Racial Equity Advancement in Communities through Harm Reduction in Pennsylvania (REACH PA)

Geographic Scope: Pennsylvania (statewide)

Focus Areas:

• Addressing overdose deaths in Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities
• Promoting harm reduction approaches to substance use
• Advancing racial equity
• Reducing disparities in overdose deaths

Background:
Pennsylvania experienced more than 5,100 overdose deaths in 2022, with overdose death rates among Black Pennsylvanians more than double that of white residents.

Eligible Applicants:

• Community-based organizations led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)
• Partnerships led by BIPOC

Funding Details:

• Total Fund: $450,000
• Award Amount: Up to $50,000 per grantee
• Number of Grantees: Up to 9 organizations selected through competitive RFP process
• Grant Period: One year (through December 2024)

Allowable Use of Funds:

• Community training and education
• Community organizing and base-building
• Direct service provision
• Capacity building
• Other innovative, community-rooted strategies

Example Projects Funded:

• Mobile and street outreach
• Door-to-door outreach for substance use and overdose prevention education
• Naloxone and test strip distribution
• Public service announcements
• Expansion of bilingual services and written resources
• Peer-led harm reduction programs
• Rolling engagement vans (REV) for community services
• Pre-release and re-entry support services

Nine Grantees Selected:

1. 1Hood Media Academy – Pittsburgh
2. AIDS Care Group – Chester
3. Casa San Jose – Pittsburgh
4. Men of the Community – Erie
5. Philadelphia Black Women's Health Alliance – Philadelphia
6. Project SAFE – Philadelphia
7. Unidos, Inc. – Allentown
8. Why Not Prosper, Inc. – Philadelphia
9. Womxn Beyond Borders – West Philadelphia and Lancaster

Technical Assistance:
The Scattergood Foundation provided technical assistance, training opportunities, and convenings to build harm reduction capacity across the Commonwealth.

Contact Information:

• Email: info@vitalstrategies.org
• Phone: +1 212 500 5720
• Address: 100 Broadway, 4th Floor, New York NY 10005 USA

Application Process

Application Type: Request for Proposals (RFP)

Timeline:

• Original Deadline: October 30, 2023 (11:59 PM ET)
• Webinar Date: October 2, 2023 (to discuss RFP and submission process)

Application Materials:

• All RFP documents available on Vital Strategies website

Selection Process:

• Competitive RFP process
• Nine organizations selected through evaluation
• Prioritized: community-based services, racial equity approach, reaching marginalized communities

Note: This grant program has already concluded. The application deadline was October 30, 2023, and awards were made in early 2024 for funding through December 2024.