OJJDP FY 2023 Multistate Mentoring Programs Initiative | O OJJDP 2023 171717

Opportunity Information: Apply for O OJJDP 2023 171717

The OJJDP FY 2023 Multistate Mentoring Programs Initiative is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), designed to strengthen and scale mentoring services for children and youth who are at risk, or at high risk, of juvenile delinquency, victimization, and involvement with the juvenile justice system. The program is framed within the broader Office of Justice Programs (OJP) priorities of advancing civil rights and racial equity, expanding access to justice, supporting crime victims and people impacted by the justice system, improving community safety, and building trust between law enforcement and communities. In practical terms, applicants are expected to show how mentoring can serve as a prevention and intervention strategy that improves youth outcomes while also contributing to safer and healthier communities.

A central theme of the solicitation is OJJDPs push to transform juvenile justice by "treating children as children" and prioritizing approaches that keep young people at home, connected to their families, and supported within their communities, while also expanding opportunities for youth who have already had system involvement. The opportunity encourages applicants to explicitly align proposed mentoring models with these reform goals, emphasizing youth development, positive relationships, and community-based supports rather than approaches that rely on punitive responses. OJJDP describes a vision of a juvenile justice system that is centered on the strengths, needs, and lived experiences of youth and families, and it treats young people and family members as essential partners in shaping effective services.

A major requirement is the meaningful integration of youth and family partnerships into the project plan and budget. Applicants must explain not only how youth and families will be engaged, but how their involvement will be sustained as an ongoing part of operations rather than a one-time consultation. The solicitation lays out several ways this partnership can be structured depending on the program design. At the individual level, youth and families can be involved in case planning and direct service delivery before, during, and after contact with youth-serving systems. At the agency level, they can help guide policy and program development, implementation decisions, evaluation activities, staffing approaches, advisory groups, and even budget development. At the system level, partnerships can include participation in strategic planning, system improvement initiatives, advocacy strategies, and broader reform efforts. The overall expectation is that programs will treat youth and families as co-creators of solutions and will build decision-making structures that reflect that commitment.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a grant (not a contract) under CFDA 16.726, categorized in the law, justice, and legal services area. The funding opportunity number is O-OJJDP-2023-171717. It was posted April 13, 2023, with an original closing date of May 30, 2023. The maximum award amount listed is $4,000,000, and OJJDP anticipated making up to 16 awards. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with further clarification referenced in the solicitation's eligibility section, indicating that applicants should review the full notice to confirm they meet the specific criteria for mentoring organizations and any additional requirements tied to multistate operations or service delivery capacity.

Overall, the initiative is aimed at investing in mentoring organizations that can expand reach and quality across multiple states while staying closely aligned with OJJDPs current priorities: developmentally appropriate responses to youth behavior, community-based support systems, equitable access to services, and authentic youth and family engagement that is built into both the program design and the way funds are planned and used.

• The Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OJJDP FY 2023 Multistate Mentoring Programs Initiative" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.726.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 13, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 30, 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 16 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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