Community-Driven Responses to Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose Mortality RFP

Overview

_NOTE: The Foundation will not review unsolicited proposals. In general, the first step in the RFP application process is to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) or short Concept Note. FORE will evaluate all LOIs and/or Concept Notes for responsiveness and alignment to the RFP and seek independent expert review as needed. Program staff will notify selected organizations if there is an interest in seeing a Full Proposal that may be peer-reviewed by a panel of external, independent practitioners and experts._

Background

The Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) was founded in 2018 as a private 501(c)(3) national, grant-making foundation focused on addressing the United States’ opioid and overdose crisis. FORE is committed to funding a wide range of projects contributing solutions to the crisis at national, state, and community levels. FORE’s mission is to convene and support partners advancing patient-centered, innovative, evidence-based solutions impacting people experiencing opioid use disorder (OUD), their families, and their communities.

Funding Opportunity

This RFP will focus on continuing to support CBO capacity to address OUD and overdose through organizational strengthening, program development, and community partnerships. 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. Funding is for specific activities or projects designed to strengthen an organization’s operations, leadership, technology, programmatic, and/or administrative capacity. Applicants will advocate for what they need to be successful and the results they aim to achieve. 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 OUD services to more individuals and families in their communities.
* Foster Collaborations with a broader range of allies – education, workforce, criminal justice and specialty courts, primary and behavioral healthcare – to strengthen community engagement that results in stronger and expanded services.

Competitive applications will demonstrate how the funding will result in long-lasting improvements in increasing access to OUD and overdose prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and/or recovery services in their communities. Applicants must explain the link between the proposed use of the grant funds and their ability to attain specific outcomes addressing OUD and/or overdose. Through this funding, it is expected CBOs will enhance their ability to lead and deliver services addressing the opioid and drug overdose crisis, particularly in communities with high-risk populations. FORE envisions a national cohort of CBO grantees and expects that project leads will participate in periodic meetings and opportunities to share knowledge with fellow grantees in the cohort.

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

Eligibility

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Application Details

About the Foundation
The Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) was founded in 2018 as a private 501(c)(3)
national, grant-making foundation focused on addressing the United States’ opioid and
overdose crisis. FORE is committed to funding a wide range of projects contributing solutions to
the crisis at national, state, and community levels. FORE’s mission is to convene and support
partners advancing patient-centered, innovative, evidence-based solutions impacting people
experiencing opioid use disorder (OUD), their families, and their communities.
Introduction
According to a recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, overall overdose
fatalities are predicted to have decreased by nearly 27% in 2024 compared to 2023. However,
overdose death rates remain historically high, and some communities and regions are still
experiencing increases in overdose rates or are not seeing reductions in overdose at pace with
overall national trends.
Community-driven efforts are critical to addressing the ongoing opioid and overdose crisis, as is
ensuring that communities who have been disproportionately impacted by OUD and overdose
receive much-needed, effective, resources. In recognition that community-based organizations
(CBOs) often best understand the opportunities, needs, and barriers in their communities and
are therefore best-positioned to deliver community-informed, evidence-based interventions,
FORE launched its first round of CBO funding in 2023, supporting 22 organizations with
capacity-building grants. These grantees successfully used funding to increase staffing for
critical community services, address barriers to accurate data collection, improve financial
systems to bolster development and fundraising abilities, and establish strategic partnerships
that strengthened the delivery of OUD services in their communities and positioned themselves
for continued success.
Funding Opportunity
This RFP will focus on continuing to support CBO capacity to address OUD and overdose
through organizational strengthening, program development, and community partnerships.
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.
Funding is for specific activities or projects designed to strengthen an organization’s
operations, leadership, technology, programmatic, and/or administrative capacity. Applicants

