Sexual Assault Victim Assistance Fund (SAVAF)

The Sexual Assault Victim Assistance Fund (SAVAF) is administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, a state agency responsible for coordinating criminal justice efforts and funding victim services across Indiana. This program is funded by the Indiana General Assembly and is designed to support a comprehensive statewide response to victims of sexual assault. The initiative reflects the state’s commitment to strengthening victim-centered and trauma-informed systems that provide immediate and long-term support to survivors. Through this program, the state aims to ensure that essential services are accessible, coordinated, and responsive to the needs of individuals impacted by sexual violence. The primary purpose of the SAVAF program is to establish and maintain Rape Crisis Centers, enhance the services offered by existing centers, and expand trauma-informed sexual assault services across the state. These centers are expected to provide a full continuum of care, including 24-hour crisis hotlines, hospital advocacy during forensic exams, legal advocacy, and ongoing emotional and psychological support. The program emphasizes both victim-centered and trauma-informed approaches, ensuring that services prioritize safety, empowerment, and healing while minimizing retraumatization. Additionally, the program supports broader system coordination, community outreach, and prevention strategies that contribute to reducing sexual violence. Funding under this program supports a wide range of allowable activities directly tied to victim services. These include crisis response, advocacy, counseling, support groups, and case management, as well as operational costs such as travel, communication tools, training, and emergency assistance provided through third-party vendors. Administrative costs are permitted but capped at ten percent of the total grant budget. However, certain costs are explicitly prohibited, including direct financial payments to victims, fundraising, lobbying, real estate purchases, construction, vehicle acquisition, and indirect cost rates. All expenditures must be necessary, reasonable, well-documented, and compliant with established policies and accounting standards. Eligibility for the SAVAF grant includes public social service entities, nonprofit organizations, and nongovernmental organizations that provide services to victims of sexual assault. Applicants must demonstrate their capacity to deliver trauma-informed and victim-centered services and must comply with strict confidentiality and privacy requirements. The program is reimbursement-based, meaning that grantees must incur and document expenses before receiving funds. Applicants are required to submit their proposals through the IntelliGrants system, which manages the full lifecycle of the grant including application submission, reporting, and financial drawdowns. The application process requires registration in the IntelliGrants system and submission of a complete application along with all required documentation by the specified deadline. Applicants are encouraged to review available training materials, including webinars and user manuals, to ensure proper submission. The funding opportunity includes guidance through supplemental webinars and technical assistance resources provided by the administering agency. Failure to submit a complete and timely application, including delays caused by technical issues within 48 hours of the deadline, is the responsibility of the applicant and may result in disqualification. The application deadline for the current funding cycle is July 22, 2026, at 12:00 PM Eastern Time. The award period spans from October 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027. Funded projects must begin operations within sixty days of the start date or risk termination and de-obligation of funds. All activities must conclude by the end of the award period, with final expenses paid and reported within thirty days thereafter. The program does not explicitly state a recurring cycle, but historical references to prior and future funding rounds suggest periodic availability. Applicants should monitor agency communications for updates on future opportunities and reporting requirements.