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Opening soon: COPS Hiring Program (CHP) and Community Policing Development Microgrants

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COPS

Big news!

Despite interest in the COPS Hiring Program (CHP) and Community Policing Development Microgrants Initiative, both programs have been on hold while a lawsuit made its way through Federal court. Law Enforcement Agencies like yours have been waiting for over a year for a resolution on these programs.

However, according to a notice from the COPS Office, the lawsuit has been resolved.

Here are the 3 most important things for you to know right now:

  1. Both programs are expected to open for applications in the next few weeks
  2. Programs will be open for applications for approximately 60 days
  3. The COPS Office expects to announce awards in December

We’ll keep you posted on updates and when your agency can apply for these programs.

Here’s the full announcement from the COPS Office:

The COPS Office is pleased to announce that we will soon be opening applications for both the 2018 and 2019 COPS Hiring Program (CHP) and the Community Policing Development Microgrant Initiative. On Friday, July 12, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Department of Justice in the City of Los Angeles v. William P. Barr, Attorney General, lifting the nationwide injunction on CHP and the Microgrants. The COPS Office plans to open solicitations for both the 2018 and 2019 funding in the coming days. Once the solicitations are open and we’re ready to receive applications, we’ll send an additional notice with links to all of the appropriate materials.

The solicitations will be open for approximately 60 days and we expect to announce awards in December.

Please stay tuned for additional details and do not hesitate to contact the COPS Office Response Center at 1-800-421-6770 if you have any questions.

We at First Responder Grants are keeping a close eye and will let you know when these programs open. Want to know how these programs could help your agency? Get in touch

Improve your grant game: Government offices, public safety support, and surplus auctions

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Use these 3 resources for your next grant

Find ALL Government Offices for State & Local Government

Having trouble finding web sites that relate to your state and local government? I wish I had known about this site a long time ago. The State and Local Government Internet directory provides convenient one-stop access to the websites of thousands of state agencies and city and county governments.

Go

Public Safety Foundation of America (PSFA)

The PSFA’s objective is to provide critical funding and technical support to public safety answering points (PSAPs) and local emergency response officials.

Go

Government Surplus Auctions at Government Liquidation

The government’s own auction and surplus eBay-style site, and the exclusive partner of the US Department of Defense for the sale of military surplus.

Go

Get ready for AFG: What does your department need?

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Conduct a needs assessment now

AFG is coming.

The question is, will your department be ready to hit the ground running when the Fire Service’s biggest grant opens for applications?

Get. Ready. Now.

And the way you get ready, is to know what you need. To know what you need, it’s time to conduct a needs assessment. We’re going to walk you through how.

Full story

Law Enforcement: Apply for these 3 grants by July 15, 2019

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Remember, you must apply for the grants below by July 15, 2019

Innovations in Community-Based Crime Reduction Program (CBCR)

The Innovations in Community Based Crime Reduction (CBCR) Program, (formerly known as the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation (BCJI) Program) is part of BJA’s Innovations Suite of Programs. These programs invest in the development of practitioner-researcher partnerships that use data, evidence, and innovation to create strategies and interventions that are effective and economical.

Learn more and apply

Innovations in Supervision Initiative: Building Capacity to Create Safer Communities

Application deadline extended for the BJA FY 2019 Innovations in Supervision Initiative: Building Capacity to Create Safer Communities solicitation. The purpose of this program is to provide state and local community corrections agencies with information, resources, and training and technical assistance on ways to improve supervision capacity and partnerships with other justice agencies to prevent recidivism and reduce crime in their jurisdictions.

Learn more and apply

STOP School Violence Technology and Threat Assessment Solutions for Safer Schools

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is seeking applications for funding under the Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act Program. This program furthers the Department’s mission by supporting and assisting state, local, territorial, and tribal jurisdictions in improving efforts to reduce violent crime through the creation of school threat assessment teams, the use of technology for anonymously reporting suspicious activity as it relates to violence in schools, and by supporting the creation and enhancement of State School Safety Centers. A School Safety Center, as intended by this solicitation, is a state entity that is a resource and training center for information and research about national and statewide safety efforts and initiatives in K-12 schools.

Learn more and apply

Quarterback wants to help LEAs with K-9 units

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Reminder: Apply for this K9 grant by Aug. 15

If your LEA is in Pittsburgh, PA, or in the city/surrounding area of each regular season away game for the Steelers in the 2019 regular season, then your department is eligible for a special K-9 grant.

The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation, founded by Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, welcomes grant inquiries for support until August 15, 2019. The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation will disperse grants to police and fire department K-9 units throughout the U.S. The majority of the grants distributed will help K-9 units to purchase dogs and dog safety vests, but other types of K-9 related needs are considered.

Learn more and apply

HUD Community Development Block Grant Program – CDBG

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HUD

Helping local governments tackle serious challenges facing their communities

Grant Website and Guidelines

Grant Deadline: This program accepts applications on an ongoing basis.

Support public safety community development

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is a flexible program that provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs. Beginning in 1974, the CDBG program is one of the longest continuously run programs at HUD. The CDBG program provides annual grants on a formula basis to 1209 general units of local government and States.

