The Southwest Opioid Response District (SWORD) is seeking funding proposals to address opioid use within Montezuma, La Plata, Archuleta, San Juan and Dolores counties.
A Community Grant application is now open and can be found at https://www.region9edd.org/uploads/SWORD_Community_Grant.pdf on the Region 9 Economic Development District website.
The purpose of these grants is to disburse opioid settlement funds throughout Southwest Colorado. A total of $465,286 is available, which SWORD aims to equitably distribute across the region.
The grant application opened on June 1 and will close on July 1. Grantees will receive funding by the end of August.
Projects must serve the SWORD region and the people and communities therein. Organizations working with people struggling with opioid misuse — advocacy and recovery groups, health departments, nonprofits, first responders, etc. — are encouraged to apply. Funding aims to mitigate the harmful effects of opioids within a community and build recovery capital within the SWORD region.
To be eligible for this grant, projects must benefit people in treatment and recovery for opioid use disorder or promote substance misuse abatement methods. Successful grantees will be required to sign a grant agreement with Region 9 — on behalf of the SWORD Council — that they will use the funds as intended.
Grantees will be asked for a follow-up report within 12 months of receiving funds, during which time the grantee will be asked to provide receipts and/or invoices for expenses incurred. Funding should be spent within this timeframe.
A subcommittee for the SWORD Council will review applications. The review committee will prioritize projects that focus on recovery efforts, and then award to other approved uses if funds remain. Grantees may not receive the full amount of funding they request in the application.
To learn more about how to apply for a SWORD grant, please attend one of our future information sessions:
• Wednesday, June 19, at 6 p.m.: Room 1 in the Durango Public Library, Durango.
• Tuesday, June 25, at noon: Virtual session (email west.claire@outlook.com for link).
Applications can be found at https://www.region9edd.org/uploads/SWORD_Community_Grant.pdf. To apply, you must submit the application in PDF format and email it to Claire West, SWORD project coordinator, at west.claire@outlook.com.
