A. Serve Unincorporated Areas. Taxes to support these violence prevention programs are collected exclusively in unincorporated areas of Pierce County, not in any of the cities and towns that are located within the County. Incorporated cities and towns receive the comparable one-tenth of one percent sales and use tax for criminal justice, but have decided to use the money differently. Accordingly, programs requesting Pierce County funding should be targeted to residents of the unincorporated areas. This is not to say that an occasional individual or family from an incorporated area may benefit from those programs, but if a number of families or individuals from areas other than the unincorporated areas are to benefit from the program, then other funds must be provided on a proportional basis.

B. Sustainability. Programs to be funded should create a long-term reduction or elimination of a violent situation, not just a transitory benefit while an individual or family is participating in the program.

C. Cooperative efforts. Programs to be funded should, if at all possible, develop and encourage cooperation and coordination between agencies, municipalities and clients.

D. Focus. The focus of programs to be funded should, to the greatest extent possible, be on the prevention or elimination of violent behavior in, among, or towards children and youth. Prevention programs may include those directed at individual skill development, community involvement and leadership, parenting and peer influence, and other strategies. If the violence involves the family or if the family needs to be involved in the reduction or elimination of violent activities, then other family members should be included in the program. The funding for these programs is from funds obligated exclusively for criminal justice purposes. Accordingly, the objective must in some direct and demonstrable manner result in the elimination or reduction of violence and violent behavior.

E. Demonstrability. Applicants for funding must be able to demonstrate in a clear and concise manner that the program is accomplishing the goals and objectives it has established for itself, and specifically, the elimination or reduction of violence or violent behavior. To that end, the County utilizes an "outcomes-based evaluation" process for monitoring the effectiveness of its social service programs. That process is more fully described in the County's Request for Proposals (RFP).

F. Best Practice. While the County has not yet identified any program as a "best practice," other jurisdictions have done so and the County strongly urges that programs which have proven successful in other locales be considered for adaptability to the conditions existing in Pierce County. Applications based on programs identified as best practices in another jurisdiction should identify that jurisdiction, specify when the program was identified as a best practice, and identify who determined that it was a best practice.

G. Minimum Funding Amount. Programs shall be funded at a minimum of $5,000.00.