Family Violence Prevention and Services Discretionary Grant Program/ National Indigenous Domestic Violence Hotline

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), through its Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services (OFVPS), has announced the Family Violence Prevention and Services Discretionary Grant Program for the National Indigenous Domestic Violence Hotline. This program is authorized under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), 42 U.S.C. §10413. The grant seeks to fund one cooperative agreement that will support the operation of a confidential, toll-free, 24-hour National Indigenous Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline will provide crisis intervention, information, and assistance to Indigenous adult and youth victims or survivors of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence, as well as to their dependents and those affected by such violence. The purpose of this grant is to ensure that Indigenous victims and survivors have access to culturally relevant, linguistically appropriate, and accessible services. The hotline will provide safety planning, crisis counseling, advocacy, and referrals to shelters, social service agencies, legal resources, and programs addressing the needs of children exposed to violence. Applicants must demonstrate expertise and capacity to operate a hotline serving Indigenous communities and show established relationships with tribal and state domestic violence coalitions. Proposals must include detailed plans for staffing, training, technology infrastructure, resource database management, accessibility for people with disabilities and non-English speakers, and coordination with other national hotlines. The cooperative agreement anticipates substantial involvement from OFVPS, including approval of work plans, revisions, project activities, materials, and publications. OFVPS will also monitor hotline performance metrics such as response times, call volume, answer rates, and user satisfaction. The selected grantee will join the FVPSA Training & Technical Assistance Resource Network (TTARN) and collaborate with other national hotlines and resource centers. Applicants must also comply with strict confidentiality provisions and non-discrimination requirements, ensuring services are accessible to all, including underserved populations. Funding for this opportunity totals $2,998,125, with an award floor of $2,000,000 and an award ceiling of $2,998,125 per budget period. Only one award is expected to be made, with a project period of 60 months divided into five 12-month budget periods. The anticipated project start date is September 30, 2025. Applicants must submit complete project descriptions including objectives, needs assessments, outcomes, logic models, evaluation plans, and budget justifications. Faith-based and community organizations that meet eligibility criteria are welcome to apply. However, individuals, sole proprietorships, and foreign entities are not eligible. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by September 4, 2025, no later than 11:59 pm ET. Required components include the SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance, UEI and SAM registration, certifications regarding lobbying, site location forms, budget forms, and proof of nonprofit status. The project description file is limited to 40 pages and must include a summary, objectives, expected outcomes, approach, timeline, logic model, evaluation plan, dissemination plan, sustainability plan, and protections for confidential information. A separate appendices file should include resumes, board member lists, financial statements, letters of support, and third-party agreements. Applications will be evaluated on objectives and need for assistance, expected outcomes, approach, organizational capacity, evaluation methods, budget justification, and adherence to confidentiality and accessibility requirements. Scoring emphasizes demonstrated expertise, feasibility of plans, strong collaborations, comprehensive training for staff, and a clear plan for high-volume crisis response. The program contact is Miranda Carman, Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services, reachable at Miranda.Carman@acf.hhs.gov or (202) 545-4930. Grants management questions should be directed to Janice Realeza at Janice.Realeza@acf.hhs.gov or (206) 615-3660.