This report presents the methodology and findings of an evaluation of the Office of Violence Against Women's (OVW's) Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Grant Program Special Initiative: Faith-Based and Community Organization Pilot Program (Rural Pilot Program), which was designed to reach out to small faith-based and community-based organizations (FBCO) that were not already addressing domestic violence.
The evaluation found that the Rural Pilot Program mostly funded already established domestic violence programs, which resulted in some expansion of domestic violence services but not an increase in the number of domestic violence programs. Most of the expanded services involved community-based programs. The program did result in the increased participation of faith-based agencies in domestic violence programs; however, the goal of building the capacity of funded subgrantees in order to sustain domestic violence services was overwhelmed by service demands. The evaluation found that the structure of the grant program intermediaries (organizations charged with recruiting FBCOs, supporting their domestic violence activities, and providing them technical assistance) produced different outcomes. Differences between the faith-based and community-based organizations resulted in differing outcomes. A comparison of the outcomes of the Rural Pilot Program with OVW's funding of ongoing rural domestic violence services that began in 2005 showed that the addition of the Rural Pilot Program did not significantly increase the quality or volume of domestic-violence services delivered in rural areas. The evaluation included a process evaluation, a capacity study, and an examination of faith-infusion and the value-added of the faith-based approach. The evaluation used a variety of methods, including case studies, organizational assessments, surveys, interviews, and focus groups. 18 exhibits, 100 references, and 17 appendixes with supplementary information on and tools for evaluation methodology