he U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is seeking applications for its 2021 Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Grant Program.

This program is authorized by 34 U.S.C. § 20121. The LAV Grant Program (CFDA 16.524) is intended to increase the availability of civil and criminal legal assistance needed to effectively aid adult and youth (ages 11 and older) victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by providing funds for comprehensive direct legal services to victims in legal matters relating to or arising out of that abuse or violence.

“Legal assistance” includes assistance to adult and youth victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in:

• family, tribal, territorial, immigration, employment, administrative agency, housing matters, campus administrative, or protection or stay away order proceedings, and other similar matters; and
• Criminal justice investigations, prosecutions, and post-trial matters (including sentencing, parole, and probation) that impact the victim’s safety and privacy. Intake or referral, by itself, does not constitute legal assistance.

Purpose Areas

Pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 20121(c), funds under this program must be used for one or more of the following purposes:

• To implement, expand, and establish cooperative efforts and projects between domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual assault victim service providers and legal assistance providers to provide legal assistance for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault.
• To implement, expand, and establish efforts and projects to provide legal assistance for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, staking, and sexual assault by organizations with a demonstrated history of providing direct legal or advocacy services on behalf of these victims.
• To implement, expand, and establish efforts and projects to provide competent supervised pro bono legal assistance for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, except not more than 10 percent of the funds awarded may be used for this purpose. The 10 percent limit is on the funds awarded under the LAV Grant Program overall and is not specific to an individual project.

OVW Priority Areas

In FY 2021, OVW is interested in supporting the priority area identified below. Applications proposing activities in the following area will be given special consideration: Empower victims to become survivors by focusing on long-term safety and sustainable economic independence.

Funding Information

• Total Federal Awards: 56
• Maximum Dollar Amount for Awards: $800,000.00
• Period of Performance: Start Date 10/1/21 12:00 AM
• Period of Performance Duration (Months): 36
• Total Amount to be Awarded Under Solicitation: $34,000,000.00

Eligible Applicants

Pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 20121(c), the following entities are eligible to apply for this program: 

• Private nonprofit entities
• Indian tribal governments, including tribal consortia. A “tribal government” is the governing body of an Indian tribe or a tribe, band, pueblo, nation, or other organized group or community of Indians, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation (as defined in, or established pursuant to, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. §§ 1601 et seq.)), that is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians. 34 U.S.C. § 12291(a)(36).
• Tribal organizations. A “tribal organization” is the governing body of any Indian tribe; any legally established organization of Indians which is controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by such governing body of a tribe or tribes to be served, or which is democratically elected by the adult members of the Indian community to be served by such organization and which includes the maximum participation of Indians in all phases of its activities; or any tribal nonprofit organization. 34 U.S.C. § 12291(a)(38). A “tribal nonprofit organization” is a victim services provider that has as its primary purpose to assist Native victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking; and that has staff and leadership with a demonstrated history of assisting American Indian or Alaska Native victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. 34 U.S.C. § 12291(a)(37).
• Territorial organizations. For the purposes of this solicitation, a “territorial organization” is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization addressing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and/or stalking within a United States Territory, which include the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
• Publicly funded organizations, not acting in a governmental capacity, such as law schools.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.