The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) grant program assists the state in efforts to
- prevent incidents of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence:
- provide immediate shelter and supportive services to victims of family violence and access to community-based programs for victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence and their dependents;
- provide specialized services for children exposed to family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, including victims who are members of underserved populations. 45 CFR § 1370.10(a).
Eligible applicants include local public agencies and private nonprofit organizations. Included in the types of nonprofit agencies eligible for FVPSA funding are religious and charitable organizations and voluntary associations that are dedicated to the prevention of family violence.
FVPSA programs operate on the federal fiscal year calendar of October 1st—September 30th. A Request for Applications will usually be issued early spring for applicants seeking funding consideration. Funding decisions will depend on the availability of funds. Awards are for a 12-month period.
Funds from these awards cannot be used as a direct payment to victims or their dependents.
A funding match of at least 20 percent is required for an existing program.
Beyond availability of funds, factors that govern the funding decisions for these grants include how complete the grant application is upon submission and the need for financial support as demonstrated by the application narrative, project expectations (goals and objectives), project coordination and implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.
