Program Contact
Daniel Rappaport - daniel.rappaport@dc.gov (Send Email)

The funding period is December 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022. All grant expenditures must occur within this time frame. Any costs that are incurred either before the start of the project period or after the end of the project period are not allowable.

Application Deadline: The electronic application properly executed by the Authorized Official must be submitted to the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants no later than 11:59pm ET, November 10, 2021. Applications submitted manually will NOT be accepted. Please be advised that it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is submitted electronically through ZoomGrants™ by the deadline.

For technical assistance with ZoomGrants, contact the helpdesk at (866) 323-5404 or by email at https://www.zoomgrants.com/about-us/request-technical-help/. Please note that the ZoomGrants support desk is staffed from 8am to 5pm Mountain Time, Monday through Friday and is not staffed on federal holidays. Applicants are strongly encouraged to begin the application submission process at least 48 hours in advance of the March 28, 2021 deadline for submission. Any proposal received after the specified deadline will be considered INELIGIBLE and will NOT be reviewed during the review cycle. **PLEASE REFER TO FULL RFA FOR MORE DETAILS AND INSTRUCTIONS**

Oversight 

Applicants are required to ensure that there is adequate oversight over their grant programs and partner(s). In designing and managing programs, applicants need to consider how they will ensure that grant activities and partner(s) will adhere to applicable local, federal, and programmatic regulations. 

Financial Management and Systems of Internal Controls 

Award recipients and subrecipients (including recipients or subrecipients that are pass-through entities) must, as described in the Part 200 Uniform Requirements as set out at 2 C.F.R. 200.302 and 200.303, comply with standards for financial and program management. The “Part 200 Uniform Requirements” means the DOJ regulation at 2 C.F.R. Part 2800, which adopts (with certain modifications) the provisions of 2 C.F.R. Part 200. See OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information. 

Financial Capability 

The following are minimum requirements necessary to accept, manage, and spend funds awarded under this RFA.

1. Organization’s accounting system provides accurate and current financial reporting information.
2. Organization’s accounting system is integrated with an adequate system of internal controls to safeguard the funds awarded by OVSJG.
3. Organization’s accounting system provides for the recording of expenditures for each grant by the component project and budget cost categories.
4. Organization’s time distribution records are maintained for each employee, and effort can be specifically identified to a particular grant or cost objective.
5. Organization is aware that funds specifically budgeted and/or received for one project may not be used to support another without prior written approval of the awarding agency.

Restrictions on Use of Funds 

In addition to any specific funding restrictions described in this RFA, all grantees must expend grant funds in accordance with the cost principles delineated by the City-Wide Grants Manual and Sourcebook, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements (2 CFR 200), and, if applicable based on funding source,  the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs Financial Guide, www.ojp.usdoj.gov/financialguide.

Non-Supplanting 

Applicants who are current recipients of local or federal financial assistance are required to demonstrate how they will ensure that any award of local or federal funds under this RFA will not supplant other local or federal funds which otherwise have been made available.

Payment Provisions 

The Government of the District of Columbia shall make payments on invoiced amounts in accordance with the terms of the grant agreement, which may result from submissions to this RFA. Grant funds will be awarded on a cost reimbursement basis. At any time before final payment and three (3) years thereafter, the government of the District of Columbia may conduct an audit of the grantee’s expenditure statements.

Applicant’s Financial Statements 

All applicants are required to provide a copy of their most recent and complete set of financial statements available for their organization. The most recent and complete set of audited financial statements must be dated within one calendar year from the date of the application. Applicants that received in the past fiscal year more than $750,000.00 in funding from state and federal entities must also include their Single Audit Report. If audited financial statements have never been prepared due to the size or newness of an organization, the applicant must provide, at a minimum, an Organizational Budget, an Income Statement (or Profit and Loss Statement), and a Balance Sheet certified by an authorized representative of the organization, and any letters, filings, etc. submitted to the IRS within the three (3) years before the date of the grant application. Failure to include them may lead to an automatic rejection of the application. OVSJG also reserves the right to award funds under this RFA and withhold disbursement of funds pending a current audit report. 

Internal Revenue Service Requirement 

All applicants must submit evidence of being a legally-authorized entity (e.g., 501(c)(3) determination letter), a current business license, and any correspondence or other communication received from the IRS within three years before submission of the grant application that relates to the applicant’s tax status.

This requirement should not be construed to mean that all applicants are required to be a 501(c)(3) entity. 

Disclosure of Legal Proceedings 

All applicants are required to disclose in a signed written statement, provided on organizational letterhead, the truth of which is sworn or attested to by the applicant's’ authorized official, whether the applicant, or where applicable, that its officers, partners, principals, members, associates or key employees, within the last three (3) years prior to the date of the application, has not:

1. Been indicted or had charges brought against them (if still pending) and/or been convicted of:
   
   1. Any crime or offense arising directly or indirectly from the conduct of the applicant’s organization, or
   2. Any crime or offense involving financial misconduct or fraud, or
2. Been the subject of legal proceedings arising directly from the provision of services by the organization.

Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) Requirement 

All grantees must obtain and submit current year filing certification from the District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) that the entity has complied with the filing requirements of District of Columbia tax laws, that they are current on all taxes including Unemployment Insurance and Workers’ Compensation premiums and that the entity has paid taxes due to the District of Columbia, or is in compliance with any payment agreement with OTR. 

Insurance Requirement 

All grantees will be required to provide in writing the name of all of its insurance carriers and the type of insurance provided (e.g.,  general liability insurance carrier, automobile insurance carrier, workers’ compensation insurance carrier, fidelity bond holder, etc). Applicants who have secured insurance at the time of application should upload the required documentation in the Documents/Required Attachments section in ZoomGrants. Applicants do not have insurance secured at the time of application who are awarded a grant are required to provide insurance documentation prior to award execution.

Funding to Faith-Based Organizations 

Applicants from faith-based organizations (FBOs) are invited and encouraged to apply for eligible grant activities described in this RFA. Faith-based organizations will be considered for awards on the same basis as other eligible applicants and will be treated on an equal basis with other sub-grantees should they receive an award. No eligible applicant or sub-grantee will be discriminated for or against on the basis of its religious character or affiliation, religious name, or the religious composition of its board of directors or persons working in the organization. However, grant funds may not be used to engage in inherently religious activities, such as proselytizing, scripture study, or worship. Funded FBOs may, of course, engage in religious activities; however, these activities must be separate in time or location from the OVSJG funded program. Moreover, funded FBOs must not compel program beneficiaries to participate in inherently religious activities. Funded faith-based organizations must also not discriminate on the basis of religion in the delivery of services or benefits.

Civil Rights Requirement 

Successful applicants must be able to demonstrate compliance with Federal and District civil rights requirements. If an applicant is selected for a grant award, it will be required to post and display the District of Columbia Equal Employment Opportunity poster in a conspicuous area accessible to employees and appoint an Equal Opportunity (EO) Coordinator within the organization who will provide support and oversight to staff and service beneficiaries.

Applicants must agree to comply with the District of Columbia Language Access Act. The District’s Language Access Program exists to ensure District residents who are limited or non-English proficient are afforded equal access to information and services provided by the District. Residents or visitors who speak little or no English must be offered interpretation services and/or translated documents when obtaining government services, as required by the Language Access Act of 2004. All applicants to this RFA must agree to provide language access for residents who speak Amharic, Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Language access includes access to certified interpreters and translated materials. All applications should demonstrate a plan to ensure compliance with the District’s Language Access Program. For more information on the District of Columbia Language Access Act visit this site.

Applicants must agree to comply with all applicable federal civil rights laws; make every effort to provide accessible programming to individuals with Limited English Proficiency; and comply with federal regulation 28 C.F.R. Part 38, governing “Equal Treatment for Faith based Organizations” (the Equal Treatment Regulation). The Equal Treatment Regulation provides that Department of Justice grant awards of direct funding may not be used to fund any inherently religious activities, such as worship, religious instruction or proselytization. Recipients of direct grants may still engage in inherently religious activities, but such activities must be separate in time or place from the DOJ funded program, and participation in such activities must be voluntary. The Equal Treatment Regulation also makes clear that organizations participating in programs directly funded by the Department of Justice are not permitted to discriminate in the provision of services on the basis of the beneficiary’s religion. Notwithstanding any other special condition of this award, faith-based organizations may in some circumstances consider religion as a basis for employment. See www.ojp.gov/about/ocr/equal_fbo.htm .

Non-discrimination in Hiring and Delivery of Services and Discrimination Reporting 

In accordance with the below listed applicable federal statutes, as well as District nondiscrimination requirements, grantees agree to not discriminate in their hiring practices and provision of services against any and all protected populations. In addition, grantees agree to notify OVSJG within 48 hours of any and all employee or beneficiary formal complaints of discrimination against their organization, and to more generally comply with all civil rights hiring and beneficiary service policies and procedures as identified in the below listed applicable statutes. Applicable statutes may include the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. §§ 10228(c) and 10221(a)); the Victims of Crime Act (34 U.S.C. § 20110(e)) ; the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 2002 (34 U.S.C. § 11182(b)); the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. § 2000d); the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 794); the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. § 12131-34); the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. §§ 1681, 1683, 1685-86); the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C. § 6101-07); the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994, as amended, 34 U.S.C. § 12291(b)(13); and the Department of Justice’s regulations implementing these civil rights statutes at 28 C.F.R. pt. 35, 42, and 54; and Ex. Order 13279 (Partnerships with Faith-Based and Other Neighborhood Organizations).

Additional Requirements

OVSJG reserves the right to require additional certifications and/or information in accordance with applicable Federal or District requirements including the City-Wide Grants Manual and Sourcebook. OVSJG will provide written notice of any additional requirements at the time of the award.