Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Formula Assistance Program

Grant Overview

The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Fund was created by Congress in 1984 to provide federal support to state and local programs that assist victims of crime. VOCA uses non-taxpayer money from the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) for programs that serve victims of crime, including state-formula victim assistance grants.

Under this solicitation, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) will award each eligible state and territory victim assistance program an annual grant to support eligible crime victim assistance programs in that state or territory. Eligible crime victim assistance programs are those that are “operated by a public agency or nonprofit organization, or a combination of such agencies or organizations or of both such agencies and organizations, and provide services to victims of crime,” and that meet the other requirements set out in 34 U.S.C. § 20103(b)(1).

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State Authority

This grant program is authorized and funded by the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) of 1984 (34 U.S.C. § 20103).

Program-Specific Information

For federal FY 2020, the amount available to OVC for obligation from the Crime Victims Fund is $2.641 billion. OVC recognizes that while states and territories have the sole discretion for how grant funds will be spent, they must meet the requirements of VOCA, the Victim Assistance Program Rule, OVC program guidance, and the DOJ Grants Financial Guide. States and territories determine which organizations and agencies will receive sub-grants. OVC issued the final rule for its VOCA Formula Victim Assistance Grant Program in August 2016. The final rule provides clarity in the programs that states and territories are able to support, such as various forms of assistance and VOCA-funded projects to support transitional housing for survivors. Questions and answers regarding the rule are available on the OVC website.

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables

Funds under this program shall be used by states and territories to support eligible crime victim assistance programs that provide direct services to crime victims, with the following exception: States and territories may retain up to 5 percent of their total grant for administrative and training purposes. All states and most territories receive an annual VOCA victim assistance grant. Each state, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico receive a base amount of $500,000. The territories of Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and American Samoa each receive a base amount of $200,000. Additional funds are distributed to states and territories based on population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The goals, objectives, and deliverables are directly related to the performance measures that demonstrate the results of the work completed.

Evidence-Based Programs or Practices

OJP strongly emphasizes the use of data and evidence in policy making and program development in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services.

Eligibility

To comply with VOCA guidelines, funds made available through the VOCA assistance program is intended for agencies that provide direct service to victims of crime. Funds under this program are designed to provide direct services to all victims of child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assaults, and other under-served crime victims (Under-served crime victims may include but not limited to: Culturally specific victims, Victims of Federal Crimes, Rural areas, Survivors of homicide, Victims of Assault, Hate Crimes, Robbery, Fraud, Elder Abuse, Economic Exploitation, Disabled, and the LGBTQ community).

All applicants must show in their application how they will provide direct services to one or more of the crime victims mentioned above

New applicants must also show on their application that they have a history of providing direct services to crime victims and have other sources of funding to support the program to ensure continuity of services to victims.