will advocate for what they need to be successful and the results they aim to achieve. 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. (E.g. Conduct internal
policy assessment and develop new financial management and reporting systems to
enhance ability to pursue new funding sources.)
• Strengthen Communication efforts to raise awareness about an organization’s mission
and attract attention and resources to the organization. (E.g. Develop and implement a
communications plan or community training program to reduce stigma and increase
awareness of local OUD and overdose prevention resources.)
• Strengthen and Evaluate Programming to enhance access and delivery of evidence-
based OUD services to more individuals and families in their communities. (E.g. Hire
community health workers, peer support specialists, or outreach staff and evaluate
community impact of programs.)
• Foster Collaborations with a broader range of allies – education, workforce, criminal
justice and specialty courts, primary and behavioral healthcare – to strengthen
community engagement that results in stronger and expanded services. (E.g. Establish a
new partnership to establish peer recovery or harm reduction support services in new
community settings such as hospitals or family courts.)
Competitive applications will demonstrate how the funding will result in long-lasting
improvements in increasing access to OUD and overdose prevention, treatment, harm
reduction, and/or recovery services in their communities. Applicants must explain the link
between the proposed use of the grant funds and their ability to attain specific outcomes
addressing OUD and/or overdose. Through this funding, it is expected CBOs will enhance their
ability to lead and deliver services addressing the opioid and drug overdose crisis, particularly in
communities with high-risk populations. FORE envisions a national cohort of CBO grantees and
expects that project leads will participate in periodic meetings and opportunities to share
knowledge with fellow grantees in the cohort.
This funding is intended to bolster existing community initiatives that have demonstrated
impact in their communities and are seeking to expand the reach and longevity of their
services. This funding opportunity is not intended to start up new organizations or capital
projects. Please note that FORE is unable to fund the purchase of medical supplies.
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.

Eligibility
This funding opportunity is limited to Community-Based Organizations in the United States.
Academic institutions, healthcare systems, and national organizations are ineligible, though
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 organizations 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.
Complete information regarding organizational and project eligibility for a FORE grant can be
found on our website’s Grant Guidelines and Eligibility page. If you have further questions
regarding eligibility for a FORE grant, please contact info@ForeFdn.org.
Key Dates
Concept Notes will be accepted until 11:59pmPT on July 2, 2025. If invited, Full Proposals will
be accepted until 11:59pmPT on September 15, 2025.
May 29, 2025: RFP released on FORE website
June 5, 2025: Informational Webinar on RFP (register here)
July 2, 2025: Deadline to submit Concept Note
August 15, 2025: Latest notification for request for Full Proposal
September 15, 2025: Deadline to submit Full Proposal (if invited)
Grants are expected to be awarded in late December 2025 through February 2026.
Application Requirements and Selection Process
All applications must be submitted through FORE’s online grants management system. You
can access the application here. This will be a two-stage application process.
The first step in the application process is to submit a short, structured Concept Note that
describes your organization’s mission, how you would use capacity-building funds to strengthen
your organization’s ability to respond to substance use, OUD, and overdose in your community,
and what outcomes you would expect at the end of a 2-year grant. FORE will evaluate all
submitted Concept Notes for responsiveness to the RFP and alignment with FORE’s mission and
interests. Selected projects will be invited to submit a Full Proposal, which will include a
description of community need, with a focus on serving high-risk populations; capacity-building
goals, timelines, objectives, and measurable outcomes; a line-item budget and required
organizational eligibility documents; and a description of how the organization will be better
positioned after a FORE capacity-building grant.

FORE will evaluate all submitted proposals and seek independent expert review as needed. The
review process may include feedback to selected applicants on proposals and recommended
revisions. Funding recommendations for selected proposals will be prepared by FORE program
staff and presented to the FORE Board of Directors for final approval. In the process of selecting
proposals, FORE will aim to support a group of organizations that represents a range of
geographies, approaches, and sizes. All approved proposals will then be the subject of a grant
agreement between FORE and the grantee organization which will specify the grant period,
payment schedule, specific deliverable requirements, and reporting timeline.
Based upon our past RFPs we anticipate a high volume of responses to this RFP. We may use
data from this RFP, in aggregate and/or anonymized, to highlight the importance of supporting
community-based responses to OUD and overdose and appeal to other potential funding
sources to support this important work.
There is no expectation of any specific number of awards, and FORE reserves the sole right to
not recommend the funding of any applications. FORE is not obligated to provide feedback on
unfunded proposals, but may, to the extent possible, provide summarized feedback on
proposals upon request.
Contact
Programmatic questions about this funding opportunity should be addressed to Senior Program
Officer Alison Sutter at asutter@ForeFdn.org.
Technical questions regarding the application process should be emailed to Program Associate
Lydia Tschoe at ltschoe@forefdn.org.