Over a 1, 2, or 3-year period, as selected by the grantee, not less than 70 percent of CDBG funds must be used for activities that benefit low- and moderate-income persons. In addition, each activity must meet one of the following national objectives for the program: benefit low- and moderate-income persons, prevention or elimination of slums or blight, or address community development needs having a particular urgency because existing conditions pose a serious and immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community for which other funding is not available.

Various programs aid different states, localities, or rural areas.

What this grant does for your agency

The CDBG program works to ensure decent affordable housing, to provide services to the most vulnerable in our communities, and to create jobs through the expansion and retention of businesses. CDBG is an important tool for helping local governments tackle serious challenges facing their communities. The CDBG program has made a difference in the lives of millions of people and their communities across the Nation.

The annual CDBG appropriation is allocated between States and local jurisdictions called “non-entitlement” and “entitlement” communities respectively. Entitlement communities are comprised of central cities of Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs); metropolitan cities with populations of at least 50,000; and qualified urban counties with a population of 200,000 or more (excluding the populations of entitlement cities). States distribute CDBG funds to non-entitlement localities not qualified as entitlement communities.

HUD determines the amount of each grant by using a formula comprised of several measures of community need, including the extent of poverty, population, housing overcrowding, age of housing, and population growth lag in relationship to other metropolitan areas.

About the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes; utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination, and transform the way HUD does business.

More

Apply

Apply for the HUD Community Development Block Grant Program – CDBG

OJJDP FY 2019 Grant for Strengthening Investigative Tools and Technology for Combating Child Sexual Exploitation

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Law Enforcement grants up to $1.5 million

OJJDP

Grant Website

Grant Guidelines

Funding Opportunity Number: OJJDP-2019-14989

CFDA Number(s): 16.543, 16.738

Grant Deadline: July 29, 2019

Combat child pornography, exploitation and sex trafficking

This program will increase technological investigative capacity and associated training for law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies. This solicitation will particularly focus on supporting the development, refinement, and advancement of widely used investigative tools, methods and technologies that address child pornography, exploitation and sex trafficking.

What this grant does for your agency

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is seeking applications for funding to increase the technological investigative capacity and associated training of law enforcement through the development, refinement, and advancement of widely used investigative tools, methods, and technologies.

This program furthers the Department’s mission by helping state and local law enforcement agencies develop effective responses to: sexual predators who entice children online; child sexual exploitation; and child obscenity and pornography cases.

In order to be considered for an award under this solicitation, applicants must clearly identify how the funding will directly address technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation crimes.

Successful applicants are expected to demonstrate a clear need in the field through data and information and a readiness to address the problem. As a key competitive factor, applicants must discuss their organizational capacity to implement the identified tasks, describe how they will ensure the timely delivery of requested support, and determine the cost efficiencies they will achieve in the management and staffing of the program.

Agencies awarded the OJJDP FY 2019 Strengthening Investigative Tools and Technology for Combating Child Sexual Exploitation receive grants up to $1,500,000.

Estimated Total Program Funding: $5,000,000

Only a limited number of grants will be awarded.

Grant Eligibility

For full eligibility details, see the Grant Guidelines:

Eligible applicants are limited to states (including territories), units of local government, federally recognized tribal governments as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, nonprofit organizations and for-profit organizations (including tribal nonprofit and for-profit organizations), and institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education). All recipients and subrecipients (including any for-profit organization) must forgo any profit or management fee. OJJDP will consider applications under which two or more entities would carry out the federal award; however, only one entity may be the applicant. Any others must be proposed as subrecipients (subgrantees). The applicant must be the entity that would have primary responsibility for carrying out the award, including administering the funding and managing the entire project. Under this solicitation, only one application by any particular applicant entity will be considered. An entity may, however, be proposed as a subrecipient (subgrantee) in more than one application. For additional information on subawards, see the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide. OJJDP may elect to fund applications submitted under this FY 2019 solicitation in future fiscal years, dependent on, among other considerations, the merit of the applications and the availability of appropriations.

About the OJJDP

Juveniles in crisis—from serious, violent, and chronic offenders to victims of abuse and neglect—pose a challenge to the nation. Charged by Congress to meet this challenge, OJJDP collaborates with professionals from diverse disciplines to improve juvenile justice policies and practices. OJJDP, a component of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, accomplishes its mission by supporting states, local communities, and tribal jurisdictions in their efforts to develop and implement effective programs for juveniles. The Office strives to strengthen the juvenile justice system’s efforts to protect public safety, hold offenders accountable, and provide services that address the needs of youth and their families.

More

Grant Deadline

Grant applications are due no later than 11:59 p.m. EST, July 29, 2019.

Apply

Apply for the OJJDP FY 2019 Strengthening Investigative Tools and Technology for Combating Child Sexual Exploitation

New grant-writing training

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National and Online Training for Public Safety Grant Writing

Join us in University Center, MI, Sept. 29-30, 2020

Two days of meat and potatoes grant-writing training!

We designed our training to turn you into a first-rate public safety grant writer. Presented in language you can understand and comprehend. Learn how to help your agency get the training, to get the grant, to get the gear!

