The Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP) within the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CPDHE) has established a grant program for organizations to conduct community-based gun violence initiatives focused on interrupting cycles of gun violence, trauma, and retaliation. This year, OGVP will provide funding focused on firearm suicide prevention and community violence intervention initiatives. The overall goal of this funding is to address disparities in those communities at the highest risk.
OGVP will fund projects that fall within two categories, also known as Paths:
Path 1
Projects focused on the prevention of unintentional and intentional firearm-related harm. Path 1 strategies will reduce unauthorized firearm access and educate about temporary out-of-home gun storage for individuals at risk of harming themselves or others, preventing unintentional and intentional firearm-related harm or death through a or b, below.
a. Safe Storage and Lethal Means: Applicants will focus on projects promoting, educating, and providing access to firearm safe storage and/or lethal means counseling and options to reduce access to the methods people use to kill themselves.
b. Extreme Risk Protection Orders: Applicants will focus on projects educating the public on Extreme Risk Protection Orders, a legal form of temporary out-of-home gun storage that restricts access to guns for individuals who have demonstrated they are at risk of harming themselves or others.
Path 2
Projects focused on Community Violence Intervention or Interruption. Path 2 strategies will address firearm violence with those most likely to be involved in or impacted by firearm-related harm in communities at the highest risk. Path 2 strategies will align with c or d below:
c. Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program (HVIPs) and Community-Based Intervention Program (CVIPs) strategies that emphasize the “teachable moment” immediately after youth have been involved or affected by violence and the building of relationships with those most at risk through a “credible messenger” model.
d. Violence Interruption Program strategies that provide an immediate response to shootings to prevent retaliation and the promotion of non-violence through community engagement events.
Who can apply?
Applications are open to Colorado-based community and grassroots nonprofit organizations, nonprofit educational institutions, nonprofit health care organizations or systems, and nonprofit organizations providing services on a reservation or Tribal land with a letter of support from the applicable Tribe.
Fiscal agents are eligible to apply on behalf of organizations without an IRS 501(c)(3).
The OGVP program particularly encourages applications from organizations that advocate or serve the priority communities most impacted by firearm homicides and suicides (Black, Latino, Indigenous, People of Color; LGBTQIA+ communities; youth and young adults; veterans; middle-aged men; and isolated rural communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many grants are available?
Up to 10 grant awards may be available, ranging between $50-100k per awardee. Each organization is eligible to apply for/receive one grant sum.
What can the funds be used for?
Projects include those that prioritize populations most impacted by firearm-related suicides and violence, by focusing on preventing firearm-related harm and/or Community Violence intervention or interruption strategies.
Strategies may include:
- Increasing awareness regarding Extreme Risk Protection Orders.
- Promoting best practices for safe storage of firearms, including safe storage requirements described in section 18-12-114.
- Offering lethal means counseling or tools for individuals contemplating suicide by firearm.
- Proactively building relationships and services with those most at risk of being involved in or impacted by firearm violence through a community or hospital-based violence intervention model.
- Building upon a “teachable moment" immediately after a youth has been involved in or affected by violence, to prevent further trauma and retaliation.
Some example projects may include:
- Conducting classes to firearm owners about secure storage options such as cable locks and biometric gun safes.
- Promoting lethal means safety (LMS) curricula, training, or tools.
- Educating the public on expanded Extreme Risk Protection Order petitioner groups and providing materials to potential ERPO petitioners on the process and steps to file an ERPO.
- Providing training for intervention specialists within a Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program (HVIP) setting to connect survivors of violence with trauma-informed counseling and wraparound services.
- Offering wraparound conflict resolution and/or evidenced-based, culturally responsive therapy or grief and trauma services by qualified providers for survivors of firearm violence within their community.
- Employing and training credible messengers that offer life coaching or mentoring to build trust and foster positive change with those involved with firearm violence or harm.
How will the awardees be selected (especially if demand exceeds supply)?
- A Grant Review Committee will assess and score the applications through the RFA grant process and will prioritize projects that include distinct project objectives and deliverables to be completed before June 30, 2025.
When will awardees be notified?
- Awardees will be notified as soon as the Grant Review Committee, in collaboration with CDPHE, reviews, scores, and makes grant award decisions.
What if I (or my organization) previously received mini-grant funding from the Office of Gun Violence Prevention? Is my organization eligible to apply for this new funding opportunity?
- Yes, your organization is eligible to apply for this round of grant funding as long as it is a Colorado-based community and grassroots nonprofit organization, nonprofit educational institution, nonprofit health care organization or system, or nonprofit organization providing services on a reservation or Tribal land with a letter of support from the applicable Tribe.
What if I have questions?
- First, please view the Pre-application Webinar recording to learn the answers to common questions. Please submit any additional questions to cdphe_ogvp_grants@state.co.us by 5 p.m. on May 3, 2024. Responses will be posted on this webpage by 5 p.m. on May 10, 2024.
Additional Frequently Asked Questions
Members of the public could submit questions by 5 p.m. on May 3, 2024. This webpage now contains responses to those questions.
Is this funding opportunity open to law enforcement agencies or for-profit businesses?
This year’s funding opportunity is open to non-profit entities with a 501(c)(3) status only. An organization without 501(c) (3) status may have a fiscal agent, (with a 501(c) (3) status) apply on their behalf. Nonprofit entities may be community, health care, or education-based, or a nonprofit organization providing services on a reservation or Tribal land, as long as the organization has a letter of support from the applicable Tribe.
