The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) 2025 Grant Opportunities

Office on Violence Against Women: Prepare for Success  

Four months after President Trump signed OMB Memo (M-25-13) directing all federal agencies to temporarily pause federal financial assistance, including grants and loans, select congressionally approved grant funding opportunities are beginning to open.  

Recently, the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has released various long-anticipated annual funding opportunities.  The Grants to Reduce Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking on Campus Program, and Grants to Prevent and Respond to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking, and Sex Trafficking Against Children and Youth Program, are just two of the 16 congressionally allocated discretionary programs of OVW.   

Now that funding is beginning to be released, what can the new RFPs to these annual programs teach us about grant seeking in the Trump era? 

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Check the Terms and Conditions

Even if an organization has received federal funds for decades, it is imperative to read and consider changes to terms and conditions recently implemented to comply with the President’s executive orders. Some of these changes may impact your ability to deliver services as planned, meet the needs of clients, or simply carry out your mission. For example, the following are now listed as Out-of-Scope activities:  

•  Promoting or facilitating the violation of federal immigration law.  

• Inculcating or promoting gender ideology as defined in Executive Order 14168, Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.  

• Promoting or facilitating discriminatory programs or ideology, including illegal DEI and “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” programs that do not advance the policy of equal dignity and respect, as described in Executive Order 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity. This prohibition is not intended to interfere with any of OVW’s statutory obligations, such as funding for HBCUs, culturally specific services, and disability programs.  

• Activities that frame domestic violence or sexual assault as systemic social justice issues rather than criminal offenses (e.g., prioritizing criminal justice reform or social justice theories over victim safety and offender accountability).  

These changes are significant, and demonstrate that organizations should take a holistic approach to assessing funding opportunities. In addition to reviewing funded activities, assess thoroughly if the terms and conditions align with your organization’s mission and values.  

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Mission Alignment – Shifting Priorities  

New in 2025 are priorities which emphasize human trafficking, crimes linked to illegal immigration and cartel operations, and rural and remote areas. These reflect a broader federal pivot from social reform toward traditional criminal enforcement and border security. 

In addition to shaping fundable activities, priorities can indicate the language, audience, and tone to emphasize in your application. This may be especially difficult when delivering services to marginalized populations and communities. There are resources available that can guide you on specific language to use or avoid in order to comply with the executive orders.  Resources such as the Grants Professional Association, or other peer-led organizations have provided specific guidance about shifting language trends and topics. However, even with language shifts, organizations may now feel tension between their mission and the priorities of even longstanding programs.   

Consider a consultant to support your go-no-go decisions

Cross Your Ts 

Beyond program structure, OVW has also made changes to application preparation and review. In fiscal year 2025, applicants can expect stricter enforcement of requirements, especially around:  

• Formatting (e.g., fonts, file names, attachments), 

• Documentation (e.g., signed MOUs, eligibility letters), and 

• Terms compliance (e.g., victim confidentiality, statutory certifications). 

Fortunately, templates are now available for narrative sections. Use them. Whenever possible, use tools provided directly from the funder to eliminate technical errors. And don’t forget the attachments! Incomplete applications will not be review.  

Consider a grant consultant to provide a preliminary review

Build Partnerships Early  

In the cases we studied, the Office on Violence Against Women has maintained or reinforced partnership requirements. With stricter documentation reviews, identify your partnerships and gather documentation early. If an MOU or other partnership document or content is missing, you can expect it to disqualify your application.  

Consider a grant consultant to project manage the many moving pieces of your application 

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Conclusion

Changes to OVW discretionary funding opportunities reflect a profound shift away from partnership- and evidence-based grant-making, towards a more directive and ideological approach under the Trump administration. There is little doubt that many effective organizations delivering proven services will choose not to apply as a result. However, with a thoughtful approach to adaptability, and a close read of the fine print, there are opportunities for organizations to continue providing critical services to community members most in need.

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