OVC FY25 Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Victim Assistance Formula Grant

Under the FY 2025 VOCA Victim Assistance Formula Grant Program, states provide subgrants to local community-based organizations and public agencies that provide services directly to crime victims, for example crisis counseling, telephone and onsite information and referrals, criminal justice support and advocacy, shelter, therapy, and additional assistance. All states and most territories receive an annual VOCA victim assistance grant. For FY 2025, the amount available to OVC for obligation from the Crime Victims Fund is $1,900,000,000. Of this amount, $1,267,586,252 is allocated by the VOCA formula to victim assistance grants. Each state, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico receive a base amount of $500,000. The territories of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and American Samoa each receive a base amount of $200,000. Additional funds are distributed to states and territories based on population according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Each applicant in the award acceptance process in JustGrants must agree to the following award condition, which satisfies the VOCA requirements at 34 U.S.C. § 20103(a)(2), and 34 U.S.C. § 20110(h), that states make certain certifications:

VOCA Requirements
The recipient assures that the State and its subrecipients will comply with the conditions of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, sections 1404(a)(2), and 1404(b)(1) and (2), 34 U.S.C. § 20103(a)(2) and (b)(1) and (2) (and the applicable program guidelines and regulations), as required. Specifically, the State certifies that funds under this award will—
a. be awarded only to eligible victim assistance organizations, 34 U.S.C. § 20103(a)(2);
b. not be used to supplant State and local public funds that would otherwise be available for crime victim assistance, 34 U.S.C. § 20103(a)(2), or for administering the state victim assistance program, 34 U.S.C. § 20110(h); and
c. be allocated in accordance with program guidelines or regulations implementing 34 U.S.C. § 20103(a)(2)(A) and 34 U.S.C. § 20103(a)(2)(B) to, at a minimum, assist victims in the following categories: sexual assault, child abuse, domestic violence, and underserved victims of violent crimes as identified by the State.

Award funds will be used only to provide services to victims of crime, except for a maximum of 5 percent that may be used for administration and training. See 34 U.S.C. § 20103(b)(3), 28 C.F.R. 94.107.

States and territories have the sole discretion to determine which organizations will receive subawards, subject to the requirements of VOCA, the Victim Assistance Program Rule at 28 C.F.R. part 94, subpart B, government-wide grant rules at 2 C.F.R. part 200 (as adopted by DOJ), and the DOJ Grants Financial Guide.

The VOCA Victim Assistance Program Rule describes the program requirements and types of programs and activities that states and territories are able to support with VOCA Assistance grant funds. Questions and answers regarding the Rule and the VOCA Assistance Program are available on the OVC website at https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/victims-crime-act-voca-administrators/vocapedia.

Applicants should refer to Application Contents, Submission Requirements, and Deadlines: Budget Detail Form for information on allowable and unallowable costs that may inform the development of their project design.