Grantee Updates & Guidance
Upcoming Due Dates
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Quarterly Reports Due Tuesday October 15th: CVS grantees' Quarter 7 (Quarter 3 for VAWA Special Funding) and State VALE grantees' Quarter 1 Financial Report & Payment Request for expenses incurred from July-September 2024 are due Tuesday October 15th, 2024. Additionally, the CVS2 Narrative Report, PMT Report (VOCA grantees only), and ARPA/General Fund Data Report (JotForm) are also due Tuesday October 15th, 2024.
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Deadline for Q8 Budget Modifications is October 31st: If your agency plans to request a budget modification for your current CVS grant award (ends December 31, 2024), please plan to submit your budget modification along with your Quarter 7 reports (due October 15, 2024). Budget modifications will not be accepted after October 31st, 2024.
Important Updates
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FY26 State VALE Funding Update: The CVS Advisory Board recently voted to extend the FY25 State VALE Grant Awards (July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025) through FY26 (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026). Please note, there will not be a funding announcement for FY26 as a result of this decision. Future State VALE funding opportunities will be shared as they are announced and released. OVP staff members will be in touch with FY25 State VALE Grantees to discuss FY26 decisions.
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CY25 Grant Agreements Coming Soon via Docusign: CY25 CVS Grant Agreements will be sent via Docusign to grantees for signatures over the next several weeks. Please ensure the necessary signatures are obtained as soon as possible.
Resources by Funding Source:
Report Specific Resources:
Victim Services Funding Updates
Proposition KK
The three statewide victim service coalitions (COVA, CCASA, and Violence Free CO) have been working hard since the end of the legislative session to find a new funding source to help support victim services in Colorado because of the decrease in federal VOCA funding. Their latest work includes supporting an upcoming ballot initiative - Proposition KK.
If passed, proponents state that Proposition KK will provide funding to support victim services, expand mental health services for veterans and youth, school safety and gun violence prevention. To learn more about this initiative please visit https://www.yesonpropkk.com/index.html or contact one of the coalitions and speak with their policy staff.
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VOCA Funding Update
The Office for Victims Programs (OVP) continues to adapt its funding plan as able to mitigate effects of the decrease in federal VOCA funding. In July 2024, the Crime Victim Services Advisory Board took a temporary measure to stabilize services by extending funding for existing grantees for one year, instead of opening a new two-year competitive grant process. However, even with this stopgap measure, funding for current grantees was reduced by 27% for the 2025 calendar year.
The Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) has released an article outlining the recent history of VOCA that has led up to the current funding crisis, as well as the many steps that have already been taken in attempt to mitigate the impacts of decreasing VOCA funds. The article also outlines the present efforts to stabilize victim services funding at both the state and federal level. In addition, OVP staff created one-page fact sheets providing data on the potential impacts of these reductions statewide and by county.
Questions regarding the information contained in DCJ's article or the factsheets can be emailed to cvsgrants@state.co.us.
Announcements
Join the CVS Advisory Board
The Crime Victim Services (CVS) Advisory Board is a 28-member board appointed by the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety. The Board acts in an advisory capacity to the Department and the Division of Criminal Justice in making grant funding recommendations regarding State VALE, SASP, VAWA, and VOCA crime victim assistance projects.
The CVS Advisory Board is seeking applications for the following representatives:
- Tribal member from the Ute Mountain Ute
- Tribal member from the Southern Ute
- Local VALE Board member
Learn more about the board and submit an application on our Crime Victim Services Advisory Board webpage.
COVA Crime Victim Emergency Fund Update
We are excited to announce additional SLFR/ARPA funds have been awarded to support the Crime Victim Emergency Fund housed at the Colorado Organization for Victims Assistance (COVA) and are available. Because of these additional funds, COVA has also been able to update the Emergency Funds usage parameters to allow for more assistance per victim. For more information regarding the updated guidelines and on accessing these funds, please review this COVA Emergency Fund Update document, or reach out to COVA directly at 303-861-1160 or VictimEmergencyFund@coloradocrimevictims.org.
Purple Thursday
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Join the Office for Victims Programs in wearing purple on Thursday October 17th. Purple Thursday is an opportunity to show support for domestic violence survivors and demonstrate our shared commitment of ending abuse. |
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VOCA Victim Assistance Data Dashboard
The federal Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) has released a dynamic data dashboard that provides an overview of key performance measure data collected via the Performance Management Tool (PMT) for VOCA Victim Assistance formula grant programs. Use the dashboard to explore how victim assistance programs support local, direct victim services at national and state levels.
Grantee Resources
Learning Opportunities
Additional Funding Opportunities
- The Urban Institute and the Microsoft Justice Reform Initiative are accepting applications for their Catalyst Grant Program until November 22. The program supports 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations with projects that support policies, programs, and practices that prevent unnecessary criminal legal system involvement and decrease racial and ethnic disparities.
Free Tools
- The Law Enforcement Training and Technical Assistance Consortium released a comprehensive guide called A Roadmap to Success: Building a Co-Responder Program for Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking. The guide will help sites successfully implement a partnership-based program to provide greater access to justice for victims/survivors, especially those from culturally specific and marginalized communities. The guide outlines the core components of co-responder programs, various types of co-responder models, community and organizational assessments, team composition considerations, suggested training, keys to program sustainability, and evaluation matrices while emphasizing the victim/survivor’s immediate safety and confidentiality.
- The National Domestic Violence Hotline offers a concise resource webpage on tips for documenting abuse.
- The Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center (SPARC) offers numerous free materials, in Spanish and English, to assist organizations in their efforts to recognize and respond to stalking. Materials such as the Stalking and Intimate Partner Violence Infographic, Stalking and IPV Victim Services Checklist, and many more are available on the SPARC website.
- The U.S. Department of Justice's Community Oriented Policing Services and the International Association of Chiefs of Police released a streamlined set of best practices for law enforcement when working with individuals who have experienced trauma. Identifying and Incorporating Core Principles of Victim-Centered and Trauma-Informed Response: Practices for Law Enforcement provides tools for law enforcement to be prepared to respond appropriately and supportively to those who have experienced trauma.
- The U.S. DOJ's Office of Justice Programs released a comprehensive Youth Hate Crimes and Identity-Based Bullying Prevention Curriculum meant to build protective factors in youth, change the attitudes and behavior of youth who commit hate crime offenses, and assist individuals working with these youth.
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