VAWA Culturally Specific Victim Services Program 2026

VAWA Culturally Specific Victim Services Program 2026

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) established the Services, Training, Officers, Prosecutors (STOP) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program to support a coordinated, multidisciplinary response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

The STOP Program is designed to strengthen the criminal justice system's response to victims and survivors through:

• Enhancing victim services.

• Supporting training and education for law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, court personnel, probation officers, victim service providers, and other professionals.

• Improving policies, protocols, and practices that promote victim safety and offender accountability.

• Strengthening collaboration among criminal justice agencies, victim service providers, and community partners.

Federal law requires states to allocate a portion of STOP funding to culturally specific community-based organizations and to programs that address sexual assault. The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) administers STOP Program funding in Illinois in accordance with federal requirements and the Illinois STOP Violence Against Women Implementation Plan.

Details

• Awarding Agency: Criminal Justice Info Authority
• Departments: FSGU - VAWA
• CSFA Number: 546-00-1744
• CSFA Popular Name: VAWA
• Funding Opportunity Number: 1744-0618
• Assistance Listings Number: 16.588
• Announcement Type: Initial Announcement
• Award Type: Competitive
• Total Funding Available: $825,000.00
• Funding Sources: Federal Or Federal Pass Through
• Capital Grant: No
• Indirect Costs Allowed: Yes
• Posted Date: 2026-06-18
• Award Period: 2026-10-01 – 2027-09-30

Funding Source Description

a) Federal Financial Guide.** Applicants must comply with the current edition of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Grants Financial Guide, which provides guidance on allowable and unallowable costs and is available at: https://ojp.gov/financialguide/doj/pdfs/DOJ_FinancialGuide.pdf.

All costs charged to the award must be reasonable, necessary, allocable, and allowable under applicable federal regulations, the DOJ Grants Financial Guide, and the terms and conditions of the award. ICJIA reserves the right to determine the allowability of proposed or incurred costs, including costs not expressly addressed in the DOJ Grants Financial Guide.

Indirect Cost Description

In order to charge indirect costs to a grant, the applicant organization must either have an annually negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) or elect to use a standard de minimis rate. There are three types of allowable indirect cost rates:

a) Federally Negotiated Rate. Organizations that receive direct federal funding, may have an indirect cost rate that was negotiated with the Federal Cognizant Agency. Illinois will accept the federally negotiated rate.

b) State Negotiated Rate. The organization may negotiate an indirect cost rate with the State of Illinois if they do not have a Federally Negotiated Rate. If an organization has not previously established an indirect cost rate, an indirect cost rate proposal must be submitted through the State of Illinois’ centralized indirect cost rate system no later than three months after receipt of a Notice of State Award (NOSA). If an organization previously established an indirect cost rate, the organization must annually submit a new indirect cost proposal through the centralized indirect cost rate system within the earlier of: six (6) months after the close of the grantee’s fiscal year; and three (3) months of the notice of award.

c) De Minimis Rate. An organization that has never negotiated an indirect cost rate with the Federal Government or the State of Illinois is eligible to elect a de minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct cost (MTDC). Once established, the de minimis Rate may be used indefinitely. The State of Illinois must verify the calculation of the MTDC annually in order to accept the de minimis rate.

Grant fund recipients are required to complete the indirect cost rate proposal process every fiscal year. If you plan to include indirect costs in your budget, please select your indirect cost rate through the GATA Grantee portal prior to submitting your grant documents to ICJIA.

Grantees have discretion and can elect to waive payment for indirect costs. Grantees that elect to waive payments for indirect costs cannot be reimbursed for indirect costs. The organization must record an election to “Waive Indirect Costs” into the GATA Grantee Portal. Indirect Cost election must be completed annually, for every entity’s fiscal year.

State Award Notices

Funding recommendations are anticipated to be reviewed and approved by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) Board in October 2026. Following Board approval, applicants will be notified of their funding status.

The following documents must be submitted and approved prior to the execution of a grant agreement:

Civil Rights Compliance Questionnaire
Equal Employment Opportunity and Civil Rights Certification
Lobbying, Debarment, and Drug-Free Workplace Certification
Any additional pre-award documentation required by ICJIA

Failure to submit required documentation in a timely manner may delay or prevent execution of the grant agreement.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

In addition to implementing the funded project consistent with the approved application, program narrative, and budget, agencies selected for funding must comply with all applicable federal and state laws, regulations, grant requirements, and award conditions. This includes, but is not limited to, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 C.F.R. Part 200), the Illinois Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA), the U.S. Department of Justice Grants Financial Guide, and all applicable ICJIA policies and procedures.

Recipients must comply with all federal civil rights requirements, confidentiality and privacy protections, nondiscrimination provisions, and other applicable statutory and regulatory requirements associated with VAWA-funded programs.

ICJIA may impose additional programmatic, fiscal, reporting, monitoring, or administrative special conditions at the time of award or throughout the grant period, as necessary to ensure compliance with federal and state requirements and the successful implementation of the funded project.

Reporting

Reporting

Recipients will be required to submit periodic financial reports, periodic performance reports, and any other reports required by ICJIA or the awarding federal agency. Recipients must also submit final financial and final performance reports at the conclusion of the grant period and, when applicable, audit reports in accordance with 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.

All reports must be submitted in accordance with the reporting schedule and requirements established by ICJIA. Recipients are responsible for ensuring that all financial, performance, and programmatic data reported are complete, accurate, and supported by appropriate documentation.

Failure to submit required reports by established deadlines may result in delayed reimbursements, withholding of fund drawdowns, the imposition of special conditions, suspension of grant activities, or other remedies permitted under federal and state grant requirements. Future funding opportunities may also be impacted by a recipient's reporting compliance history.