Youth Gang Diversion: Designated Counties Grant Program

The Youth Gang Diversion: Designated Counties Program is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Justice through its Bureau of Justice Programs, which serves as the state administering agency for juvenile and criminal justice initiatives. This program operates under statutory authority to fund specific county-based efforts to reduce youth gang involvement. Unlike open competitive opportunities, this funding is allocated to designated agencies within targeted counties to ensure continuity of established diversion programs and address known gang activity in high-need areas. The primary purpose of the program is to support the diversion of youth aged 0 through 17 from gang involvement into productive and prosocial activities. Funded programs are required to provide structured services that include educational placement, recreational programming, employment opportunities, and interventions addressing substance use. Each program must incorporate an assessment of gang presence and scope within its community and define a clearly targeted population of at-risk or gang-involved youth. The initiative emphasizes implementation of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Comprehensive Gang Model, including strategies such as community mobilization, social intervention, and opportunities provision. Funding is distributed in fixed allocations to designated agencies in specific counties. The program provides one award of 320400 dollars to an agency in Milwaukee County and three awards of 96200 dollars each to agencies in Brown, Kenosha, and Racine counties. These funds may be used for personnel, employee benefits, travel and training, supplies, operating expenses, and contractual services. All expenditures must represent new costs and cannot replace existing funding sources, in accordance with federal supplanting restrictions. There is no matching requirement, which allows designated agencies to fully utilize the awarded funds without additional cost share obligations. Eligibility for this program is strictly limited to the agencies explicitly named in the grant announcement. These include the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Green Bay, Kenosha County Department of Human Services, Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services Division of Children Youth and Family Services, and Racine County Department of Human Services. No other organizations are eligible to apply, making this a non-competitive opportunity designed to continue or expand existing diversion services within these jurisdictions. Applicants must also maintain compliance with federal requirements, including registration in the System for Award Management and possession of a Unique Entity Identifier. Applications must be submitted through the Wisconsin DOJ Egrants online system. Applicants are required to complete several components including a main summary, budget detail and narrative, continuation narrative describing program updates, and a goals and objectives table. The continuation narrative specifically requires applicants to describe changes in gang activity, program design, and partnerships from the previous year. The application process focuses on demonstrating program alignment with statutory goals, effective use of funds, and measurable outcomes rather than competitive scoring. The application deadline is May 1, 2026, with an anticipated project start date of July 1, 2026 and an end date of June 30, 2027. Awards are expected to be issued approximately 30 days after approval. Funded agencies must submit quarterly programmatic and financial reports through Egrants to receive reimbursement, as the grant operates on a reimbursement basis. Ongoing monitoring by the Wisconsin Department of Justice ensures compliance with federal and state requirements, including documentation of expenditures, progress toward goals, and adherence to reporting standards. Program contacts include Kiley Komro for programmatic guidance and La Trisha Quade for fiscal inquiries, along with an Egrants help desk for technical assistance. Final funding decisions are made by the Attorney General, although for this non-competitive program, the focus is on compliance and alignment rather than comparative ranking. This grant represents a targeted investment in sustaining and strengthening youth gang diversion efforts in specific high-need Wisconsin counties.

Focus on demonstrating program continuity and improvements; provide updated data on gang activity; clearly justify budget changes and align with prior outcomes