Byrne JAG funds are allocated in the annual State Budget, by the Governor and State Legislators.

The State of New York is obligated by Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, 42 U.S.C. 3711 to pass-through a specified percentage of the federal Byrne JAG Formula Grant Program funds to local units of government. Program guidelines define a "unit of local government" as any city, county, town, township, borough, parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a State.

Some programs and functions that benefit local jurisdictions are best implemented by not-for-profit agencies. While not-for-profit agencies are eligible recipients of Byrne JAG funds, a local unit of government must agree to assume responsibility for the grant contract or waive the funds in order to permit the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) to contract directly with the not-for-profit organization. In such cases, the pass-through requirement can be met by obtaining a waiver(s) from the local jurisdiction(s) that will benefit from the program or service.

Such waivers must be made voluntarily by eligible local government recipients and must be documented. The waiver process is appropriate only if the services provided benefit the same local population that otherwise would have received the funds to provide the same or similar services. No specific form is required for the waiver (although DCJS has a form letter), but it should be in writing from an official authorized to sign on behalf of the local unit of government. A waiver is allowed for the administrative convenience of a local government only. This waiver also alleviates any responsibility by the locality for providing matching funds or from executing any administrative responsibilities associated with these federal funds.

The match for a Byrne JAG award must equal 1/9 of the award, that is, 10% of the total project cost.

No. Only hard cash match is acceptable.

No. Byrne JAG funds cannot be used to supplant state and local expenditures.

Use your Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) to support new or innovative program initiatives which target one or more of the 6 federal purpose areas.

Refer to the State of New York Three-Year Comprehensive State Plan for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention which can be mailed out from our office or accessed on-line. (This document is in PDF format. Please contact us for a text copy.)

If you have identified needs of youth in your community and have a solid idea of how to address them programmatically, you are encouraged to create a 2 -4 page concept paper that outlines a specific project geared towards those needs. Wwe would be happy to send you a copy of the specifications in the mail.

The Juvenile Justice Advisory Group members will have reviewed your application beforehand and you should be prepared for a ten minute question/answer session. No formal presentation is required, although occasionally prospective grantees have been asked to provide a brief overview of a proposed project and its history.

Generally it takes 6-10 weeks to receive a formally executed contract.

It is not advisable to begin spending grant monies prior to receiving the executed contract.

Contact your program representative for technical assistance as soon as possible.

While grants can be extended due to a late start up, it is important that project implementation, vouchering and fiscal cost reporting begin as soon as possible to avoid the lapse of funds.

You can expect that your project will be visited at least once a year. During a site visit, it is optimal if program and fiscal staff are present, and where practicable youth who participate in the project. A copy of your executed contract and a log of vouchered project expenses should also be available.

This is one of the most important measures by which DCJS can assess the success of your program. It is also a way for your program representative to detect issues that can be addressed early on, before they become significant problems. Failure to submit Quarterly Progress Reports in a timely manner can jeopardize the draw down of funds or the prospect of refunding.

One of the most important exercises for a grantee is to envision how a successful program can be institutionalized. This process should begin as soon as the program demonstrates its effectiveness and before the program applies for refunding.

Approximately halfway through the first year of project implementation you should contact your program representative about the next year's funding opportunities.

Bookmark and periodically check the New RFPs page of this Website for VAWA and other funding opportunities.

The general federal purpose areas are training, specialized law enforcement and prosecution units, police and prosecution policies and protocols, data collection and communication systems, victim service programs, programs that address stalking, programs that address the needs of underserved populations, multi-disciplinary efforts, and training of sexual assault forensic examiners. Refer to the State Plan and RFP for further details about authorized program purpose areas.

Governmental and not-for-profit agencies across New York State are generally eligible to apply for STOP VAWA grant funds. Awards have been approved for District Attorney's Offices, Probation Departments, Law Enforcement Departments and non-profit agencies. Victim services agencies, legal advocacy providers, and agencies who provide domestic violence or sexual assault services for underserved populations are examples of not-for-profit agencies funded by VAWA. Many of these agencies provide services to underserved populations such as immigrants, Native Americans, lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgendered, the disabled, the elderly, women of color, and the geographically isolated .

It generally takes approximately 60 to 90 days to process your application.

Because the RFP is a competitive process, we can not give you advice about the content of the application. We can give you information about the application process. Our best advice is to follow the directions and give clear and specific answers to all the questions. In addition, you may find additional information under Grantsmanship Tips on this website.

Your chances vary from year to year depending upon the availability of funds and other programs funded in your area. You have a better chance of receiving an award if your grant is well-written and demonstrates you are addressing a clearly defined need for domestic violence or sexual assault services in your community. When reviewing your grant application, we evaluate whether your organization can implement the plan you propose.

The match requirement (or the recipients share of the project costs) for grants funded through VAWA is 25% of the total project cost. The match may be cash or in-kind.

You are required to file reports four times a year (January-March, April-June, July-September, and October-December.) In these quarterly reports, you indicate the progress you are making towards meeting the objectives in your contract.

Once your grant application has been approved, you can submit vouchers backed up by Fiscal Cost Reports and then you will be reimbursed for your expenses.

Although there is no one designated person, you can check their web site at http://www.usdoj.gov/ovw/ or call (202) 307-6026.