The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is offering the 2025 Combating Hate Crimes Grant Program (HCGP) to support local governments in partnership with eligible nonprofit organizations in mitigating bias-motivated violence. This competitive funding opportunity aims to assist institutions and organizations that have been targets or are at risk of being targets of hate crimes. The program seeks to reduce incidents of bias-motivated violence based on race, religious conviction, color, gender, disability, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, or national origin.

Eligible applicants for this grant include local governments within the Commonwealth of Virginia that have established partnerships with nonprofit 501(c)(3) institutions or organizations within their jurisdiction. Only one application per locality is allowed, but applications may include multiple partnerships with different nonprofit organizations. Current grantees may apply if they are expanding their services to additional at-risk partners. The grant program funds projects that address specific hate crime-related threats and vulnerabilities, identified through local threat assessments conducted by crime prevention officers.

The total funding available for the 2025 Combating Hate Crimes Grant Program is approximately $2.7 million, with a maximum request of $150,000 per locality. The grant period runs from June 1, 2025, to May 31, 2026. There is no matching fund requirement for this program. Funds can be used for various purposes, including security equipment and monitoring, contractual security services, security-related training, and part-time personnel to perform security assessments. However, funds cannot be used for weapons, ammunition, construction, land acquisition, political lobbying, honoraria, food/alcohol, or vehicles.

The application must be submitted through the DCJS Online Grants Management System (OGMS) no later than 5:00 p.m. on March 18, 2025. Late submissions will not be considered, and applicants are encouraged to register for OGMS well in advance, as the registration process may take several days. Required application components include a project description, justification of need, goals and objectives, budget details, personnel requests, and a sustainability plan. Applicants must also provide detailed descriptions of proposed activities, including security needs and targeted prevention efforts.

All applications will be reviewed by DCJS staff using a compliance review form in OGMS. The funding recommendations will be forwarded to the Grants Committee of the Criminal Justice Services Board (CJSB), which will make final award decisions. Grant recipients are required to submit quarterly financial and status reports online to DCJS and may be asked to provide additional data for reporting purposes. Failure to comply with reporting requirements may result in delayed fund disbursement or grant termination.

For additional information regarding the grant application, applicants can contact Beth Polak (elizabeth.polak@dcjs.virginia.gov, 804-659-6487) or Tracy Matthews (tracy.matthews@dcjs.virginia.gov, 804-371-0635). Technical assistance for the OGMS system can be requested at ogmssupport@dcjs.virginia.gov.