and other related parties to investigate and prosecute incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including developing multidisciplinary teams focusing on high risk cases with the goal of preventing domestic and dating violence homicides
• Providing treatment, counseling, advocacy, legal assistance, and other long-term and short-term victim and population specific services to adult and minor victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities, including assistance in immigration matters
• Working in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies directed toward such issues
• Developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs addressing sexual assault, including sexual assault forensic examiner programs, Sexual Assault Response Teams, law enforcement training, and programs addressing rape kit backlogs
• Developing programs and strategies that focus on the specific needs of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking who reside in remote rural and geographically isolated areas, including addressing the challenges posed by the lack of access to shelters and victims services, limited law enforcement resources and training, and providing training and resources to Community Health Aides involved in the delivery of Indian Health Service programs

Amount: Approximately $35,000,000 is available to make up to 50 awards ranging up to $750,000 for a period of 36 months.

Eligibility: States and territories, Indian tribes, local governments, and nonprofit (public or private) entities, including tribal nonprofit organizations in the United States or U.S. territories.

Link: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=322730

Note: Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a Letter of Intent by January 13, 2020.

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