Faith-Based and Community Organizations National Symposium on Child Abuse Working Group on Internet Safety Blueprints Conference DMC Training Youth Gang Symposium New Publications Coordinating Council Advisory Committee OJJDP Staff News Home

OJJDP Administrator J. Robert Flores and Jedd Medefind, Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director, White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

OJJDP Administrator J. Robert Flores presents his keynote remarks.

OJJDP hosted two conferences for faith-based and community organizations during March and April. "Navigating the Future: Accessing and Sustaining Resources for Community & Faith-Based Organizations" was held April 1–2 in Los Angeles and March 19–20 in Philadelphia.

As President Bush has made faith-based initiatives a priority, OJJDP has increased its training efforts to support these organizations in all aspects of their operations, from securing funding to managing their public outreach. The initiative supports policy development that removes obstacles to faith-based and community organizations' ability to compete for Federal grants and expands the funding opportunities that are open to these organizations.

In his keynote remarks, Administrator J. Robert Flores affirmed that outreach to faith-based and community groups is a priority for his office:

OJJDP is committed to ensuring a level playing field for faith-based and community organizations. The services they provide are integral to our efforts to prevent and address delinquency.

In addressing the audience, Administrator Flores noted that in addition to improving access to funding for faith-based and community organizations, providing training and technical assistance is crucial in preventing children from entering the juvenile justice system.

The Bush Administration has taken the mystery out of Federal funding and answered important questions that were keeping many of you from seeking Federal funds.

OJJDP is charged with assisting States and communities in addressing the needs of children in the juvenile justice system, however, we know that if they can be helped earlier and by these other systems, they may never darken our doors and that is a result we can all applaud.

The program agenda focused on four key topics: how to apply for government funding, how to attract private funding, managing financial growth, and managing and planning for organizational growth. In addition to hearing national experts in the field address how to attract and maintain both public and private funding, workshops provided specific and practical guidelines on how to meet the four main goals of the conference.

OJJDP Administrator J. Robert Flores and Rev. Dr. W. Wilson Goode Sr., former Mayor of Philadelphia and Founder and Director of Amachi, a mentoring program for children of prisoners.

OJJDP staff delivered presentations on various topics, including how to identify Federal funding opportunities and tips for preparing effective grant proposals. Setting performance measures for programs and addressing them in the grant-writing process also was discussed during the sessions. Identifying and setting performance measures is particularly helpful as the White House is placing greater emphasis on performance measures and use of the Performance Assessment Rating Tool during the budgeting process.

Use of OJJDP's Socioeconomic Mapping and Resource Topography (SMART) system also was discussed in its relation to securing project funding. SMART is a Geographic Information System and Web-based mapping application that illustrates specific geographic areas of crime and delinquency, and the nearby governmental and community resources that are available to prevent and control them. For more information on SMART, see the story in the May/June 2007 issue. www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/news_at_glance/218233/topstory.html