Frequently Asked Questions

OVC anti-trafficking funding is intended to identify and support victims of human trafficking. Consequently, OVC ECM award funds may not be used as part of efforts that focus solely on arresting and prosecuting buyers of commercial sex as these may be cases in which there are no victims of human trafficking or traffickers identified.

For the ECM Task Force co-leads (lead victim service provider and lead law enforcement agency) and broader task force membership to conduct an operation, there needs to be a reasonable connection to either a potential or confirmed trafficking victim, i.e., some knowledge, intelligence, or information, obtained in advance of the operation indicating that potential sex or labor trafficking is occurring.

The Director is appointed by the President to lead the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and oversee billions in grant funding to provide vital compensation and assistance to persons impacted by crime. OVC also invests in new and innovative approaches to improving the criminal justice and community response to crime victimization and raises awareness of crime victim rights.

You may consult the Department of Justice (DOJ) Grants Financial Guide, which serves as the primary reference manual to assist the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) in fulfilling their fiduciary responsibility to safeguard grant funds and ensure funds are used for the purposes for which they were awarded. It compiles a variety of laws, rules and regulations that affect the financial and administrative management of your award. The funding opportunity under which the award was made may also provide guidance about allowable and unallowable costs.

Grantees are responsible for ensuring that no federal or match funds are expended for unallowable costs. The Financial Guide should be the starting point for all award recipients of DOJ grants and cooperative agreements in ensuring the effective day-to-day management of awards. Additionally, grantees may refer to the 2 C.F.R. § 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.

If you have questions about information presented in the Financial Guide, please contact the Office of the Chief Financial Officer via phone at 800-458-0786 or via email: [email protected].

Direct cash assistance is not allowable under any OVC-funded anti-trafficking program. Gift cards may be used, but only when reasonably necessary for urgent and short-term victim needs. OVC-funded organizations using gift cards must have a written gift card policy and internal controls over the purchase, storage, custody, use of, and accounting for, gift cards. 

For additional information, please consult the Gift Card Best Practices for OVC-funded Victim Service Providers. 

Neither cash nor non-cash stipends or incentives may be paid to victims to encourage their participation in services. While it is unallowable to offer incentives for participation in services, funds may be used to lower barriers preventing participation in programs and services. For example, transportation or childcare allotments may be used to facilitate participation. 

Incentives may sometimes be used to encourage participation in research or program assessment. However, there are separate restrictions on these activities, and they must have prior approval from OVC.

No. By statute, OVC human trafficking grants funded under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 require a 25 percent match. Because it is a law, OVC has no authority to issue a waiver. Please note that OVC human trafficking grants expressly funded under training and technical assistance funding opportunities are not subject to match. Refer to your notice of funding opportunity and award documents for more information on match.

Grantees subject to audit or in-depth financial review who do not maintain complete records documenting match may be required to reimburse the government for the match value. Please note that matching contributions are restricted to the same use of funds as allowed for the Federal funds. Please consult award documents to confirm award requirements and authorizing statutes.

No. The award start and end dates will remain the same. Please reference your award documents to confirm the start date. Project period extensions may be available; however, this is generally not considered until the last year of your award.

Grantees, in consultation with their OVC grant manager, may request a project period extension during the final year of their project period. Grantees must submit the request as a Grant Award Modification (GAM) in JustGrants at least 30 calendar days prior to the end of the award. GAMs are administratively necessary because they serve to notify OJP of the request and ensure all award documentation and financial systems are updated.

Note that the award period will not be extended merely for the purpose of using unobligated funds.

Generally, the following shall apply to all grants and cooperative agreements: 

• No more than one project period extension may be made to the award. 
• A project period extension may not exceed 12 months.
• An extension may be made only if the period of performance has not expired.
• Award recipients requesting an extension should have no significant performance or compliance issues.
• A robust narrative justification must be included establishing that the extension is for the benefit of the Federal Government, and containing a plan and timeline for completion within the project period extension.
• A project period extension may not be made merely for the benefit of the recipient or for the purpose of enabling the recipient to use unobligated balances.

All extension requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Please consult the DOJ Grants Financial Guide for additional guidance on no-cost extension requests.

OVC grantees are required to file a Federal Financial Report (FFR) on a quarterly basis in JustGrants. The FFR is used to track actual expenditures and unliquidated obligations and is due no later than 30 days after the calendar quarter ends. The final FFR is due 120 days after the award end date. Grantees are encouraged to submit the FFR as soon as the quarter ends to avoid delays in processing and access to grant funds. Any questions about FFR submissions should be directed to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer via phone at 800-458-0786 or via email: [email protected]. The schedule for submitting FFRs is: