PHILADELPHIA, PA — The City of Philadelphia, in partnership with the Scattergood Foundation, has opened the application period for community-based organizations (CBOs) to seek grants from the Overdose Prevention and Community Healing Fund. The application window will remain open until January 11, 2024.
The fund uses national opioid settlement dollars to address the harm inflicted on communities across Philadelphia due to the opioid epidemic and overdose crisis. The fund focuses on three areas: overdose prevention, community and family healing, and substance use prevention.
Applications will be reviewed by Community Granting Groups, with final recommendations expected in spring 2024. Applicants can apply for one of three geographic areas — Kensington, North Philadelphia, or citywide. Given that Kensington and North Philadelphia report the highest rates of overdose, organizations working in these regions will receive special consideration.
The first round of the fund awarded $1.9 million in grants to 27 CBOs. These organizations are eligible to re-apply for the second round.
In 2022, Philadelphia reported a tragic rise in fatal drug overdoses to 1,413, an 11% increase from the previous high of 1,276 in 2021. Over 80% of these overdoses involved opioids, primarily fentanyl. The Health Department also noted a significant increase in overdose deaths among Black and Hispanic individuals from 2018 to 2022.
“The continued rise in overdoses is tragic and underscores why this grant program is greatly needed,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “This second round of grants reflects the City of Philadelphia’s commitment to ensuring that communities devastated by the opioid epidemic have a say in how and where settlement funds are re-invested.”
The $3.3 million Overdose Prevention and Community Healing Fund will enable CBOs across Philadelphia to actively engage residents in overdose prevention work. Noëlle Foizen, Director of the Opioid Response Unit, expressed hope for the progress being made through the services provided by these grantees.
The Scattergood Foundation will operate the fund, support grantmaking activities, administer grants, and provide technical assistance to grantees. “Participatory grantmaking has the power to embolden communities and create impactful long-lasting change,” said Joe Pyle, President of the Scattergood Foundation.
Overdose Prevention and Community Healing Grants
The Overdose Prevention and Community Healing Fund, a joint initiative by the City of Philadelphia and the Scattergood Foundation, is now accepting applications from community-based organizations working to combat the overdose crisis in Philadelphia. The fund supports programs focusing on:
- Overdose Prevention: Including outreach, education, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services.
- Community and Family Healing: Including grief counseling and healing services, building social connection and resilience in impacted communities, and supporting the wellbeing of community workers in the substance use field.
- Substance Use Prevention: Including awareness building and outreach, education, training, and other prevention-focused programming.
Two types of grants are available:
- Organizational Support Grants: $20,000 grants can support a wide range of operating and program costs, advancing overdose prevention, community and family healing, and/or substance use prevention.
- Program Grants: $100,000 grants can support specific programs and projects that directly advance overdose prevention, community and family healing, and/or substance use prevention.
Eligibility criteria include:
- Non-profit status or fiscal sponsorship
- Headquartered in and serving communities located in Philadelphia County
- Annual budget of $5 million or less
- Attendance or viewing of one information session to learn more about the application process and one compliance session to learn about grant requirements.
Applications opened on November 16, 2023, and will close on January 11, 2024, at 5:00 PM EST. Interested organizations can learn more about the application process in the upcoming information sessions scheduled on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM, and Wednesday, December 6, 2023, from 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM.
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