Virginia Combating Hate Crimes Grant Program

Administered by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) with awards approved by the Criminal Justice Services Board. Funded by $1,500,000 per year of state general fund in FY2027 and FY2028 (2026 Appropriation Act, Item 394 ¶O) to support institutions and nonprofits at risk of bias-motivated violence based on race, religious conviction, color, gender, disability, gender identity, age, sexual orientation or national origin. Covers target hardening, security and monitoring equipment, contractual on-site security and screening, security training, and part-time staff for security assessments. In FY2027 Round 1 each locality's application was capped at $150,000 (the FY2026 cap was $200,000 per locality) — nonprofits could not apply directly in those rounds, and one local-government application could bundle several nonprofit partners. The FY2027 Round 2 guidelines, the only round open to nonprofits directly, state no cap and give DCJS discretion to award more or less than requested.

To apply for the VA Hate Crimes Grant, your organization generally needs to be:

• ✓Registered in SAM.gov with a Unique Entity ID (UEI)
• ✓Located and/or incorporated in Virginia
• ✓Has been a target of, or is at risk of being targeted for, bias-motivated (hate-crime) violence
• ✓Nonprofits could apply directly only in FY2027 Round 2; earlier rounds required a local government to apply on the nonprofit's behalf — confirm the applicant model for the next round
• ✓The FY2027 Round 2 guidelines describe eligible applicants as 'institutions or nonprofit organizations' at risk of hate crimes and do not state a 501(c)(3) requirement; earlier locality-partner rounds specified 501(c)(3) partners — organizations without an IRS determination letter should confirm with DCJS before applying
• ✓Able to document a risk of hate crimes

• 501(c)(3) status from the IRS

  Federal tax-exempt status. Required for almost every security grant. If you don't have it yet, the IRS Form 1023 process can take several months.

• SAM.gov registration (with UEI)

  Federal entity ID from SAM.gov. Free, takes about 7–10 business days. This state program requires an active SAM.gov registration with a UEI even though it is not a federal grant.

• Threat, Vulnerability & Risk Assessment (TVRA)

  A documented assessment of your organization's specific risk profile. Often available at no cost through CISA Protective Security Advisors, your local police department, or community security organizations (such as the Secure Community Network); your FBI field office may also help. Availability varies by area.

• Budget Detail Worksheet

  Itemized budget mapped to allowable cost categories. The grant administrator usually provides a template.

• Equipment: target hardening, critical technology and infrastructure, security and monitoring equipment
• Contractual security services: on-site security, inspection and screening systems
• Training: security-related training for employed or volunteer security staff, serious-incident response training, terrorism awareness training
• Personnel: part-time staff to perform security assessments (one-time funding)

• •Hate-crime focus: for organizations that have been targets of, or are at risk of being targeted for, bias-motivated violence (Code of Virginia § 52-8.5). The eligibility test is hate-crime risk — being a target of, or at risk of, bias-motivated violence — rather than general terrorism risk, though terrorism awareness training is an allowable cost.
• •Only FY2027 Round 2 let institutions and nonprofits (including houses of worship) apply directly; every earlier round (FY2023 – FY2027 Round 1) accepted applications only from local governments partnering with at-risk nonprofits. Check which model the next round uses.
• •Tax status: earlier rounds defined eligible partner organizations as 501(c)(3) nonprofits or institutions; the FY2027 Round 2 guidelines say only 'institutions or nonprofit organizations'. Houses of worship and other organizations without an IRS determination letter should confirm with DCJS before applying.
• •Active SAM.gov registration with a UEI is required, and the applicant must not be debarred.
• •Not allowed: construction, renovation or remodeling, land acquisition, vehicles, firearms and ammunition, lobbying, honoraria, food and alcohol. Cost-reimbursement; no match; indirect up to 10%; no supplanting.
• •The Round 1 guidelines (written for localities) said organizations that have 'conducted a threat assessment with their local crime prevention officer' to identify their most critical vulnerabilities 'are most likely to be funded'; the Round 2 guidelines do not repeat this, but a documented vulnerability assessment still strengthens the application.
• •The DCJS program overview page still describes the older locality-only model and lists no deadlines; the round-specific funding-opportunity pages (e.g. the FY2027 Round 2 page) carry the eligibility, deadline and OGMS opportunity number for each round.
• •Apply through the DCJS Online Grants Management System (OGMS); FY27 Round 2 was funding opportunity #574682. Contact Elizabeth Polak, elizabeth.polak@dcjs.virginia.gov, (804) 659-6487.
• •Separate from the federal NSGP, which the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) administers.

Applications for the VA Hate Crimes Grant are administered by Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) — awards approved by the Criminal Justice Services Board (CJSB). Confirm the current deadline and submission details on the official program page before you apply.