SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz County is ready to distribute almost $1 million in opioid settlement funds to local nonprofits and it has tapped a local organization that specializes in grant funding dispersal to lead the effort. Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County has contracted with the county’s Behavioral Health Division to manage the distribution of $810,000 during the coming fiscal year to bolster programs and services offered by community-based groups working to combat the opioid crisis. According to a release shared Tuesday by the county, the foundation’s request for proposal period began May 14 and will remain open through July 10 as it seeks to support efforts around prevention, early intervention, harm reduction and treatment and recovery of opioid-related disorders.
“This initiative reflects our commitment to addressing the opioid crisis with comprehensive and sustained efforts that involve our experienced community partners in the response,” said Behavioral Health Services’ Director of Substance Use Disorder Services Casey Swank in the release. “We highly encourage eligible nonprofit organizations to apply.” The release continues by specifying that nonprofit organizations providing services in the county are invited to apply for the grants, with individual awards capped at $400,000 and limited to a two-year performance period.
All awardees will be required to expend the money by June 30, 2026. The request for proposal process will require applicants .
