Deadline: 24-Jul-2026
The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Fiscal Year 2026 Rural Grant Program provides funding to improve safety, justice, and support services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities across the United States. With approximately $36 million available and around 55 awards expected, the program supports victim services, criminal justice responses, community collaboration, prevention efforts, and access to specialized support in geographically isolated areas.
Program Overview
The Fiscal Year 2026 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Grant Program is designed to strengthen coordinated community responses to violence in rural areas. The program supports partnerships among victim service providers, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, healthcare providers, educational institutions, Tribal organizations, and community-based organizations.
The goal is to improve victim safety, increase access to services, enhance offender accountability, and strengthen rural communities’ capacity to respond effectively to violence.
Funding Information
- Total anticipated funding available: $36 million
- Expected number of awards: Approximately 55
- Estimated award amount: $500,000 to $950,000 per project
- Funding agency: Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)
- Geographic focus: Rural communities across the United States
Program Objectives
The program seeks to:
- Improve responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
- Expand victim services in rural and remote communities.
- Increase safety and well-being for women, children, and families.
- Strengthen collaboration among community partners.
- Improve access to justice and legal support.
- Enhance criminal justice responses and offender accountability.
- Address service gaps in geographically isolated areas.
- Support prevention, awareness, and community education efforts.
Priority Areas Supported
Funding may support projects focused on:
- Identifying and responding to victims of violence.
- Domestic violence intervention and prevention.
- Dating violence prevention and response.
- Sexual assault response services.
- Stalking prevention and victim support.
- Child and youth victim protection.
- Rural victim advocacy programs.
- Legal assistance and court support.
- Community awareness campaigns.
- Prevention education initiatives.
- Sexual assault forensic medical examination programs.
- Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) programs.
- Rape kit response and backlog reduction efforts.
- Multidisciplinary response teams.
- Human trafficking-related victim support.
- Services for remote and underserved rural populations.
Eligible Activities
Grant funding may be used to:
Victim Services
- Establish new victim service programs.
- Expand existing nonprofit victim assistance services.
- Provide counseling and mental health support.
- Deliver advocacy and crisis intervention services.
- Offer legal assistance and court accompaniment.
- Improve access to shelter and support resources.
Criminal Justice Improvements
- Strengthen investigations and prosecutions.
- Improve collaboration between law enforcement and service providers.
- Develop coordinated community response systems.
- Train criminal justice professionals on victim-centered approaches.
Healthcare and Forensic Services
- Develop or expand sexual assault forensic examination services.
- Support Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner programs.
- Improve healthcare provider training and response capacity.
Community Education and Prevention
- Conduct public awareness campaigns.
- Deliver prevention education programs.
- Create training resources and educational materials.
- Increase community understanding of violence prevention.
Who Is Eligible?
Eligible applicants include:
- State governments
- Territorial governments
- Federally recognized Indian Tribes
- Units of local government
- Nonprofit organizations
- Tribal nonprofit organizations
- Victim service providers
- Community-based organizations serving rural populations
Applicants should demonstrate the ability to provide services, coordinate partnerships, and implement programs that address violence in rural communities.
Why This Program Matters
Rural communities often face unique challenges when responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
These challenges may include:
- Geographic isolation.
- Limited victim service providers.
- Long travel distances to courts and healthcare facilities.
- Shortages of trained professionals.
- Reduced access to forensic examinations.
- Limited emergency shelter options.
- Barriers to legal assistance and advocacy.
This program helps bridge these gaps by expanding services, strengthening partnerships, and improving access to safety and justice for rural victims.
How the Program Works
Organizations receive funding to implement projects that improve rural responses to violence and increase support for victims.
Typical project components include:
- Assessing local needs and service gaps.
- Building partnerships among key stakeholders.
- Expanding victim support services.
- Improving criminal justice and healthcare responses.
- Training professionals and community leaders.
- Conducting outreach and prevention activities.
- Measuring outcomes and reporting results.
Successful projects are expected to demonstrate measurable improvements in victim safety, service accessibility, and community collaboration.
Tips for Applicants
- Build strong partnerships before applying.
- Demonstrate a clear understanding of local rural challenges.
- Include measurable outcomes and evaluation methods.
- Prioritize victim-centered and trauma-informed approaches.
- Show how services will reach remote and underserved populations.
- Include sustainability plans for long-term impact.
- Align proposed activities with OVW priorities and rural community needs.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting proposals without strong collaborative partnerships.
- Failing to demonstrate rural community impact.
- Providing vague project objectives or outcomes.
- Omitting evaluation and performance measurement plans.
- Proposing activities that do not directly address victim safety.
- Underestimating staffing, training, or service delivery requirements.
- Failing to show how services will reach geographically isolated populations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the purpose of the OVW Rural Grant Program?
The program supports efforts to improve victim services, criminal justice responses, prevention initiatives, and community collaboration related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities.
How much funding is available?
OVW anticipates making approximately $36 million available through this funding opportunity.
How many awards are expected?
Approximately 55 awards are expected to be issued under the Fiscal Year 2026 program.
What is the expected grant size?
Individual awards are anticipated to range from $500,000 to $950,000.
Who can apply?
Eligible applicants include states, territories, federally recognized Tribes, local governments, nonprofit organizations, tribal nonprofit organizations, and victim service providers.
Can funding support sexual assault forensic examination services?
Yes. Funding may be used to establish, improve, or expand sexual assault forensic medical examination programs and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner initiatives.
Does the program prioritize rural and remote communities?
Yes. The program specifically focuses on addressing the needs of victims living in rural, remote, and geographically isolated areas where services may be limited.
Conclusion
The OVW Fiscal Year 2026 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Grant Program represents a significant investment in victim safety, access to justice, and community resilience across rural America. By providing approximately $36 million in funding, the program helps expand critical services, strengthen coordinated responses, improve forensic and legal support systems, and ensure that victims in rural and remote communities receive the protection and assistance they need. Organizations with strong partnerships and victim-centered approaches are well-positioned to leverage this opportunity to create lasting impact.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.