Learn more and register

Ben Roethlisberger Foundation (BRF) 2019 K9 Grant

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Dogs, dog safety vests, and other K-9 needs for US police and fire K-9 units

Grant Website

Grant Guidelines and Application

Grant Deadline: Thurs., Aug. 15, 2019

K-9 units of police and fire departments in Pittsburgh, PA and in the city/surrounding area of each regular season 2019 Steelers away game are eligible

Ben Roethlisberger Foundation (BRF)

The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation, founded by Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, welcomes grant inquiries for support until August 15, 2019.

What this grant does for your agency

The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation will disperse grants to police and fire department K-9 units throughout the U.S. This is the 13th grant cycle for The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation. The majority of the grants distributed will help K-9 units to purchase dogs and dog safety vests, but other types of K-9 related needs are considered.

Agencies awarded the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation (BRF) 2019 K9 Grant receive funds to support K-9 units in the Fire Service and at Law Enforcement Agencies.

Only a limited number of grants will be awarded.

Grant Eligibility

For full eligibility details, see the Grant Guidelines:

Eligible Communities And Estimated Announcement Date

  • Boston, MA (Thursday, September 5, 2019)
  • San Francisco, CA (Thursday, September 19, 2019)
  • Los Angeles, CA (Thursday, October 10, 2019)
  • Cleveland, OH (Wednesday, November 13, 2019)
  • Cincinnati, OH (Thursday, November 21, 2019)
  • Phoenix, AZ (Thursday, December 5, 2019)
  • New York City, NY (Thursday, December 19, 2019)
  • Baltimore, MD (Thursday, December 26, 2019)
  • Pittsburgh, PA (After Super Bowl 2020)

K-9 units of police and fire departments in Pittsburgh, PA and in the city/surrounding area of each regular season away game for the Steelers in the 2019 regular season are eligible.

The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation can only distribute grants to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations.

Although police and fire departments are tax-exempt organizations, they do not typically hold 501(c)(3) designation and thus, must show support from a 501(c)(3) organization that is willing to accept funding on the department’s behalf.

Each application must come from a police or fire department with support from a charity or police foundation.

Charities outside the police and fire department are not eligible to apply on their own.

About the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation

The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation (BRF) at The Giving Back Fund (GBF) seeks to support police and fire departments throughout the U.S. with a particular emphasis on support for service dogs and to enhance the quality of life for residents of Pittsburgh, PA. Plans for the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation also include grantmaking to nonprofit organizations assisting children in need in cities where Ben has lived and played football. The Giving Back Fund is a national public charity that creates and professionally manages charitable foundations and other philanthropic programs for athletes, entertainers, business entrepreneurs, and corporations. More

Grant Deadline

All Applications much be postmarked by Thursday, August 15, 2019. Applications that are emailed or faxed will not be accepted.

Late or incomplete applications will NOT be accepted. Applications will be evaluated on the following: thoroughness of presentation and inclusion of all requested materials; project readiness; demonstrated need; proof of sustainability through both external and internal support; and level of proposed impact.

Apply

Apply for the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation (BRF) 2019 K9 Grant (PDF)

Applied for AFG and got this email from SAM.gov? Do this right now

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SAM.gov

If your department is like thousands of others around the country, you are wondering when you are going to hear about your AFG application. We’ve been hearing about fire departments receiving some eye-widening emails, and here’s what our own Senior Grant Consultant has to say about the instructions in the email:

“The following emails are starting to arrive in people’s mailboxes,” says Kurt. “I do not believe it is an indication of an award to anyone. However, the only people receiving them are those with 2018 AFG applications in the system right now. If you have any application submitted and under consideration at this time, you need to do this right now!”

If you’ve received an email like the one below, follow these instructions:

System for Award Management (SAM) Reminders

This is a reminder that per the FY 2018 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Programs (AFGP) all grant applicants must have been registered in System for Award Management (SAM) prior to submitting their online application.

All Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG), Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER), and Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grant applicants must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times while they have an application pending or have an active federal award.

FEMA may not make an award to an applicant if they do not have an active SAM.gov registration with current information.


Therefore, we recommended that all applicants check their SAM.gov account to make sure it is ACTIVE. Please ensure the following items are current in SAM and the DUNS number used in SAM is the same one you use for all FEMA applications:

  • Organization’s name
  • Address
  • Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
  • Employer Identification Number (EIN)
  • Banking information (type of account (checking or saving), routing number, and account number
  • Many websites may look official in appearance but are not. As a reminder, registration in the SAM.gov is FREE
  • SAM.gov registrations are only active for one year and registration must be renewed and revalidated at least every 12 months from the date previously registered to avoid being INACTIVE.
  • This information should be consistent in all registration documents

Should you need assistance with your SAM.gov account, there are several ways to get help:

If you have questions or concerns about your SAM.gov registration, please contact the Federal Support desk at https://www.fsd.gov

First Responder Grants can help too.

The information above is what we’ve been hearing about coming from SAM and FEMA. Are you trying to figure out what this means for your grant and your application?

We can help with that. Contact us today