The U.S. government estimates one in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year. U.S. government statistics reveal one in six women will experience an attempted or completed rape at some time in her life. Approximately 500,000 women are estimated to be victims of some form of rape or sexual assault each year in the United States. Alaska Native and American Indian women are more likely to experience sexual assault and domestic violence than are women from other racial or ethnic groups.

American Indians are twice as likely to experience sexual assault crimes compared to all other races, and one in three Indian women reports having been raped during her lifetime.

Program Overview
The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) currently administers 18 grant programs authorized by the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 and subsequent legislation. These grant programs are designed to develop the nation's capacity to reduce domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by strengthening services to victims and holding offenders accountable for their actions.

The Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Grant Program (Tribal Coalitions Program), authorized in the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 (VAWA 2000), builds the capacity of survivors, advocates, Indian women's organizations, and victim service providers to form nonprofit, nongovernmental tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions to end violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women.

OVW's Tribal Coalitions Program grants are used to increase awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault against American Indian and Alaska Native women; enhance the response to violence against women at the tribal, federal, and state levels; and identify and provide technical assistance to coalition membership and tribal communities to enhance access to essential services.

In Fiscal Year 2008, OVW's Tribal Coalitions Program funded 11 new projects, totaling more than $3 million. OVW currently funds 23 Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions in 13 states.

Since 2001, OVW has funded approximately 80 projects, totaling more than $24 million, for tribal coalitions strengthening partnerships for safer communities.

Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants are established nonprofit, nongovernmental tribal coalitions addressing domestic violence and sexual assault against American Indian and Alaska Native women or individuals or organizations that propose to incorporate as nonprofit, nongovernmental tribal coalitions.

Materials and Publications
2008 Report of the National Roundtable on Sex Offender Registration and Notification in Indian Country
http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/sexoffender.pdf

Final report of the Focus Group on Public Law 209: Sexual Assault of Native Women
http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/280-fg-finalreport.pdf

Technical Assistance Providers
Since 1995, OVW's Technical Assistance Program provides OVW grantees with training, expertise, and problem-solving strategies to meet the challenges of addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. The following organizations train and provide resources to tribal governments and organizations:

   •   Clan Star: http://www.clanstar.org/

   •   First Nations Development Institute: http://www.firstnations.org/

Resources
For a complete list of OVW grant awards by state, visit OVW's website: http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/grantactivities.htm.

Tribal Coalition contact information can be found on OVW's website: http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/tribal_coalitions.htm

If you have additional questions, contact the OVW Tribal Coalitions Unit at OVW.TribalCoalitions@usdoj.gov or call OVW at (202) 307-6026.