The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a notice of funding opportunity for its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) grant program recently, opening a month-long application period for interested parties to seek out $18 million.
Online, in-person, and hybrid projects run by states, localities, Tribes, and territories, as well as nonprofits and universities, are all applicable. Each will have until May 17, 2024, to apply, with winners to be announced in September. In all cases, this money will go toward helping local communities build and improve local capabilities to prevent targeted violence and terrorism. It is the only federal government grant program of its kind.
The program is co-administered by the DHS Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). To date, CP3 has invested $70 million over the past four years to increase awareness, create local prevention networks and train community members on the topic.
“Our nation’s ability to prevent targeted violence and terrorism requires all of us, working together, to develop programs and share best practices that build new prevention capabilities and strengthen our communities,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said. “This grant program helps do just that, and we are grateful to Congress for the resources it has provided to invest in community programs across our country.”
This year, the program continues to emphasize working with underserved communities, which often bear the brunt of such violence. A Homeland Security Threat Assessment from 2023 – the most recent on record – listed targeted violence and terrorism as one of the greatest threats today, and something the department expects to remain of high concern. Radicalized individuals and small groups were cited as particular concerns.
Past recipients have used their funding to assist in everything from community training to youth resilience programs, threat assessment, and recidivism reduction.