The West Virginia First Foundation announced at its meeting on Thursday, December 12, 2024, that only $10.4 million of the total $19.2 million made available for distribution this year will be awarded, and that an additional round of funding will occur. (Leann Ray | West Virginia Watch)
Despite received With 174 applications submitted during the 2024 grant cycle for programs to combat the ongoing drug and overdose epidemic, the West Virginia First Foundation announced Thursday at its annual meeting that only $10.4 million of the total $19.2 million available this year submitted for distribution will be granted.
The remaining $8.8 million in funds will be distributed through an additional round of funding, where applicants who did not receive funding in the first distribution cycle will have the opportunity to amend their application and re-qualify for funding.
Leaders at the First Foundation meeting Thursday said a major reason the entire $19.2 million set aside for funding was not approved for distribution was due to deficiencies and missing portions of the applications.
Groups interested in applying for 2024 grants – mostly nonprofits, where resources to complete such applications are often limited – were given approximately 30 days to complete a 40-page application with various additional materials, including letters of recommendation from elected officials, budgets and more.
Now, with the additional round, those who submitted applications before the October 5 deadline will have the opportunity to work directly with First Foundation staff to rework their applications and ensure they meet the requirements. the criteria needed to qualify for funds.
All applicants from the initial grant cycle will be notified of their status by the end of the year – either if they have received their award or if they will receive assistance to reapply through the additional round.
The First Foundation board voted Thursday to approve awarding the $10.4 million to organizations whose applications were successful, but details about which organizations will receive the grants were not made public.
Leaders said those who will receive money will be contacted in the coming weeks and given advice on how their rewards will be awarded. Once notified, Jonathan Board, executive director of the First Foundation, said the winners and details of their funded projects will be made public.
This year’s grant cycle specifically focused on four response areas to the opioid epidemic: diversion programs to keep people out of the criminal justice system, youth prevention and workforce development, programs to support children (including infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome) and families affected by substance abuse . use disorders and the expansion of transition and recovery housing.
According to guidelines for subsidiesUp to $800,000 would have been awarded in each of the state’s six regions for each of the specific target areas, and up to four different grants could have been awarded for each of the four target areas. Applicants per region could submit proposals for multiple target areas. Those operating in multiple provinces or regions would be able to apply for the funds through the location of their headquarters or where their proposed services would be offered.
The approval for the $10.4 million in grants comes days after the First Foundation made its first-ever commitment to distribute funds. The board, inside a special meeting on Mondayapproved the allocation of $20 million to a new regional addiction response project called the Appalachian Continuum of Care for Overdose Reduction Network, or ACCORN. West Virginia Watch confirmed this on Tuesday that would be Marshall University, through its Department of Addiction Sciences section the new initiative.
During Thursday’s annual meeting, First Foundation members also re-elected several officers. They voted unanimously to retain Matt Harvey as chairman, Dr. Matthew Christiansen as vice chairman, Jeff Sandy as treasurer and Dora Stutler as secretary.
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