OVW Fiscal Year 2023 National Deaf Services Program Invitation to Apply | O OVW 2023 171791

Opportunity Information: Apply for O OVW 2023 171791

The OVW Fiscal Year 2023 National Deaf Services Program Invitation to Apply is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), offered as a cooperative agreement. It is authorized under 34 U.S.C. 20122 and funded through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117-328). The focus is on improving safety and access to services for D/deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind victims and survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, recognizing that communication access is not a secondary issue but a core requirement for meaningful help-seeking, crisis response, and long-term healing.

The central problem the program addresses is that many Deaf survivors are unserved or underserved because culturally appropriate, Deaf-led victim services are limited across the country. OVW emphasizes that the strongest services are those delivered in a survivor’s preferred communication method, such as in-person sign language, ProTactile communication, or assistive communication devices, and that these services are most effective when rooted in Deaf culture and delivered as "for Deaf, by Deaf" support. In practice, the number of culturally Deaf domestic violence and sexual assault programs is small, and many mainstream hearing organizations lack Deaf advocates and are not well positioned to provide linguistically and culturally appropriate services. Even though OVW has funded prior efforts to expand access, gaps remain significant, leaving many Deaf survivors without safe pathways to obtain help.

This opportunity represents Phase Two of a broader two-part national initiative. Phase One funded work to assess the needs of Deaf survivors and produce recommendations to address barriers, resulting in the report titled "Expanding Deaf-Specific Victim Services Nationwide: A 5-Year Strategy." With the assessment and strategy development completed, Phase Two shifts from planning to implementation. OVW’s intent is to carry out the recommended strategy from the report by expanding practical, usable service options and strengthening the overall infrastructure that supports Deaf survivors.

A key feature of this Phase Two effort is the recognition that while in-person services remain essential and irreplaceable, virtual services can help bridge access gaps when local Deaf-specific programs are unavailable. The project’s overall goal is to increase and strengthen the number of ways Deaf survivors can reach culturally and linguistically appropriate support. That includes building new virtual crisis and longer-term service options, increasing the capacity and reach of existing in-person Deaf-specific services, and helping develop new in-person services where they do not currently exist. In other words, the program is designed to expand access points and strengthen the service continuum, rather than relying on a single solution.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number O-OVW-2023-171791, within the Law, Justice and Legal Services funding activity category (CFDA 16.056). The award ceiling is $5,000,000, and the original closing date was September 8, 2023. Eligibility for this invitation to apply is narrowly defined; the solicitation identifies Activating Change as the eligible applicant, indicating this is a targeted invitation rather than an open, competitive solicitation for the general public.

• The Office on Violence Against Women in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OVW Fiscal Year 2023 National Deaf Services Program Invitation to Apply" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.056.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-09-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-09-08. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $5,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for O OVW 2023 171791

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