Grants for Sexual Assault Centers 2026: SASP, STOP, VOCA

Most centers depend on all three formula streams at once. Each has its own state administrator, its own rules and its own reporting calendar, so knowing who holds which pot is half the work.

Sexual assault services source review, Grantsights, October 29, 2026: Grantsights checked OVW's funding opportunities page (opens in a new tab), OVW's STOP and SASP administrators contact list (opens in a new tab), the Office for Victims of Crime's Crime Victims Fund page (opens in a new tab), USAspending.gov totals and 990-PF filings that name victim service agencies. Where official sources stop: federal pages describe awards to states. They don't say how your state splits the money or when its next subgrant round opens.

Three Federal Streams, All Passed Through Your State

The 3 formula programs below account for most federal money that reaches a community sexual assault center. All three are awarded to states and territories, which then make subgrants.

Figures are USAspending.gov (opens in a new tab) obligations.

SASP is the only one of the three built just for sexual assault services. STOP and VOCA are larger, but your center competes with law enforcement, prosecutors, domestic violence programs, child advocacy centers and other victim services for them.

SASP: $52.06 Million for Direct Services to Survivors

According to DOJ's Office on Violence Against Women, SASP is awarded to states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories to help them support rape crisis centers and other nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations or tribal programs that provide services, direct intervention and related assistance to victims of sexual assault and their families. OVW calls it the first federal funding stream dedicated solely to direct intervention and related help for sexual assault victims.

SASP is small for a national program, so state subgrants are often modest. That's why centers treat it as a dependable base, not a growth engine.

Separate SASP programs for culturally specific and tribal organizations

OVW also runs the Sexual Assault Services Community-Based Services Program for private nonprofits that focus primarily on culturally specific communities and have experience in sexual assault services. The Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program funds tribes, tribal consortia and tribal nonprofits; OVW reports 17 awards totaling $8,424,658 in 2025. If your organization fits either, you can apply to OVW directly instead of waiting for a state round.

STOP: 30% of Each State's Award Goes to Victim Services

According to DOJ's Office on Violence Against Women, OVW made 56 STOP awards in 2025, totaling $175.85 million. OVW requires each state, territory and DC to split its award this way:

A rape crisis center usually competes for the victim services share and, in some states, the discretionary share. STOP also pays for joint work with police and prosecutors, so a sexual assault response team project with a local department can fit. The FY2026 STOP solicitation for states closed July 14, 2026; ask your administrator when the resulting subgrant round opens.

Read the notice on OVW's page

OVW's funding opportunities page carries a notice about a court-ordered stay on a certification requirement tied to some activities. Read that notice before drafting any OVW or state pass-through application, and ask your state administrator how it applies to your subgrant.

VOCA: The Largest Stream, and the Least Predictable

According to the Office for Victims of Crime's Crime Victims Fund page (opens in a new tab), the fund is financed by fines and penalties from federal criminal cases, not by tax dollars. Congress caps how much can be spent each year, and that cap drives state victim assistance allocations:

OVC reports that VOCA subgrantees served 6.8 million victims in FY2025 and that the fund balance was over $3.9 billion as of August 2026. It also notes that some deposits from FY2025 and earlier may be subject to further review or legal dispute, which could affect what's available.

The practical lesson: VOCA swings. A center that built staff around a high VOCA year can face cuts when the cap falls. Plan VOCA-funded positions with a fallback, and use foundation money to protect the core.

Which Foundations Fund Sexual Assault Services: What 990-PF Filings Show

Grantsights counted 206,056 human services grants across 51 state groups in 990-PF records pulled October 29, 2026. According to IRS rules, private foundations list every grant on IRS Form 990-PF (opens in a new tab), with the recipient's name and a purpose line.

To be clear about the sample: none of the named grants Grantsights pulled for this cause went to an organization called a rape crisis center. The closest match is domestic violence and family crisis agencies, many of which run sexual assault services, and their funders are a natural first list for a sexual assault center:

These are large grants. One center in Kansas, the Wichita Family Crisis Center, received $150,000 from a single family foundation. Gifts of that size rarely come from a cold application; they follow years of reporting and site visits.

State counts for the human services cause:

Get the funder list for your state

Sexual assault centers can look up the Grantsights human services funder list for their state for free; foundations that accept requests sit at the top, along with whom they've funded recently. Look for gifts to domestic violence shelters, child advocacy centers and crisis lines in your area. Paying $29 once unlocks every state's full list, the $99 plan covers all cause lists for a year, and a full refund is available on either within 30 days.

What OVW Doesn't Tell You About Funding a Sexual Assault Center

These 5 points come from reading the OVW and OVC material side by side.

1. Your coalition knows the state calendar. Federal pages list awards to states; your state sexual assault coalition and administrators know when subgrant rounds open.
2. Formula money is restricted. SASP pays for direct services; STOP and VOCA each have their own allowable and out-of-scope costs. Prevention education, fundraising staff and building repairs often need private money.
3. Match and reporting take real staff time. Build grant administration into your budget, or VOCA and STOP growth can strain a small team.
4. Confidentiality comes first. Funders want outcomes, but survivor privacy can't be traded for a better report. Explain how you count services without identifying anyone.
5. Underestimating VOCA swings is the costliest error. Keep reserves or flexible foundation funds for the year the cap drops.

The honest view: federal formula money is the backbone of most rape crisis centers, and it isn't enough on its own. Unrestricted foundation and community support is what keeps hotlines staffed when a state round comes in short.

Common Mistakes in Sexual Assault Center Grant Requests

Check every draft against these 5 points.

• One request for every funder. A common mistake is sending a federal-style narrative to a family foundation. Shorten it and lead with what their gift pays for.
• Counting only crisis calls. Show accompaniment, advocacy hours, counseling sessions and prevention reach. A request with one number is a red flag.
• Missing the culturally specific angle. STOP reserves part of victim services for culturally specific organizations; partnerships can open that share.
• Underestimating indirect costs. Ask your state administrator what rate it allows on subgrants, and use it.
• Registration gaps. Direct federal applications need a Unique Entity ID. See the SAM.gov registration guide.

A 12-Month Sexual Assault Center Funding Calendar

Grantsights' DOJ crime victim assistance grants guide, how to read a 990-PF and how to write a grant letter of inquiry cover the details. The Grantsights grant database lists open DOJ notices.

Related Guides for Victim Service Agencies

These 3 guides cover overlapping funders. Sexual assault centers share funders with grants for domestic violence shelters and grants for domestic violence programs. Centers that serve children often partner with programs described in grants for child advocacy centers.

FAQ: Common Questions

Can a rape crisis center apply to OVW for SASP money directly? Not for the formula program; it goes through the state SASP administrator.

How much SASP money is there? OVW reports 56 awards totaling $52.06 million in 2025.

How does STOP money reach a sexual assault center? Through the state's 30% victim services share and its 15% discretionary share.

Is VOCA money still available? Yes, through state administrators; the FY2026 cap is $1.95 billion.

Do private foundations fund sexual assault centers? Yes; the closest examples above run from $100,000 to $425,000.

Sources

• DOJ Office on Violence Against Women: Funding Opportunities (opens in a new tab)
• DOJ Office on Violence Against Women: STOP and SASP Administrators Contact List (opens in a new tab)
• Office for Victims of Crime: Crime Victims Fund (opens in a new tab)
• USAspending.gov award search (opens in a new tab)
• IRS: About Form 990-PF (opens in a new tab)