InfoStrat's Grants Manager Plus supports the full lifecycle of grants for victim assistance, such as those under the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), the The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and state victim assistance programs.
The goals of grants for victim assistance are to prevent violent crime, respond to the needs of crime victims, and educate the public on crime and victim issues.
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA; Title IV of P.L. 103-322) was originally enacted in
1994. It addressed congressional concerns about violent crime, and violence against women in
particular, in several ways. It allowed for enhanced sentencing of repeat federal sex offenders;
mandated restitution to victims of specified federal sex offenses; and authorized grants to state,
local, and tribal law enforcement entities to investigate and prosecute violent crimes against women, among other things. through a collaborative effort by the criminal justice system, social service agencies, research organizations, schools, public health organizations, and private organizations. The federal government tries to achieve these goals primarily through federal grant programs that provide funding to state, tribal, territorial, and local governments; nonprofit organizations; and universities. Source: Congressional Research Service
Grant funding comes from Federal, state and local government agencies. Grants are normally directed to service agencies (grant sub-recipients) who provide services to victims rather than direct grants to individual victims. Eligibility varies among programs, but these are the type of organizations that may be eligible for victim services grants:
- Nonprofit organizations providing direct services to crime victims. A nonprofit organization must be duly incorporated and registered under state statutes, unless it is a tribal governing body or a local chapter of national tax-exempt victim service organizations (i.e., Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Parents of Murdered Children);
- Public (government) agencies, such as criminal justice agencies, including law enforcement, prosecutor offices, courts, corrections departments, probation and paroling authorities for victim services that exceed the boundaries of their mandate. ;
- Native American tribes/organizations providing services to crime victims;
- Public and private nonprofit institutions of higher education;
- Religiously-affiliated organizations, provided that services are offered to all crime victims without regard to religious affiliation and receipt of services is not contingent upon participation in a religious activity or event; and
- Hospital and emergency medical facilities offering crisis counseling, support groups, and/or other types of victim services. Source: Oregon Department of Justice
The Grants Manager Plus portal may be configured to accept applications for multiple grant programs, with application forms tailored to the data needed for each program through grant administrator setup.
Grants Manager Plus helps state and local agencies comply with requirements of federal funding sources, and enforces reporting requirements for sub-recipients. The data reported by sub-recipients includes performance metrics that indicate the accomplishments made possible by victim assistance grants.
For more information on Grants Manager Plus, see my blog posts including these:
5 Ways to Ensure Compliance with Your Grant Management System
6 Things to Look for in Grant Management Software
Estimating the Cost of a Microsoft Grants Manager Plus Implementation
Extending Grants Manager Plus
Flexible Grant Management Software: Long Term Considerations
Grant Management for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)
Grant Management Portal: What to Include
Grant Management with FedRAMP Certification: Microsoft Dynamics 365
Grants Manager Plus: Theme and Variations
InfoStrat Grants Manager Plus Review on FinanceOnline
InfoStrat Releases New Version of Grants Manager Plus
InfoStrat Releases New Videos on Grants Manager Plus
Microsoft Grants Manager Plus
Microsoft Grants Manager Plus Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Online Resources for Microsoft Grants Manager Plus
Portal Options for Microsoft Grants Manager
Statewide Grant Management Systems
The DATA Act Driving Grant Management Automation
The Story of InfoStrat and Grant Management
Usage Scenarios for Microsoft Grants Manager
User Stories for Grants Manager Plus
Understanding Budget, Payments and Milestones in Grants Manager Plus
Understanding Grant Management Data: CDBG-DR Programs
Understanding Programs in Grants Manager Plus