Sexual Assault Service Program

The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is a component of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). Created in 1995, OVW implements the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and subsequent legislation and provides national leadership on issues of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Since its inception, OVW has supported a multifaceted approach to responding to these crimes through implementation of grant programs authorized by VAWA. By forging state, local, and tribal partnerships among police, prosecutors, judges, survivor advocates, health care providers, faith leaders, organizations that serve culturally specific and underserved communities, and others, OVW grants help provide survivors, across their life span, with the protection and services they need to pursue safe and healthy lives, while improving communities’ capacity to provide justice for survivors and hold offenders accountable.

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The SAS Formula Program directs grant dollars to states and territories to assist them in supporting rape crisis centers and other nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations or tribal programs that proved core services, direct intervention, and related assistance to survivors of sexual assault. Rape crisis centers and other nonprofit and tribal organizations, such as dual programs, which provide both sexual violence and domestic violence intervention services, play a vital role in assisting sexual assault survivors through the healing process, as well as assisting survivors through the medical, criminal justice, and social support systems. Funds provided through the SAS Formula Program are designed to supplement other funding sources directed at addressing sexual assault at the state and territorial level. Because of the restrictions placed on this funding by OVW, budgets for this application may not exceed $50,000. If your agency serves a large service area and operates more than one office, each office may submit an application. These applications must provide justification for the additional application(s), which will be reviewed by the grant committee.