OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program Expanding Legal Services Initiative | O OVW 2024 171905

Opportunity Information: Apply for O OVW 2024 171905

The OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Grant Program Expanding Legal Services Initiative (ELSI) is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), under CFDA 16.524. Its central purpose is to expand access to meaningful legal help for people ages 11 and older who have experienced domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. The program is designed to strengthen victim safety, privacy, and autonomy by supporting comprehensive, direct legal services in matters that relate to or arise from the abuse.

A key feature of this particular initiative, ELSI, is that it targets organizations that do not currently provide legal services but want to build that capacity. In practical terms, the funding is meant to help an eligible organization stand up a new legal services program (or a new legal representation component) so it can provide legal representation to victims in a sustained and structured way. OVW is not simply looking to fund isolated legal clinics or one-off advice events; the emphasis is on establishing ongoing, direct service capacity that can meet victims needs across civil and criminal legal systems.

The solicitation uses a broad definition of "legal assistance" grounded in federal statute (34 U.S.C. 12291(a)(24)(C)). It includes representation and assistance in civil legal matters such as family law cases, tribal and territorial legal matters, immigration issues, employment and workplace-related legal needs, administrative agency proceedings, and housing matters. It also covers campus administrative proceedings and protection order or stay-away order processes, as well as other comparable legal proceedings where the abuse is connected to the legal problem. On the criminal side, the opportunity supports victim-centered legal help connected to investigations, prosecutions, and post-trial matters, including sentencing, parole, and probation issues when those processes affect a victim's safety or privacy. The scope also extends to alternative dispute resolution, restorative practices, and similar processes, but specifically when those approaches are used in ways intended to promote victim safety, privacy, and autonomy. In addition, the program can support post-conviction relief proceedings in state, local, Tribal, or territorial courts when a victim's conviction is related to or arises from domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or sex trafficking.

Funding details indicate an award ceiling of $400,000 per award, with an expected total of 8 awards. While the solicitation is issued for an initial period of up to two years under this announcement, OVW notes that recipients may be eligible for up to five years of total funding: the first two years through this competitive solicitation, plus up to three additional years of noncompetitive continuation funding, provided specific financial and programmatic conditions are met. That structure signals that OVW is interested in helping new legal services programs take root and remain stable over time, rather than ending support before the program is fully established.

Eligibility is limited to certain entity types located in the United States or U.S. territories. Eligible applicants include private nonprofit entities (both 501(c)(3) and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education), territorial organizations, Indian tribal governments, and tribal organizations. The opportunity is categorized under Law, Justice and Legal Services, and the funding instrument type is a grant. The opportunity number is O-OVW-2024-171905, and the original application closing date listed is February 13, 2024.

• The Office on Violence Against Women in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program Expanding Legal Services Initiative" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.524.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-12-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-02-13. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for O OVW 2024 171905

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