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Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts

Annual Giving
$9.0M
Grant Range
$10K - $0.5M
Decision Time
4mo

Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE)

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $7-10 million (estimated based on recent grant activity)
  • Total Assets: $120 million (FY22)
  • Total Grants to Date: $50.9 million across 127 grants to 100+ organizations (as of December 2025)
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $450,000
  • Average Grant Size: $100,000
  • Geographic Focus: National (United States)
  • Application Method: RFP-based (no unsolicited proposals accepted)

Contact Details

Address: 110 West 40th Street, Suite 400, New York, NY 10018

Phone: 646-880-3585

Email: info@forefdn.org

Website: www.forefdn.org

Online Application Portal: fore.givingdata.com/portal/login

Overview

Founded in 2018, the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) is an independent, private, national grantmaking organization with total assets of over $120 million. FORE's mission is to find and foster innovative solutions to end the nation's opioid and drug overdose crisis. The foundation is committed to supporting patient-centered, innovative, evidence-based projects across the continuum of prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery. FORE places particular emphasis on populations and communities at highest risk of mortality and with higher barriers to services, including communities of color, justice-involved populations, women, and rural communities. Since inception, FORE has awarded 127 grants totaling $50.9 million to more than 100 organizations nationwide. The foundation's strategic approach emphasizes collaboration among grantees, health equity, holistic support beyond medical interventions, and transparency in funding decisions.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

FORE develops targeted Request for Proposal (RFP) programs rather than accepting general applications. Recent and ongoing programs include:

  • Community-Driven Responses to Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose Mortality - Capacity-building grants for community-based organizations addressing organizational strengthening, program development, community partnerships, leadership development, and technology advancement

  • Access to Treatment for Vulnerable Populations - Projects addressing access to opioid use disorder treatment and services in urban, rural, minority, tribal, and low-income communities

  • Innovation Challenge - Supporting innovative projects that explore and evaluate new approaches in areas such as innovative payment models, workforce development, and supporting the transition from treatment to recovery

  • Family and Community Based Prevention - Projects developing, adapting, exploring, and evaluating promising evidence-based models of family- and community-based prevention for opioid use disorder and overdose

  • COVID Response Grants - Assessing the impact of COVID-19 policy changes on opioid use disorder treatment access

Priority Areas

FORE focuses on four key strategic areas:

  1. Professional Education - Programs that inform health, maternal health, mental health, and other relevant professionals on best practices related to addiction and the opioid crisis

  2. Payer & Provider Strategies - Innovative approaches to treatment delivery and payment models

  3. Policy Initiatives - Projects related to prevention, treatment, awareness, or policy related to addiction

  4. Public Awareness - Programs that increase awareness of opioid addiction

Priority Populations:

  • Communities of color
  • Justice-involved populations
  • Women and pregnant individuals
  • Rural communities
  • Youth
  • Individuals experiencing homelessness
  • Tribal communities

Focus Areas:

  • Prevention
  • Harm reduction
  • Treatment access (especially medications for opioid use disorder)
  • Recovery support
  • Workforce development
  • Health equity
  • Emergency department and pharmacy-based interventions
  • Peer recovery coaching
  • Legal services related to OUD

What They Don't Fund

  • Unsolicited proposals
  • Section 509(a)(3) supporting organizations
  • Congregational religious organizations
  • Fundraising events
  • Political advocacy
  • Endowment funds
  • Projects outside the United States

Governance and Leadership

Leadership Team

Karen A. Scott, MD, MPH – President Dr. Scott brings extensive public health experience and emphasizes the urgency of the crisis, noting "Over 133 Americans die every day from opioid overdoses." She has stated that FORE's "objective is to identify and fund patient-centered, innovative, and evidence-based projects that will expand learning and offer solutions." Dr. Scott emphasizes that "OUD is not happening in isolation. Many struggling with an OUD are also already struggling with depression, anxiety or another behavioral health disorder." On community-based organizations, she noted: "Community-based organizations are uniquely positioned to identify and respond to local needs, yet they often face barriers to securing the flexible funding they need to strengthen operations and sustain programming."

Shibani Gambhir, MPA – Chief Operating Officer

Ken Shatzkes, PhD – Program Director

Board of Directors

The 12-member board includes addiction medicine specialists, legal experts, treatment providers, and recovery advocates:

  • Andrea Barthwell, MD (Board Chair) - Past president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)

  • David K. Mineta - CEO of Alum Rock Counseling Center, Inc.; former President and CEO of Momentum for Health (2015-2024); served as Deputy Director of Demand Reduction for the White House Drug Policy Office (2010-2015)

  • Lori A. Schechter, JD - Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel at McKesson Corporation (Retired)

  • Dr. Erin Krebs - Health services researcher, Chief of General Internal Medicine at Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Professor at University of Minnesota Medical School

  • Dr. Sharon Levy - Board certified Addiction Medicine specialist, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, Chief of Division of Addiction Medicine at Boston Children's Hospital

Scientific & Policy Advisory Council

FORE maintains a 13-member advisory council comprising experts spanning addiction medicine, public health law, peer recovery, and health equity.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Important: FORE does not accept unsolicited proposals. All grant opportunities are developed by FORE program staff in consultation with leading experts in the field and issued as targeted Requests for Proposals (RFPs).

