Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJA 2023 171642

The BJA FY 23 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Program is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The program is designed to help state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, prosecution offices, and their partners strengthen their ability to prevent, respond to, and build community trust around hate crimes. It sits within a broader DOJ/OJP commitment to civil rights and racial equity, improving access to justice, supporting victims and justice-involved individuals, strengthening community safety, and addressing emerging threats while reinforcing trust between communities and the justice system.

At its core, this program funds practical, on-the-ground work that improves how hate crimes are identified, reported, investigated, and prosecuted. Supported activities include community and stakeholder outreach, practitioner and public education, and the enhancement of victim reporting tools so people have clearer, safer, and more accessible ways to report incidents. It also backs efforts that directly build investigative and prosecutorial capacity, with the aim of improving case outcomes and ensuring agencies can respond effectively and consistently when hate crimes occur.

The program specifically focuses on hate crimes committed because of a victim's perceived or actual protected characteristic, including race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. That means the funded work is intended to address bias-motivated crimes where the offender targets someone based on these characteristics, whether or not the victim actually belongs to that group, as long as the offender believed they did.

In terms of the funding snapshot, the opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: O-BJA-2023-171642) was released on March 6, 2023, with an original application deadline of May 25, 2023. Awards are made as grants, and the award ceiling listed is up to $4,000,000 per award, with an expected total of 13 awards. The listing notes the activity category as Humanities (with a reference to Cultural Affairs in CFDA) and provides the CFDA number 16.040.

Eligibility is labeled broadly as "Others," with the expectation that applicants consult the opportunity's eligibility clarification section. However, the program description makes clear that the intended implementing entities include state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecution agencies, along with partner organizations that support outreach, training, reporting improvements, and coordinated responses. Overall, the grant is geared toward helping jurisdictions build stronger systems for hate crime reporting and response, improve victim access and trust, and enhance the capacity of law enforcement and prosecutors to handle these cases effectively and in ways that reinforce public confidence.

  • The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 23 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.040.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Mar 06, 2023.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by May 25, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,000,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 13 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
Apply for O BJA 2023 171642

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the BJA FY 23 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Program?

It is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The program supports practical efforts to improve how hate crimes are prevented, reported, investigated, and prosecuted, while also working to strengthen community trust.

Which federal agency is offering and administering this grant?

The grant is offered through the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, and administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).

What is the main purpose of this funding?

The purpose is to help jurisdictions and their partners strengthen their ability to prevent and respond to hate crimes and to build community trust related to hate crime response. The funding emphasizes improvements in identification, reporting, investigation, and prosecution of hate crimes.

What types of organizations are intended to implement this program?

The description indicates the intended implementing entities include state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies and prosecution offices, along with partner organizations that support outreach, training, reporting improvements, and coordinated responses.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is labeled broadly as "Others," and applicants are expected to consult the opportunity's eligibility clarification section. Based on the program description, the opportunity is geared toward state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecution agencies and their partner organizations involved in hate crime outreach, education, reporting improvements, and coordinated response activities.

What kinds of activities can be supported with grant funds?

Supported activities include community and stakeholder outreach, practitioner and public education, enhancement of victim reporting tools, and efforts that build investigative and prosecutorial capacity. The focus is on on-the-ground improvements that strengthen hate crime response and case outcomes.

How does the program aim to improve hate crime reporting?

The program supports enhancement of victim reporting tools so people have clearer, safer, and more accessible ways to report incidents. This is part of a broader effort to improve identification and reporting of hate crimes and strengthen trust between communities and the justice system.

Does the program support training or education?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly mentions practitioner and public education as supported activities, along with community and stakeholder outreach.

Does the program support investigations and prosecutions?

Yes. The program backs efforts that directly build investigative and prosecutorial capacity, with the aim of improving case outcomes and ensuring agencies can respond effectively and consistently when hate crimes occur.

What types of hate crimes are the focus of this program?

The program focuses on hate crimes committed because of a victim's perceived or actual protected characteristic. The emphasis is on bias-motivated crimes where an offender targets someone based on those characteristics.

Which protected characteristics are covered under this opportunity?

The program description lists the following protected characteristics: race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and disability.

Does it count if the victim was targeted based on a characteristic the offender only thought the victim had?

Yes. The description states the focus includes crimes based on a victim's perceived or actual protected characteristic, meaning the victim does not need to actually belong to that group as long as the offender believed they did.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this program?

The Funding Opportunity Number is O-BJA-2023-171642.

When was this funding opportunity released?

The listing states it was released on March 6, 2023.

What was the application deadline?

The original application deadline listed is May 25, 2023.

What is the award type?

Awards are made as grants.

How much funding is available per award?

The award ceiling listed is up to $4,000,000 per award.

How many awards are expected to be made?

The opportunity indicates an expected total of 13 awards.

What is the listed activity category for this opportunity?

The listing notes the activity category as Humanities, with a reference to Cultural Affairs in CFDA.

What CFDA number is associated with this grant?

The CFDA number provided is 16.040.

How does this program relate to DOJ/OJP priorities?

The description places the program within a broader DOJ/OJP commitment to civil rights and racial equity, improving access to justice, supporting victims and justice-involved individuals, strengthening community safety, and addressing emerging threats while reinforcing trust between communities and the justice system.

Is the program focused only on law enforcement, or does it include community-facing work?

It includes both. In addition to strengthening investigative and prosecutorial capacity, supported activities include community and stakeholder outreach, public education, and improvements to victim reporting tools to make reporting clearer, safer, and more accessible.

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