How do you apply?

General Requirements

Applying for VOCA funds is a process. At a minimum, you need to know the application deadline in your state, the requirements, and your eligibility. Here is a quick cheat sheet of the general eligibility requirements for all organizations interested in applying:

1. Be a public or non-profit organization (such as a 501(c)(3)) that provides direct services to crime survivors and/or victims’ families. (Again, this does not need to be the only thing you do, but it is the only part of your work that can be funded with VOCA funds.)
2. Have a record of providing effective direct services to crime victims for a minimum of one year*, have the support and approval of your services in the community, and have a history of providing services in a cost-effective manner.*If you have not provided victim services for more than one year (for example, your victims services project is new), talk to you state’s VOCA office. There may be other ways to demonstrate that you are viable, sustainable, and have community support.If the VOCA office determines that you cannot meet this requirement, you must instead show that 25-50% of your budget comes from non-VOCA sources. The support may be monetary, in-kind, or a combination of both. It is important that organizations demonstrate a variety of funding sources in order to ensure their financial stability.

   See the section on budgeting.

3. Contribute a minimum match (cash or in-kind) of 20%of the total project cost. In other words, if the total project costs $100,000, you can ask VOCA to fund $80,000 of it, and you must find $20,000 in cash or donated goods and services to cover the rest (Tribal/Native American serving groups are not required to fulfill the match requirement.) Match requirements may be reduced or waived, in whole or in part.
4. Use volunteers as a component of the work you do, unless the state VOCA office determines there is a compelling reason to waive this requirement. It is best to just go ahead and establish or enhance your volunteer base.
5. Promote a collaborative, coordinated approach for serving crime victims within the community. You can demonstrate this in a number of ways, for example through being part of a coalition with other victims service providers, or otherwise working together with other service providers. Essentially, they are looking to see that you aren’t duplicating efforts and to ensure that you are demonstrating strong working relationships with other community programs.
6. Assist crime survivors in applying for crime victim compensation benefits. This includes informing survivors about compensation, distributing materials, and/or helping them fill out forms.
7. Offer services to victims of federal crimes on the same basis as victims of state crimes.
8. Register to obtain a Duns & Bradstreet (DUNS) number and with the federal grants system,
   www.sam.gov.
9. If you are awarded a grant, you will need to track several items in order to report during the grant period. These include:
   • Financial information: system in place to exclusively track VOCA funds, matching funds, and any other non-VOCA funds.
   • Staff and/or volunteer time: system in place to track the time and attendance of any staff and volunteers including actual hours worked on the VOCA project, and maintain accurate job descriptions and duties for each staff and/or volunteer position.
   • Clients/Constituents: system in place to track the number of clients receiving victim services, their demographics, and the actual activities and attendance for each client. Keeping this information consistent across personnel and across multiple service types can be challenging and might need ongoing training for your staff and volunteers.
10. State-specific requirements: Your state may have additional eligibility guidelines in order to apply for a VOCA grant. Check with your state’s VOCA office for additional guidelines.

Download EJUSA VOCA Toolkit, updated Jan 2017