What is OVC?
What is OVC's mission?
Can a victim apply directly to OVC for funding?
Can a program apply directly to OVC for funding?
Is a VOCA Victim Assistance subrecipient eligible to apply
for the Helping Outreach Programs Expand (HOPE) funding opportunity?
Does OVC offer training and technical assistance?
Does OVC provide direct services for victims of crime?
How do I apply for a job with OVC?
Does OVC provide publications, videotapes, and other
information resources?
What is OVC?
Created in 1983, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is a federal office
within the U.S. Department of Justice that provides federal funds to support
victim assistance and compensation programs around the country and advocates
for the fair treatment of crime victims through policy development.
Related reading:
What is OVC's mission?
The mission of OVC is to enhance the Nation's capacity to assist crime
victims and to provide leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and
practices to promote justice and healing for all victims of crime. OVC
accomplishes its mission in many different ways:
Can a victim apply directly to OVC for funding?
No. However, OVC funds do support—
- State victim compensation programs, which
help reimburse victims for costs incurred as a direct result of the
crime, including medical bills, funeral expenses, and lost wages.
- State victim assistance programs, which
provide funds for community agencies that assist crime victims through
services such as crisis intervention, criminal justice advocacy, counseling,
and emergency shelter.
In addition, OVC administers two Indian Country discretionary grant programs:
- The Children's Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities (CJA)
Grant Program
- The Tribal Victim Assistance (TVA) Discretionary Grant Program (an
expansion of the former Victim Assistance in Indian Country (VAIC) Grant
Program).
Related reading:
Can a program apply directly to OVC for funding?
Yes. A certain percentage of discretionary monies in the fund are used
to support national scope training and technical assistance projects to
improve services to victims of crime.
Is a VOCA Victim Assistance subrecipient eligible
to apply for the Helping
Outreach Programs Expand (HOPE) funding opportunity?
No. Only nonprofit, grassroots community and faith-based victim service
organizations and coalitions that do not receive federal VOCA victim assistance
grant funds and operate with $50,000 or less in annual funding are eligible
to apply. Eligible organizations and coalitions must be operating for
at least 1 year.
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Where/how can I find out about funding available from OVC?
OVC announces its discretionary grants through its Web site under Grants
& Funding and through the Federal Register. Discretionary
grants are made available each spring, but please note that the closing
dates vary each year.
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Does OVC offer training and technical assistance?
Yes. The OVC Training and Technical Assistance
Center, or TTAC, supports the delivery of training and technical assistance
to eligible organizations that want to enhance the assistance they offer
victims.
OVC's TTAC has been an invaluable asset for organizations throughout
the country that are often faced with slim financial resources when looking
for training and technical assistance. Technical assistance also is offered
by OVC staff during site visits, conferences, working meetings, and other
training events. A searchable list of OVC TTAC consultants is available
through OVC TTAC at www.ovcttac.org.
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Does OVC provide direct services for victims
of crime?
Yes. OVC provides direct services to people victimized on Tribal or federal
lands, such as military bases and national parks, and American citizens
victimized in foreign countries. OVC also assists victims of crime by
providing—
- Emergency funds for federal criminal justice agencies to provide
victims of federal crimes (e.g., kidnaping and bank robbery) with needed
services (e.g., crisis counseling and temporary shelter) when these
services are otherwise unavailable.
- Grants for victim assistance programs in Indian Country.
- Information, benefits, and services for U.S. nationals who
are victims of terrorism abroad. Victims are given assistance in accessing
services, traveling to participate in trials and briefings, and obtaining
information on the criminal justice process.
If you are interested in locating support following a victimization,
you may want to contact a victim assistance or
victim compensation program in your state. You may also want to contact
one or more national victim serving organizations
for a referral.
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How do I apply for a job with OVC?
You can apply online for OVC employment or
by submitting your application to the appropriate contact listed in the
job announcement. For job openings within other justice-related agencies,
please visit the Web sites for the Office
of Justice Programs and the Office
of Personnel Management.
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Does OVC provide publications, videotapes,
and other information resources?
Yes. Visit the Publications section
of OVC's Web site for a current list of publications, fact sheets, and
videotapes. Visit OVC's
Directory of Crime Victim Services to find resources. For more information
on available resources, AskOVC
(AskOVC@ojp.usdoj.gov).
