Recent Grants

The Victim Services Support Program in Iowa administers grand funds from several federal sources that provide partial funding to local and statewide crime victim service programs in Iowa, including all of the following:

• Federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Victim Assistance - Funds are awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime. The funds come entirely from fines and penalties assessed against convicted federal criminals.
  • Programs include, but are not limited to, sexual abuse and rape treatment centers, domestic abuse programs and shelters, child abuse programs; prosecutor based victim services, and other community-based victim coalitions and support programs including those who serve survivors of homicide victims
• Violence Against Women Act (VAWA or VW) - Funds are awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. Programs may include, but are not limited to, state offices and agencies, public or private nonprofit agencies, units of local government, nonprofit and nongovernmental victim services programs.Funds through VAWA provide systematic and sustained focus on permanent systems change within the Iowa criminal justice system, while simultaneously developing a comprehensive network of domestic violence and sexual assault victim service advocates and programs throughout Iowa communities. VAWA funds may be used for multiple purposes, including:
  • Comprehensive training projects (especially multi-disciplinary training).
  • Specialized units such as programs in law enforcement or district attorneys' offices.
  • Projects developing protocols, policies, and evaluation mechanisms.
  • Projects developing data collection and communication systems.
  • Sexual assault and domestic violence victim services programs.
  • Projects concerning stalking; projects designed for Native American women.
  • Projects addressing the needs of older, disabled, and other underserved women.
  • Projects supporting statewide multidisciplinary efforts; training of sexual assault forensic medical personnel.
  • Assistance for domestic violence and sexual assault victims with immigration matters.
• Federal Family Violence Prevention & Services Act Grant (FVP&SA) - Funds are awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Community Services, Administration for Children and Families. Congress appropriates the funds annually.
  • FV funds are granted to programs to increase public awareness about domestic violence and its impact on families and support programs for the prevention of family violence, provide immediate shelter and related assistance to victims of family violence and their dependents, and provide training and technical assistance to family violence personnel. These programs include, but are not limited to, domestic abuse programs, domestic abuse shelters, and other community-based victim coalitions. 
• Federal Sexual Abuse Services Program (SASP) - Funds are awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. Congress appropriates the funds annually.
  • The program must demonstrate a record of providing effective services to sexual assault victims. The overall purpose of the SASP funds are to provide intervention, advocacy, accompaniment (e.g., accompanying victims to court, medical facilities, hospitals, police departments, etc.), support services, and related assistance to
    • Adult, youth, and child victims of sexual assault;
    • Family and household members of such victims; and
    • Those collaterally affected by the victimization, except for the perpetrator of such victimization (e.g., friends, co-workers, classmates).
  • Intervention and related assistance may include:
    • 24-hour hotline services providing crisis intervention services and referral;
    • Accompaniment and advocacy through medical, criminal justice, and social support systems, including medical facilities, police and court proceedings;
    • Crisis intervention, short-term individual and group support services, and comprehensive service coordination and supervision to assist sexual assault victims and family or household members;
    • Information and referral to assist the sexual assault victims and family or household members;
    • Community-based, linguistically and culturally specific services and support mechanisms, including outreach activities for underserved communities; and
  • The development and distribution of materials on issues related to the services described in this section.
• Iowa's Domestic Abuse (DA) and Sexual Abuse (SA) - Funds are appropriated by the Iowa General Assembly annually.
  • Programs providing services to victims of domestic abuse must have the capacity to provide or arrange safe shelter for domestic abuse victims and their children. Programs providing services to sexual abuse victims must have the capacity to provide in-person support to victims at the time of a sexual abuse evidentiary examination. These programs include, but are not limited to, sexual abuse and rape treatment centers, domestic abuse programs, domestic abuse shelters, and other community-based victim coalitions.