Program Brief

INTRODUCTION
The Violence Against Women Act of 2005 expanded the scope of the Rural Grant Program to include sexual assault and stalking, and modified the eligibility criteria as well as the statutory purpose areas under which projects must be implemented.  The Rural Grant Program (Rural Program) recognizes that victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking and child abuse living in rural jurisdictions face unique barriers to receiving assistance and additional challenges rarely encountered in urban areas.  The geographic isolation, economic structure, particularly strong social and cultural pressures, and lack of available services in rural jurisdictions significantly compound the problems confronted by those seeking support and services to end the violence in their lives and complicate the ability of the criminal justice system to investigate and prosecute domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and child victimization cases.  In addition, sociocultural, economic, and geographic barriers create difficulties for victim service providers and other social services professionals to identify and assist victims of these crimes.

The primary purpose of the Rural Program is to enhance the safety of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and child victimization by supporting projects uniquely designed to address and prevent these crimes in rural jurisdictions.  OVW welcomes applications that propose innovative solutions for achieving this goal.  The Rural Program challenges victim advocates, law enforcement officers, pre-trial service personnel, prosecutors, judges and other court personnel, probation and parole officers, and faith- and/or community-based leaders to collaborate to overcome the problem of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking and child victimization and to ensure that victim safety is paramount in providing services to victims and their children.

SCOPE OF PROGRAM

Program Purpose Areas
The scope of the Rural Program is defined by the following authorized statutory purpose areas and strategies.  Proposed projects must implement activities consistent with the statutory purpose areas and strategies.  Proposed projects must address at least one purpose area and at least one strategy, but do not need to address multiple purpose areas or strategies in order to receive support.

Statutory Purpose Areas
The Rural Program will consider supporting projects that implement at least one of the following statutory purpose areas, as provided in 42 U.S.C. § 13971(a):

1. to identify, assess, and appropriately respond to child, youth and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities, by encouraging collaboration among domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking victim service providers; law enforcement agencies; prosecutors; courts; other criminal justice service providers; human and community service providers; educational institutions; and health care providers;
   
   
2. to establish and expand nonprofit, nongovernmental, State, tribal, territorial, and local government victim services in rural communities to child, youth, and adult victims; and
   
   
3. to increase the safety and well-being of women and children in rural communities by dealing directly and immediately with domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking occurring in rural communities; and creating and implementing strategies to increase awareness and prevent domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.

Strategies to Implement Purpose Areas
Applicants must use at least one of the following strategies, as listed in 42 U.S.C. § 13971(b), in implementing at least one of the above statutory purpose areas:

1. implement, expand, and establish cooperative efforts and projects among law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim advocacy groups, and other related parties to investigate and prosecute incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking;
   
   
2. provide treatment, counseling, advocacy, and other long and short term assistance to adult and minor victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities, including assistance in immigration matters; and
   
   
3. work in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies directed toward such issues.

Program Limitations

Grant funds under the Rural Program may not be used for any unauthorized purposes, including but not limited to the following activities:

• Lobbying and lobbying-related activities;
• Fundraising;
• Research projects;
• Batterer's Intervention Programs that are not mandatory and not court-mandated;
• Anger management classes;
• Purchase of certain law enforcement equipment, including guns, bulletproof vests, and ammunition;
• The development and/or maintenance of websites; and
• Physical modifications to buildings, including minor renovations.

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY
Under 42 U.S.C. § 13971(b), eligible entities for this program are States, Indian tribes, local governments, and nonprofit, public or private entities, including tribal nonprofit organizations, to carry out programs serving rural areas or rural communities.
A rural area or community is (A) any area or community, respectively, no part of which is within an area designated as a standard metropolitan statistical area by the Office of Management and Budget; or B) any area or community, respectively, that is i) within an area designated as a metropolitan statistical area or considered part of a metropolitan statistical area; and ii) located in a rural census tract. By statute, a rural stateis a State that has a population density of 52 or fewer persons per square mile or a State in which the largest county has fewer than 150,000 people, based on decennial census of 2000.¹ By statute, at least 75% of the total amount of funding made available for this program shall be allocated to eligible entities in rural states.

For more information about the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking, and Child abuse Enforcement Assistance Program, please contact:

Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)
800 K Street, N.W., Suite 920
Washington, D.C. 20530
Phone: 202-307-6026
Fax: 202-307-3911
TTY: 202-307-2277
Website: www.usdoj.gov/ovw

Notes
1 The following states are designated as Rural based on the 2000 census: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming.