Nebraska Services Training Officers Prosecutors (STOP) Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Grant

Emily Schoenleber
402.416.4129
emily.schoenleber@nebraska.gov

Sajia Qasemi
402.471.3998
sajia.qasemi@nebraska.gov

The Services Training Officers and Prosecutors (STOP) Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Grant Program supports multifaceted approaches to responding to the crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human sex trafficking. This is accomplished through:

• Improved coordinated criminal justice system response efforts
• Quality direct services that address victim safety
• Outreach and Services to unserved and underserved populations
• Offender accountability efforts
• Targeted training and technical assistance approaches
• Community awareness and education
• Policy development that enhances best practices for responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking

STOP emphasizes state, local, and tribal partnerships among law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, victim advocates, healthcare providers, faith leaders, organizations that serve culturally specific and underserved communities, and others. STOP helps provide victims and survivors across the life span with the protection and services they need to pursue safe and healthy lives, while improving community capacity to hold offenders accountable for their crimes. Project outcomes must address increased victim safety and/or increased offender accountability.

Priorities include victim services, especially housing, and improved law enforcement response in rural and remote areas, tribal nations, and small towns that often lack resources to effectively combat domestic violence and sexual assault.

Eligible applicants are public agencies or nonprofit organizations including state agencies and offices, state and local courts, units of local government, public agencies, Indian tribal governments, victim service providers, community-based organizations, and legal services programs.

$1,425,000 over 18 months

Grant recipients must match 25% of the funds they are awarded with either cash or in-kind services.

Awards must be allocated according to the Violence Against Women Act 2022 reauthorization mandates. Applicants must indicate how funds will be used within the STOP categories as outlined in the application instructions. Funding thresholds have been established for projects that meaningfully address sexual assault and projects that conduct public awareness or community education campaigns.

Links to additional guidance, application instructions, and the online application portal are available on the program website.