Local public health agencies (LPHA’s) or local government are not called out specifically - would LPHA or local government qualify as the non-profit agency serving a priority population?
This RFA/funding is open to organizations operating as a nonprofit only, so while nonprofits and health care and educational institutions that have a 501(c)3 can apply, local governments/LPHA are not eligible.
Why is this year’s funding opportunity only open to nonprofit organizations?
Terms and conditions of the federal funding source supporting a portion of this program have changed which organizations are eligible to apply for this year’s funding.
Is staffing an allowable expense under this OGVP grant?
Yes, staffing is an allowable expense under this grant and would be categorized as Personnel. For staffing, please include fringe (benefit) costs if those will also be covered. The Project Implementation Plan and Budget is where you may include the specific activities this individual is responsible for doing to support the project.
Can project contingency funds be included in the budget request? If so, is there a suggested percentage?
No, a contingency fund category is not allowed. All dollars asked for need to be detailed in the budget requested. If budget changes occur during the grant year, grantees must coordinate directly with OGVP to receive approval for adjustments.
Slide 9 of the RFA presentation says "Applicants may implement more than one strategy within a selected path." but the Slide 6 transcript says either safe storage or ERPO and question 15 of the RedCAP application says, "Which specific funding path is your organization applying for?" and only allows for one selection.
If possible, we'd like to utilize both strategies in Path 1. Can we do this?
Within the application, you are prompted to select one Path only. However, we are accepting applications that focus on multiple strategies within one Path. Please select the strategy for which your organization will spend the majority of its efforts (i.e., staff and budget).
For example, let’s say your project falls under Path 1. If you plan to allocate 75% of your staff and budget to safe storage projects (Path 1, Strategy A) and 25% of your staff and budget to ERPO projects (Path 1, Strategy B), then you would select safe storage within the application.
If you will evenly split efforts between two different strategies within one path, you may choose either relevant strategy in the application.
For example, let’s say your project falls under Path 1. If you plan to allocate 50% of your staff and budget to safe storage projects (Path 1, Strategy A) and the other 50% of your staff and budget to ERPO projects (Path 1, Strategy B), then you could select either safe storage or ERPO within the application. But you must clarify within your staff and budget plan that you plan to address both strategies evenly.
Will changes in scope/objectives/resources be permissible in the second year of the grant?
All contracts must be renewed for the second year of the grant pending the overall performance of the grantee. At that time, grantees will have the option to request changes in scope and objectives to OGVP/CDPHE, which would require a contract re-negotiation.
Are there limitations on the percentage of the fund that can be used for W-2 and contracted staff wages? Are hours dedicated towards staff management and oversight considered personal services, indirect costs, or administrative costs?
Applicants are limited to using no more than 10 percent of the total award amount for direct administrative costs. Administrative costs are those expenses incurred by grant recipients or subrecipients in support of the day-to-day operations of their organization. Therefore, any costs associated with administering the award, (e.g., Project Director conducting this role or other W-2 staff wages) must remain under 10%. Indirect costs are not considered part of the 10% limit on administrative costs, so you may request indirect funds for administrative costs, including administrative personnel costs.
Staff management and oversight, if considered a responsibility assigned to personnel, would fall under personnel costs. If "oversight" includes administration of the project or funds, that may be allocated to Indirect costs. Please note Indirect costs may only be reimbursed at the federally negotiated indirect rate (should you have a federally negotiated rate) or the "de minimis" indirect costs rate of 10% of modified total direct costs (includes all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $25,000 of each subaward).
Related to contracted staff, you may refer back to Appendix 6, under Contracting: "Contracts require OGVP Authorization. OGVP must request prior authorization from the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice before issuing a procurement contract; thus, if applicable, an OGVP grantee must request prior authorization from OGVP before beginning any procurement process."
I have a question about what may be reimbursable. The application states that participant stipends are not permitted. I wanted to confirm if that applies to research stipends as well.
No stipends (even for research) or monetary incentives of any kind, are allowed under this grant funding.
Application Deadline
Applications are due by 5 p.m., Friday, May 17, 2024.
*Please note that no applications will be accepted after this deadline.
Instructions
- Please review all RFA documents, guidance, and hyperlinks within the RFA before completing the application narrative. You may reference the narrative form (Appendix A: Application Narrative) or the PDF version of the application to help prepare responses for the questions that will be asked.
Required Documents
All documents must be submitted electronically through the REDCap Application.
- Appendix A: Application Narrative (REDCap) Use the link to apply.
- Attachment A: Cover Sheet and Signature Page (PDF)
- Attachment B: Application Checklist (PDF)
- Attachment C: Project Implementation Plan and Budget (PDF)
- Attachment D: Financial Risk Assessment Questionnaire (PDF) or submit the Financial Risk Assessment Questionnaire (Google Form)
Appendices for reference
- Appendix 1: Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP) Priority Populations (PDF)
- Appendix 2: Path 1a and b: Unintentional and Intentional Firearm-Related Harm Prevention Strategies (PDF)
- Appendix 3: Path 2c and d: Firearm Community or Hospital-Based Intervention and Violence Interruption Strategies (PDF)
- Appendix 4: Glossary of Terms (PDF)
- Appendix 5: RFA Resources (PDF)
- Appendix 6: Division of Criminal Justice Federal Requirements of Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP) Grantees (PDF)