Deadline: 5 March 2025
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is accepting applications to support the implementation and delivery of mentoring services to youth populations that are at risk or high risk for youth delinquency, victimization, and juvenile justice system involvement.
Mentoring services can be one-on-one, group, peer, or a combination of these types. Applicants must initiate mentoring services to youth who are 17 years old or younger at the time of admission to the program. Mentors must be an adult (age 18 or older), or in cases where peer mentoring models are being implemented, an older peer and under adult supervision. Funding is encouraged to support new mentoring matches but can also support existing mentoring matches through program completion.
OJJDP envisions a juvenile justice system centered on the strengths, needs, and voices of youth and families. Young people and family members with lived experience are vital resources for understanding and reaching persons involved or at risk of involvement with youth-serving systems. OJJDP asks stakeholders to join them in sustainably integrating bold, transformative youth and family partnership strategies into their daily work.
Goal
- Improve outcomes (such as improved academic performance and reduced school dropout rates) for at-risk and high-risk youth, and reduce negative outcomes (including youth delinquency, substance use, and gang participation) through mentoring.
Objectives
- Increase the number of at-risk or high-risk youth receiving mentoring services.
- Increase or maintain the number of screened and well-trained mentors, with an emphasis on ensuring the mentors selected reflect the youth they serve.
- Develop and implement program design enhancements that align with research and evidence on effective mentoring approaches.
Funding Information
- Total Amount to Be Awarded Under This Funding Opportunity: $45,000,000
- Anticipated Award Ceiling: up to $30,000,000
- Anticipated Number of Awards: up to 4 awards
- Anticipated Period of Performance Duration: 12–36 months.
Eligibility Criteria
- National organizations, defined as organizations that have active affiliates or subawardees in at least 45 states.
- For the purposes of this NOFO, 2 or more independent organizations that form a collaborative to meet the 45-state requirement do not satisfy OJJDP’s definition of a national organization. The organization’s national headquarters must submit the application.
- OJJDP encourages applicants to minimize their administrative costs in an effort to subaward at least 90 percent of this award to active affiliates or subrecipients, located in at least 38 states, while at the same time allowing for effective subrecipient oversight. If the requested award amount is reduced upon award, OJJDP will work with the grantee to determine the appropriate number of states required to subaward funds that match the total award amount.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
