Alameda County Opioid Innovative Mini-Grants
In collaboration with Behavioral Health Department, Alameda County Health, Three Valleys Community Foundation successfully deployed two rounds of Innovative Mini-Grant funding. 3VCF awarded a total of $5.5M to 22 community-based nonprofit organizations working thoughtfully, creatively, and collaboratively to address the opioid crisis in Alameda County.
Two Rounds ($5.5M) of Innovative Mini-Grant Funding awarded to address Opioid Crisis in Alameda County
Strengthening and investing in the well-being of our communities has always been at the heart of Three Valleys Community Foundation’s mission. With its compounding and rippling effects across our communities, the opioid epidemic is among the most serious public health crises impacting the lives of Alameda County residents today. Local community organizations and coalitions implementing creative solutions to improve the availability and effectiveness of opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment can be empowered to work together and mobilize resources to serve individuals and communities most affected by the opioid crisis.
Through this grantmaking opportunity, 3VCF committed to engaging communities and investing in nonprofit organizations whose work addresses prevention, treatment, recovery, and/or harm reduction strategies.
Uplifting our values of collaboration and innovation, and building upon our concentrated focus on overall community mental health and wellness, 3VCF encouraged organizations doing innovative, transformative work to address the intersectionality of behavioral health and the opioid epidemic among Alameda County’s most vulnerable communities, to apply.
Our Innovative Mini-Grant application window was open from October 15 through midnight PT on December 10, 2024. A selection committee, composed of health professionals, subject matter experts, and community members who represent Alameda County, and who have diverse backgrounds and expertise, including expertise in behavioral health services, substance use disorder abatement, and non-profit management, have evaluated applications. Grant awards were publicly announced at our State of Giving Gathering on March 13, 2025. The grant implementation window took place over a 12-14 month period beginning in April 2025.
Congratulations to the Alameda County Opioid Innovative Mini-Grantees!
Round 1 Grantees
Bay Area One Health Coalition collaborates with Project Pet to address the mental health and substance use challenges in the Tri-Valley by integrating animal-assisted therapy, holistic wellness approaches, and culturally competent wrap-around services. The project works with the One Health model to focus on enhancing the well-being of system-impacted community members, particularly those from historically marginalized communities experiencing substance abuse challenges.
The Black Girls Mental Health Foundation’s project, the BIRTH Network, integrates perinatal mental health care with opioid remediation to address maternal health disparities and substance use. The program trains 25 BIPOC birth workers in trauma-informed care, Substance Use Disorder (SUD) interventions, and harm reduction, including naloxone education and distribution. It delivers therapy and psychoeducation to birthing individuals and families, engages vulnerable youth at risk of future substance misuse, and supports incarcerated women through reentry-focused services. The initiative promotes resilience, recovery, and long-term wellness across families and communities.
CAL-PEP’s Project MOST (Mobile Outreach, Services, and Treatment) evaluates the effectiveness of a fully street-based opioid treatment program, aiming to enhance engagement and improve outcomes for unhoused individuals receiving treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).
The City of Fremont’s Mobile Evaluation Team (MET) works to decrease repeat emergency care visits, psychiatric inpatient hospitalizations, and continued involvement with law enforcement among the community’s unsheltered residents with substance use issues through engagement, building rapport, and determining appropriate referrals and service linkages.
The HIV Education and Prevention Project of Alameda County (HEPPAC) administers the Santa Rita Jail MAT Engagement and Overdose Prevention Program, which provides pre-release engagement, comprehensive post-release services, and enhanced medication-assisted treatment (MAT) access in the Santa Rita Jail. HEPPAC also collaborates with custody and medical staff at Santa Rita Jail to train them on MAT, overdose prevention, and HEPPAC’s services.
With a public health approach to preventing opioid misuse, the National Prevention Science Coaltion (NPSC) works to increase awareness in families, and in public service and legal systems, about positive parenting programs that reduce the risk that children grow up to develop substance use disorders. NPSC does this through a public education campaign and offers free access to a gamified version of Triple-P, the Positive Parenting Program.
Roots Community Health’s East Oakland Opioid Response Initiative expands access to opioid addiction treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support for marginalized communities in East Oakland. Through mobile medication-assisted treatment (MAT), naloxone distribution, and culturally responsive care, Roots aims to reduce overdose deaths and improve long-term recovery outcomes.
Tha Town’s Junior Journalist program trains and pays youth to create articles, podcasts, and videos addressing the opioid crisis in Alameda County. This peer-led initiative aims to produce over 700 pieces of content to reach 70,000 youth and young adults in vulnerable communities. Partnering with local schools, the program offers paid internships focused on opioid education and prevention. By combining peer education with multimedia outreach, the initiative informs, engages, and empowers youth to reduce opioid misuse across the county.
Tri-Valley Haven is committed to achieving significant improvements in the support it provides to individuals struggling with substance abuse, particularly opioid addiction. The organization is focusing on three key goals: enhanced client outcomes, improved staff ability, and strengthened community collaboration.
Trybe’s Safe Spaces project reduces substance abuse among Oakland youth by providing healthy alternatives and mentorship through after-school programs, paid internships, and civic engagement. It offers workforce preparation, academic coaching, arts, sports, and structured activities in two safe spaces serving youth not in traditional programs. By engaging violence interrupters and ambassadors, the project addresses trauma and risk factors while fostering leadership, life skills, and community connection to empower youth and build resilience.
West Oakland Punks with Lunch’s project, Harm reduction, Education and Access to naloxone for safer Lives (HEAL), is a four-pronged approach to engage and uplift the voices of drug users in west Oakland. Through increased naloxone distribution, peer counseling, innovative educational materials, and a community advisory board, the organization works to end the overdose crisis in the local community.
Youth Uprising’s A Push Forward combats the opioid crisis through youth-centered prevention and intervention in Alameda County. Partnering with Castlemont High School, it offers interactive workshops, cognitive behavioral interventions, and case management for at-risk youth. Youth-led public health campaigns use social media, art, and community outreach to raise awareness. Trained youth ambassadors provide peer support, leveraging technology to increase engagement and connect 100 youth to counseling and resources, fostering resilience and informed decision-making.
Round 2 Grantees
Bay Area Community Health is expanding access to naloxone and overdose prevention education to directly reduce opioid-related deaths, especially in high-risk populations.
Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS) is tackling the opioid crisis in marginalized areas by distributing naloxone and providing harm reduction training.
Castro Valley Unified School District’s DASH Program (Drug Abuse Stops Here) serves secondary students, particularly those experiencing academic or emotional challenges, with substance abuse prevention & intervention activities and counseling. Partners include Eden Youth and Family Services’ Familia Adelante Program at the middle school level and Castro Valley High School’s Wellness Center.
CURA Inc.’s Aftercare Project provides structured transition from residential treatment to sober living environments, incorporating culturally competent case management and job training support to reduce recidivism and foster stability county-wide.
LifeLong Medical Care provides high-quality behavioral healthcare to communities facing health disparities, with a strong focus on harm reduction.
The Livermore Lab Foundation is supporting Fentanyl Alert Substance Testing (FAST), a new technology for rapid and accessible opioid detection. The technology aids a broader harm reduction strategy by helping identify fentanyl exposure, which can enhance response efforts to opioid overdoses.
Magnolia Women’s Recovery Programs is reducing the stigma associated with opioid use treatment for pregnant and parenting women, a population often overlooked in recovery efforts.
The Hayward South Alameda County NAACP is working to reduce opioid misuse, support diversion efforts, and provide access to treatment and recovery housing. The organization focuses on prevention and diversion to treatment instead of jail, as well as workforce development to help individuals reintegrate.
The National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse (NCAPDA)’s project focuses on preventing Substance Use Disorder and fatal overdose among Alameda youth and adults of all ages, particularly the county’s most at-risk populations. Key elements include an expansion of NCAPDA’s substance use prevention and harm reduction programs and the establishment of an Alameda County Overdose Prevention Collaborative (ACOPC) to substantially increase outreach and impact.
Women of Color on the Move is expanding mobile medication-assisted treatment (MAT) service delivery and comprehensive harm reduction (fentanyl test strips, sterile syringes), with a focus on marginalized women.
“Solutions that are needed to address the opioid epidemic require us to adopt a visionary approach, embracing the challenge to be innovative and nimble as we reach for immediate but lasting interventions. Through active community engagement and thoughtful collaboration, this grantmaking initiative will help discover and promote innovative ways and emerging strategies for prevention, mitigation, harm reduction, treatment and recovery.”
Eligibility Criteria
3VCF considered applications from:
- 501c3 nonprofit entities, or fiscally sponsored projects / community-based organizations of any size or stage of development. Both cities and school districts in Alameda County may apply, independently or in collaboration.
- Collaborative initiatives / applications of two or more organizations led by a 501c3. Collaborations were strongly encouraged, but not required.
- Priority consideration was given to applications that serve Alameda County’s most vulnerable communities, and populations that are disproportionately impacted by Substance Use Disorder (SUD), as outlined in 3VCF’s By the Numbers – Communities in Crisis – with Disparate Consequences. Priority was also placed on applications that include California’s High Impact Abatement Activities priority areas.
- All applications must have been designed to directly benefit and serve Alameda County.
APPLICATION WINDOW NOW CLOSED
Applications were submitted through Three Valleys Community Foundation’s Online Portal. For additional information please download the RFP.
Informational Webinar:
3VCF hosted an informational webinar for prospective applicants on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 at 12 noon PT. All nonprofits and community-based organizations interested in this grant opportunity were strongly encouraged to participate.
Here is a recording of the webinar information session for those who were unable to attend and our responses to FAQs.
Application Timeline
- October 15, 2024: Application process opened; RFP released
- October 22, 2024 at 12 Noon PT: Virtual information session for prospective applicants
- October 16, 2024 – December 9, 2024: Technical Support / Applicant Help Desk, info@3vcf.org
- December 10, 2024 by midnight PT: Grant applications due
- December 2024 – January 2025: Potential requests for supplemental information
- End of January 2025: Applicants notified of status
- February 2025: 3VCF met with Grantees and Grant Agreements Signed
- March 2025: Grants were awarded publicly at 3VCF State of Giving Gathering on March 13, 2025. Grant recipients were expected to have a representative attend this weekday evening event. All applicants were also invited.
- April 2025: First payment to grantees. Grant implementation initiated.
- October 2025: Mid-term formal progress check-in with grant recipients, site visits conducted as needed; final payment on approved grants
- April 2026: Final grantee check-in, reporting, and data collection