community-driven responses to opioid use disorder – Jul 2

Posted by Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts on June 24, 2025

Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts issues RFP for community-driven responses to opioid use disorder and overdose mortality

Founded in 2018, the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) aims to convene and support partners advancing patient-centered, innovative, evidence-based solutions impacting people experiencing opioid use disorder (OUD), their families, and their communities.

FORE has issued an RFP for community-driven responses to opioid use disorder and overdose mortality. Grants will be awarded to buttress the capacity of community-based organizations (CBOs) to address opioid use disorder and overdose mortality through work such as organizational strengthening, program development, and community partnerships. Funding is for specific activities or projects designed to strengthen an organization’s operations, leadership, technology, programmatic, and administrative capacity. FORE will provide support for requests that lead to greater capacity for and expected sustainability of initiatives that reduce the burden of OUD and overdose in local communities.

Requests may include one or more of the following, or may propose other activities:

Enhance operational effectiveness: To improve productivity and organizational functioning in areas such as administration, finance, human resources, and technology to plan for longer-term sustainability and diversified funding.

Strengthen communication: Efforts to raise awareness about an organization’s mission and attract attention and resources to the organization.

Strengthen and evaluate programming: To enhance access and delivery of evidence- based OUD services to more individuals and families in their communities.

Foster collaborations with a broader range of allies: Areas include education, workforce, criminal justice and specialty courts, primary and behavioral health care to strengthen community engagement that results in stronger and expanded services.

Applicants may apply for a grant of up to $75,000 per year for up to two years (up to $150,000 total). Award amounts and project duration must align with the scope of work and the capabilities of the applying organization.

This funding opportunity is limited to CBOs in the United States. Academic institutions, healthcare systems, and national organizations are ineligible, though they may partner with a CBO as long as the CBO is the lead applicant and recipient of the majority of requested funds. Eligible CBOs include those providing social, health, and/or substance use-related services within a given geographic area and whose priority issue areas and strategies are based on specific local needs. Applicant organizations must be a 501(c)(3) organization or nonprofit with a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, have been in operation for at least two years, and have an annual operating budget between $150,000 and $7 million.

Concept notes are due July 2, 2025. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal, due September 15, 2025.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts website.

Deadline: July 2, 2025 (Concept note)