$8M Available to Address Abuse in Later Life

The Office on Violence Against Women has opened $8 million in federal funding to strengthen community responses to abuse involving adults age 50 and older.

The Training and Services to End Abuse in Later Life Program supports victim services, professional training, coordinated community responses, and cross-sector partnerships addressing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, neglect, abandonment, economic abuse, and willful harm.

OVW expects to make approximately 12 awards ranging from $450,000 to $750,000.

Grant Breakdown

OVW FY2026 Training and Services to End Abuse in Later Life Program

This program supports comprehensive community strategies that improve safety, services, and justice for older victims.

Applicants must combine direct services with training and a coordinated response involving criminal-justice agencies, victim-service organizations, and professionals experienced in serving adults age 50 and older.

Funding Agency: Office on Violence Against Women

Total Funding Available: $8 million

Anticipated Number of Awards: 12

Anticipated Award Amount: $450,000 to $750,000

Award Period: 36 months beginning October 1, 2026

Award Type: Grant

Match Requirement: No cost sharing or match required

Funding Opportunity Number: O-OVW-2026-172663

Assistance Listing: 16.528

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants include:

• State governments

• Federally recognized Tribal governments

• Tribal organizations

• Units of local government

• 501(c)(3) victim-service providers

• Tribal nonprofit organizations

• Population-specific organizations

• State, Tribal, or territorial domestic-violence or sexual-assault coalitions

• Faith-based organizations meeting the program requirements

Nonprofit applicants must have and maintain recognized 501(c)(3) status throughout the award period.

Current recipients with grants ending by September 30, 2026, may apply. However, OVW states that they are unlikely to receive a new award if their existing funding is sufficient to continue their project through September 30, 2027.

Organizations may submit more than one application only when each application proposes a different project in a different service area.

Required Multidisciplinary Partnership

Every applicant must be part of a multidisciplinary partnership that includes:

• At least one law enforcement agency

• At least one prosecutor’s office

• At least one victim-service provider

• At least one nonprofit program or government agency with demonstrated experience assisting adults age 50 and older

These relationships must be documented through a memorandum of understanding signed by the authorized representative of each required partner.

Applications missing any of the required partners or signatures will not be considered for funding.

Tribal governments may submit letters of commitment instead of an MOU.

Required Program Purposes

Unless OVW approves a waiver, grant funds must support all four authorized purposes.

1. Professional Training

Projects must train professionals to recognize and respond to abuse in later life.

Training audiences may include:

• Law enforcement officers

• Prosecutors

• Court personnel

• Government agencies

• Population-specific organizations

• Victim-service providers

• Victim advocates

2. Services for Older Victims

Applicants must provide or enhance services for victims age 50 and older.

Services should be survivor-centered, accessible, confidential, and responsive to the realities older victims may face, including financial dependence, disability, isolation, health concerns, caregiving relationships, and limited access to transportation or housing.

3. Coordinated Community Response

Funding must establish or strengthen a multidisciplinary community response to abuse in later life.

Partners should have defined roles, shared procedures, and a clear plan for coordinating referrals, investigations, victim services, prosecution, and long-term support.

4. Cross-Training

Projects must conduct cross-training among professionals who encounter or serve older victims.

Participants may include:

• Attorneys

• Healthcare providers

• Faith leaders

• First responders

• Courts

• Law enforcement

• Prosecutors

• Government agencies

• Victim advocates and service providers

Applicants may request a waiver of one or more purposes when the activity would duplicate an existing community service. OVW will decide whether to approve that request during the review process.

Funding Priorities

OVW may give priority consideration to:

• Projects addressing human trafficking and related crimes while supporting victims who have also experienced domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking

• Projects focused on direct victim services

• Projects strengthening criminal-justice responses

• Programs serving small towns

• Rural and remote communities

• Tribal communities

Addressing a priority may strengthen an application, but it does not guarantee funding.

Application Requirements to Watch

Required application components include:

• SF-424 submitted through Grants.gov

• Standard applicant information

• Proposal narrative

• Detailed budget

• Signed memorandum of understanding

• Proof of 501(c)(3) status, when applicable

• Confidentiality documentation

• Pre-award risk assessment

• Additional certifications and financial attachments

The proposal narrative may not exceed 10 single-spaced pages and must use headings or a table structure corresponding to the required narrative sections.

Application Deadlines

Recommended SAM.gov registration or renewal: Begin at least 30 days before the deadline

Grants.gov deadline: September 14, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET

JustGrants deadline: September 16, 2026, at 4:59 p.m. ET

Anticipated award notification: By September 30, 2026

Review the complete FY2026 Abuse in Later Life Program NOFO.

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This program requires a functioning partnership, not a collection of names added to an MOU during the final week.

The law enforcement agency, prosecutor, victim-service provider, and older-adult organization must understand the project, agree on their responsibilities, and be prepared to implement a shared response.

A competitive applicant will also need experience serving victims, trusted relationships with older adults, strong confidentiality procedures, trained staff, measurable outcomes, and the financial systems required to manage a three-year federal award.

If the partnership does not already exist, the organization should assess honestly whether it has enough time to build one before the deadline.

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