OVC FY25 National Victim Crisis Hotlines

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), has released the FY25 National Crime Victim Crisis Hotlines grant program. This funding opportunity supports the enhancement, maintenance, or expansion of national hotlines that provide vital crisis intervention services to crime victims across the United States. The purpose of the grant is to strengthen national victim service hotlines as essential resources for safety planning, emotional support, resource referrals, and information sharing, particularly benefiting crime victims in rural or underserved areas. This funding aims to ensure uninterrupted access to high-quality, trauma-informed support services via multiple communication channels such as phone, text, or web chat. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate how their projects will expand their response capacity, support hotline staff by minimizing the risk of vicarious trauma and burnout, and engage in collaborative improvement efforts through participation in the National Hotline Consortium. Hotline personnel must be trained to provide referrals, safety guidance, and warm handoffs to agencies and resources including housing, legal services, and culturally specific support networks. The total program funding available under this opportunity is $10 million, with anticipated individual award ceilings of up to $2 million. The performance period is expected to last 36 months, beginning on October 1, 2025. The OVC anticipates making five awards under this solicitation. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement for applicants. Eligible applicants include state governments, special district governments, federally and non-federally recognized tribal governments, nonprofit organizations regardless of 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. Only one application per entity may be submitted, although an organization may be listed as a subrecipient in multiple proposals. Applications involving multiple project partners must designate a single primary applicant, with others listed as subrecipients. To apply, organizations must complete a two-step application process. First, applicants must submit the SF-424 form in Grants.gov by August 20, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Then, the full application must be submitted in JustGrants by August 25, 2025, at 8:59 p.m. ET. Required components include a project narrative, budget detail form, resumes of key personnel, letters of support, and necessary disclosures. Applications will be reviewed for completeness and eligibility before undergoing peer and programmatic review based on responsiveness, project design, budget justification, and organizational capacity. Applicants are advised to begin SAM.gov registration or renewal as early as possible and no later than August 6, 2025. Award announcements are expected by September 30, 2025. OVC offers technical assistance through its Response Center and JustGrants Service Desk to support applicants throughout the submission process. This opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372 on intergovernmental review.

Start SAM.gov registration early. Submit SF-424 and full application well before deadlines to allow for technical delays.