At a glance
Stand Down grants fund events that provide services for veterans experiencing homelessness, including health screenings, housing and shelter referrals, mental health services, employment and job training help, and veterans benefit counseling. Eligible applicants include state and local workforce development boards, veteran service organizations, local public agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations, including community and faith-based groups; 501(c)(4) organizations are not eligible. The guide does not state a fixed award size, but in major disaster or federal emergency areas VETS may accept applications up to $50,000. If an event includes non-homeless veterans or non-veterans, a cost-share or fair-share calculation is required, and DOL funds may only be used for veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The guide also says applications are for a specific local geographic area and must be submitted to the DVET in the state where the event will be held, with special disaster-area flexibility noted above.
What it funds
Official description from grants.gov
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) supports local Stand Down events that assist veterans experiencing homelessness by providing a wide range of employment, social, and health services. Stand Down is a military term referring to an opportunity to achieve a brief respite from combat. Troops assemble in a base camp to receive new clothing, hot food, support services, and a relative degree of safety before returning to combat action. A DOL VETS-funded Stand Down event serves a similar purpose; however, it is intended for veterans experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. The critical services provided at these events are often the catalyst that enables those individuals to reenter the workforce. VETS awards these noncompetitive grants on a first-come, first-served basis to support one-day or multi-day events at up to $7,000 or $10,000, respectively. They are collaborative events coordinated between VA, DOL, other federal, state, and local government agencies and community-based organizations providing services and supplies to veterans experiencing and at risk of homelessness. In the event of a federal disaster declaration, VETS will accept applications up to $50,000 to conduct Stand Down events in the impacted areas. VETS awards Stand Down grants subject to the availability of federal funding. All costs incurred by the award recipient prior to the period of performance start date identified in the Notice of Award issued by the Department are incurred at the recipient’s own expense.
Who can apply
- Others