Application Process:

  1. Monitor for RFPs - Check FORE's Grants & Funding page regularly for new opportunities

  2. Submit Letter of Intent or Concept Note - When an RFP is issued, the first step is typically to submit a brief LOI or Concept Note outlining your proposed project

  3. Invitation to Full Proposal - FORE evaluates all LOIs/Concept Notes for responsiveness and alignment to the RFP, seeking independent expert review as needed. Selected organizations receive invitations to submit Full Proposals

  4. Peer Review - Full proposals undergo peer review by a panel of external, independent practitioners and experts

  5. Board Approval - Funding recommendations are prepared by FORE program staff and presented to the Board of Directors for final approval

  6. Grant Award Agreement - Approved proposals become the subject of a grant award agreement specifying the grant period, payment schedule, specific deliverable requirements, and reporting timeline

Note: Some programs use a one-stage application process with no LOI or Concept Note required.

Eligibility:

  • U.S.-based public charities that are tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
  • Nonprofit, tax-exempt universities
  • State, local, and Native American tribal government units or agencies for specific charitable projects

Indirect Costs: FORE provides up to 10% indirect on direct costs

Decision Timeline

Timelines vary by RFP. For the 2025 Community-Driven Responses RFP, applicants were told to expect notification about concept note status within several weeks after the July 2, 2025 deadline. Based on this and similar programs, applicants can expect:

  • Concept Note to Invitation for Full Proposal: 4-6 weeks
  • Full Proposal Submission to Decision: 8-12 weeks
  • Total Timeline: Approximately 3-5 months from initial concept note to final decision

Success Rates

Specific success rate percentages are not publicly disclosed. However, FORE's approach of issuing targeted RFPs in specific focus areas and requiring initial concept notes suggests a competitive process with selective advancement to full proposal stage.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy for unsuccessful applicants is publicly documented. Since FORE operates through discrete RFPs rather than rolling applications, unsuccessful applicants can apply to future RFPs that match their work, provided they meet eligibility criteria.

Application Success Factors

What FORE Looks For

Based on Dr. Karen Scott's statements and funded projects, successful applications demonstrate:

1. Evidence-Based Innovation "FORE is committed to determining what works, where it works, and why so that best practices can be disseminated and sustained," according to Dr. Scott. Projects should either pilot innovative approaches or scale proven interventions.

2. Focus on High-Risk Populations FORE prioritizes projects serving populations and communities at highest risk of mortality and with higher barriers to services. Successful applications clearly articulate how they will reach underserved communities.

3. Patient-Centered Approaches All funded projects must demonstrate a patient-centered approach that puts individuals with opioid use disorder at the center of care.

4. Responsiveness to RFP Criteria Applications must demonstrate clear alignment with the specific focus areas, supported activities, and eligibility criteria outlined in each RFP.

5. Organizational Capacity FORE evaluates organizational leadership, budget details, and capacity to execute the proposed project and meet deliverable requirements.

6. Holistic Understanding of OUD Recognizing Dr. Scott's point that "OUD is not happening in isolation," successful applications address comorbidities and social determinants of health alongside addiction treatment.

7. Sustainability and Dissemination Projects that can contribute to the field's knowledge base and potentially be scaled or replicated are favored.

Recent Funded Projects as Examples

  • Equal Justice Works ($1,361,005) - National Opioid Crisis Response Legal Fellowship Program addressing legal needs arising from OUD including child custody, housing, healthcare, and employment

  • Urban Institute ($250,500) - Public-facing data dashboard tracking Medicaid coverage of medications for OUD and overdose reversal

  • HELP USA ($598,726) - Harm reduction initiative for individuals experiencing homelessness living with OUD

  • University of Houston College of Pharmacy, Howard University, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Emergency Medicine Foundation (total $2 million) - Projects improving access to medications for OUD in pharmacies and emergency departments

  • Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research at Indiana University ($592,338) - Strengthening behavioral health workforce

  • Center for Indigenous Health at Johns Hopkins University ($563,632) - Addressing substance use disorder care gaps in Indigenous communities

  • Tradeoffs ($65,702) - Health care journalism on opioid and overdose crisis

  • Legal Action Center ($80,000) - Expanding access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services

  • Healthy Schools Campaign ($40,000) - School-based prevention efforts

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Wait for the Right RFP - FORE only accepts proposals in response to specific RFPs. Do not submit unsolicited proposals. Instead, monitor their website and sign up for notifications about new funding opportunities.

  • Emphasize Innovation with Evidence - Your project should either pilot a new approach or scale an evidence-based intervention. FORE wants to fund work that advances the field's knowledge and can be replicated.

  • Center Health Equity - Clearly articulate how your project will reach and serve populations at highest risk with highest barriers to care: communities of color, justice-involved populations, women, rural communities, youth, and tribal communities.

  • Demonstrate Organizational Readiness - Be prepared to provide detailed organizational information, leadership qualifications, and comprehensive budgets. FORE conducts rigorous review including external expert evaluation.

  • Address the Whole Person - Given Dr. Scott's emphasis on comorbidities, successful applications address OUD within the context of mental health, social determinants of health, and other challenges individuals face.

  • Focus on Dissemination - FORE is committed to "determining what works, where it works, and why so that best practices can be disseminated and sustained." Show how your project will contribute learning to the field.

  • Align Precisely with RFP Language - Each RFP has specific focus areas and supported activities. Use the RFP's terminology and demonstrate clear alignment with stated priorities in both your concept note and full proposal.

References

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