Crime Victim Assistance Grants

January

January 15^th – Q1 Reports for SAVS, SVAP, and VOCA grants due

January 15th – RFP 2 due

February

Solicitation Workshop

AGO Portal Opens for Grant Applications

February 15th – RFP 3/Q1 due

February 15th – MEI due

March

March 15^th – RFP 4 due

April

April 10th – AGO Portal closes at 5:00 pm

April 15^th – Q2 Reports for SAVS, SVAP, and VOCA grants due

April 15th – RFP 5 due

May

May 15^th – RFP 6/Q2 due

June

June 15th – RFP 7 due

June 30th – State Fiscal Year ends

June 30th – Last day for Revisions

July

July 15^th – Q3 Reports for SAVS, SVAP, and VOCA grants due

July 15th – RFP 8 due

August

August – DCVAG Present Recommendations to PSCC

August 15^th – RFP 9/Q3 due

September

September 15th – RFP 10 due

September 30th – Grant year ends

October

October 1^st – New grant year starts

October 15^th – RFP 11 due

October 15^th – Q4 Reports for SAVS, SVAP, and VOCA grants due

October - Press Conferences

October – Implementation Workshop

October – Award Contracts sent via DocuSign

 

November

November 15th – 5:00 pm – All FINAL RFP’s (please include all September time worked on final RFP)

November 15th – RFP 12/Q4

December

December 15^th – RFP 1 (new year)

FORMS

• Civil Rights Training Verification Form
• Determination of Suitability Form 

2025-2026

• Office Supply List
• 2025-2026 Program Guidelines
• 2025-2026 Solicitation PowerPoint
• 2025-2026 Solicitation Video

 

2024-2025

• Office Supply List 
• 2024-2025 Program Guidelines
• 2024-2025 Grant Financial Guidelines
• 2024-2025 Solicitation PowerPoint
• 2024-2025 Solicitation Video
• 2024-2025 Implementation Workshop PowerPoint
• 2024-2025 Implementation Workshop Webinar

2023-2024 

• 2023-2024 Grant Financial Guidelines (Final) 
• 2023-2024 Grant Terms and Conditions
• 2023-2024 Implementation Workshop PowerPoint
• 2023-2024 Office Supply List
• 2023-2024 Implementation Workshop Webinar

2022-2023

• 2022 - 2023 Office Supply List
• 2022 - 2023 Important Dates and Deadlines
• 2022 Program Guidelines REVISED
• 2022 Implementation Workshop PowerPoint
• 2022 Implementation Workshop Webinar
• 2022 Implementation Workshop 2 Webinar
• 2022 Registration/Managing Contacts Workshop Video
• 2022 Registration/Managing Contacts Workshop PowerPoint
  
• Match Waiver Policy - Updated October 2021

Negotiations -Instructions

The federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) was signed into law on October 12, 1984. The purpose of the Act was to enhance and expand direct services to victims of crime. The Act established within the U.S. Treasury a separate account known as the Crime Victims Fund. The fund is not supported by tax dollars but rather is generated entirely by fines, penalty assessments, and forfeited bonds collected by the federal government. The U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) makes annual VOCA crime victim assistance grants to states from the Crime Victims Fund.  In South Carolina, the Department of Crime Victim Assistance Grants (DCVAG) within the Office of the Attorney General is designated as the administering agency for subrecipient awards issued with funds from VOCA.

The primary purpose of VOCA is to support the provision of direct services to victims of violent crime. The program goal is to provide federal funding through grant awards to certified private non-profit organizations and public/government agencies for projects that will provide, enhance, improve, and expand direct services to victims of violent crime. 

According to the 2016 VOCA Program Rule, direct services or services to victims of crime are defined as those efforts that (1) respond to the emotional, psychological, and physical needs of crime victims, (2) assist victims to stabilize their lives after victimization, (3) assist victims to understand and participate in the criminal justice system, or (4) restore a measure of safety and security for the victim. Funding cannot be used for the investigation of crimes or collection of evidence to further the prosecution of crimes. 

In 1986, the General Assembly of South Carolina passed the Omnibus Criminal Justice Improvements Act (§24-3-40 of the South Carolina Code of Laws).  Pursuant to this Section, a percentage of the wages earned by inmates participating in the South Carolina Department of Corrections’ Work Release Program must be placed on deposit with the State Treasurer for credit to a special account to support victim assistance programs established pursuant to the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, Public Law 98-473, Title II, Chapter XIV, Section 1404. 

The grant programs may be considered in the following categories:

• Victims of Sexual Assault
• Victims of Domestic Violence
• Victims of Child Abuse and Neglect
• Training Programs
• Previously Underserved Victims of Crime

Match requirements are 80 percent Grantor/20 percent In-Kind or Cash Match.

VAWA projects should enhance the capacity of local communities to develop and strengthen effective law enforcement and prosecution strategies to combat violent crimes against women and to develop and strengthen victim services in cases involving violent crimes against women. The purpose of VAWA is to encourage states and localities to restructure and strengthen the criminal justice system's response, to be proactive in addressing violence against women, to draw on the experience of all participants in the system, and to provide victim services. 

VAWA projects must develop and implement victim-centered trauma-focused strategies that encourage collaboration among state, local, and tribal courts (including juvenile courts); Indian tribal governments; units of local government; and nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services programs.  This includes culturally competent, community-based organizations as well as law enforcement, prosecution, the judiciary, pretrial services, probation and parole, and other critical partnering entities. Applications must include documentation showing that tribal, territorial, state, or local prosecution, law enforcement, and courts have consulted with tribal, territorial, state or local victim services programs during the course of developing their grant applications.  Further, they must continue to solicit input during implementation in order to ensure that proposed activities and equipment acquisitions are designed to promote the safety, confidentiality, and economic independence of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence.” (42 U.S.C. § 3796gg–(d) (4).

VAWA funds may not be used to support services that focus exclusively on children or to develop sexual assault or domestic violence curricula for K-12 schools. VAWA funds may be used for an adolescent program for primary victims over the age of 11. 

In 2022, the South Carolina General Assembly made available through the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Department of Crime Victim Assistance Grants, additional funds to aid qualified applicants in enhancing victim services throughout the state. Recognizing that the reductions in VOCA funding over the past five years have resulted in many victim services agencies having to seek alternate funding, and frequently being unable to do so, the General Assembly and the State Funding Agency, Office of the Attorney General, Department of Crime Victim Assistance Grants, have allocated a portion of additional funding which will be released as a supplement to existing victims services grant programs.

The grant programs may be considered in the following categories:

1. Victims of Sexual Assault
2. Victims of Domestic Violence
3. Victims of Child Abuse and Neglect
4. Training Programs
5. Previously Underserved Victims of Crime

Match requirements are 80 percent Grantor/20 percent In-Kind or Cash Match.