The Open Society U.S. Programs Drug Policy Project aims to support viable alternatives to mass criminalization and mass incarceration, to strengthen community-driven health services, and to provide resources for interventions made prior to or instead of arrests.
To support grantees in achieving their outcomes, the Drug Policy Project is soliciting proposals for the Impact and Innovation Grant Fund. It will support established arrest diversion programs to access technical assistance from top diversion and harm reduction experts in order to demonstrate and measure their impact, and improve the quality of their interventions. Applicants can apply for a maximum grant size of $75,000. Applications will be accepted from December 1, 2017, through February 1, 2018.
The Open Society U.S. Programs Drug Policy Project aims to support viable alternatives to mass criminalization and mass incarceration, to strengthen community-driven health services, and to provide resources for interventions made prior to or instead of arrests.
Selected grantees will be notified and interviewed between March and April of 2018. Grantees will receive one-time grants to be expended within 24 months. Grantees will submit financial and narrative progress reports at the 4th quarter and a final report within 60 days after expiration of funding.
Eligibility Requirements:
Applications will only be accepted from organizations and entities that (1) are within the United States, (2) are currently collaborating on an active arrest diversion program or wish to shift a pre-adjudication or pre-booking program into an earlier intervention prior to arrest; and (3) are ready to access the services of technical assistance experts to meet specifically identified areas of needed improvement.
Proposals should be responsive to community needs, and should be well thought out with a clear set of goals that can be achieved during the two-year grant cycle.
- Applications will be accepted from nonprofit organizations of all sizes (including advocacy groups and social service providers), public agencies, and federally recognized Native American and Indian tribal governments.
- Entities applying for grants above $25,000 must demonstrate additional funds committed for the pre-arrest or arrest diversion program, allocated by the start of the funding period. Special exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Grantees and applicants of the Solidago Foundation’s Criminal Justice Initiative MicroGrants are still eligible to apply for this funding.
The selection process will prioritize proposals that demonstrate authentic and equitable community engagement strategies where directly affected populations are involved in the co-design, implementation, and evaluation of harm reduction and diversion initiatives. The funding will be prioritized for interventions that are informed by data on specific populations entering local justice systems through partnerships with academic, governmental, nonprofit, consumer, advocacy, research, and other stakeholders.The project support interventions that seek to divert populations traditionally ineligible for diversion such as individuals deemed “high risk” or charged with felony or aggravated crimes.
For further information, please visit: Open Society Foundations