To Apply

We support comprehensive harm reduction programs that improve the health and wellness of people who use drugs. These programs provide free sterile syringes, education, and community wraparound services to reduce opioid overdose and the transmission of HIV and viral hepatitis.


Application Guidelines

Application Dates: Applications are accepted on May 1 and on November 1 of each calendar year.

Geographic Focus: The 50 States, District of Columbia, Native American Reservations/Tribal Land, and Puerto Rico

Eligibility Requirements & Criteria: The Comer Family Foundation will make grants to organizations that are exempt from federal tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and that are not classified as private foundations under section 509(a) of the code. Syringe Service Programs must be in operation for one full year before application submission. We welcome applications from organizations that require a fiscal sponsor.

  • Organizations with total organizational budgets less than $600,000
  • Organizations grounded in harm reduction principle and practice providing access to sterile syringes, safer smoking, and snorting kits, through comprehensive harm reduction syringe service programs (SSPs)
  • Harm reduction syringe service programs in operation for one full year

Funding Priorities:

  • Organizations in geographic areas in which access to sterile syringes can be dramatically improved
  • Organizations serving areas in which policy improvements can have local, state, and/or national impact
  • Organizations serving areas with higher HIV/AIDS and HCV prevalence, injection drug use prevalence, overdose incidence
  • Organizations led by and for Black, Indigenous, and people of color
  • Organizations led by people who use drugs
  • Organizations with limited funding available for harm reduction
  • Organizations actively developing local and community financial support
  • Statewide strategic partnerships

Types of Funding Available:

  • General operating funds including harm reduction supplies
  • Program development, education, and mobilization
  • Staff development and technical assistance

Length of Funding: Single-year grants

Amount of funding: Average single-year grants range from $2,500 to $20,000


Application Process

Organizations are required to create a profile the first time they use our online system. When creating your user profile, we recommend using an e-mail address that is accessible to your office staff, to view your organization's submission. You may preview the application once you've created a login. You will have the ability to save your application and return to complete at any time before the deadline. Applications are accepted online by 11:59pm CST on May 1 and November 1.

Grant Application Tutorials:

The following documentation is required in order to complete your application:

  • Project budget, including income and expenses
  • A recent copy of your IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter
  • If your organization is not a 501(c)(3), please include a signed letter of agreement from your fiscal sponsor and a copy of its 501(c)(3) letter.
  • A list of the organization's Board of Directors including professional/community affiliations
  • Optional: Current letters of support for your organization

These documents must be uploaded to complete the online grant application form.


Ready to go?

Apply Now

Note: To apply in Spanish, please use Google Translate in the upper left corner of the grant portal. Para aplicar en espaƱol, use el traductor de Google en la esquina superior izquierda de nuestro portal de subvenciones.


What Happens Next?

You will receive a confirmation e-mail from administrator@grantinterface.com. If you have not received this e-mail, please review your application to ensure that you have completed all fields and that you have clicked Submit.

The Board of Directors reviews applications two times per year. Initial review of applications will take 30 days and we will notify you whether we will request further information including a meeting, site visit or phone interview. Grants for applications submitted in May will be awarded in July and grants submitted in November will be awarded in January.


Questions

If you have questions about the application process, please e-mail us.


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