Project Safe Neighborhoods: Community Engagement and Media Outreach

Posted by on January 30, 2004

[posted from Comm-Org announcements]

Project Safe Neighborhoods: Community Engagement and Media Outreach Technical Assistance Program

Sponsor: Bureau of Justice Assistance/Department of Justice

SYNOPSIS:
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide network designed to create safer neighborhoods by reducing gun violence and gun crime and sustaining that reduction. Community engagement activities under these grants include working with citizens to develop a gun violence reduction strategy for the district,
including appropriate crime prevention strategies that involve community members. The community can be a critical resource for offering positive alternatives to offenders who take the violence reduction message seriously, but need help turning their lives around. Media outreach activities include producing and distributing literature, conducting mail campaigns, sponsoring local workshops, and creating related advertising messages. Advertising messages include public service announcements (PSAs), educational literature, crime prevention toolkits, billboard advertisements, press releases, and news articles. These media partners will work with the local PSN task forces to identify local stakeholders, leverage the support of potential partners, identify resources, and engage members of the community in the PSN initiative.

Deadline(s): 02/10/2004

Contact: Todd Brighton
Address: 810 Seventh Street NW.
Fourth Floor
Washington, DC 20531
U.S.A.
E-mail: brightot at ojp.usdoj.gov
Program URL: <a href="http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/PSN_TA/pfv.html">http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/PSN_TA/pfv.html</a>
Tel: 202-616-3879

DEADLINE NOTE
The sponsor requires that funding applications be submitted throughthe OJP Grants Management System (GMS). Applicants must register on the GMS by February 10, 2004. Applications are due February 13, 2004.

Appl Type(s): Colleges/Universities
For-Profit
Individual, Non-Specific
Non-Profit
Organizations–Community/Soc. Serv.

Funding Limit: $0 SEEBELOW
Duration: 24 MONTHS
Indirect Costs: Unspecified
Cost Sharing: No
Sponsor Type: Federal

OBJECTIVES:
Through the FY 2004 PSN Community Engagement and Media Outreach Technical Assistance Program, BJA will fund specialized support to the 94 PSN task forces. Technical assistance (TA) will be provided through a combination of onsite and office-based TA and training, and the development and the dissemination of resource materials. Funding under this competitive grant announcement includes money allocated to the program in FY 2003.

The goal of the Community Engagement TA Program is to work with PSN task forces to define and implement a comprehensive community engagement strategy, of which the media campaign is one component. Community engagement is the thread that runs through all five elements of PSN program implementation?from the strategic planning stage of program development, when the specific law enforcement focus of the program is determined and essential partnerships are identified, through partnership creation, training plan development, community outreach and media activities, and the accountability tasks of program evaluation and reporting. Community involvement, understanding, and support are essential to the success of the PSN program.

The goal of the Media Outreach TA Program is to assist PSN task forces with the development of a media strategy that complements other elements of the districts’ gun violence reduction initiative. The program emphasizes the media campaign as a means, not an end, for community outreach efforts. Once a PSN task force defines its community, the proper messages need to be molded and the ideal delivery vehicles identified. The various audiences could include potential perpetrators of gun violence, family members who might influence the perpetrator, law enforcement officials involved in an aspect of PSN, or government officials and members of the public who provide support for local PSN
programming. Variation among audiences selected by PSN task forces is to be expected, based on the composition of the PSN task force, local violent crime issues, and resources available in the community. The development of these messages also needs to be coordinated with the community outreach strategies.

ELIGIBILITY
For-profit (commercial) organizations, nonprofit organizations, faith-based and community organizations, institutions of higher education, and individuals with demonstrated experience in providing or procuring the appropriate range of technical assistance on a national level, as defined under the previous section, are eligible to apply. For-profit organizations must agree to waive any profit or fees for services. Joint applications from consortia with an identified primary applicant and coapplicants are eligible. When coapplicants are identified, letters of support from each coapplicant must be included.

FUNDING
Two cooperative agreements will be awarded through the competitive solicitation process?one for community engagement and one for media outreach. Requests for funding under the Community Engagement Technical Assistance Program may not exceed $1 million. Requests for funding under the Media Outreach Technical
Assistance Program may not exceed $500,000. Applicants can apply for both awards; however, a separate application must be submitted for each. The award period for each cooperative agreement will be twenty-four months.(cmb)