Syringe Services & Community-Based Harm Reduction Programs

The Comer Family Foundation provides grant funding to support syringe services and community-based harm reduction programs that aim to improve the health and wellness of people who use drugs. Since 1992, this initiative has played a role in reducing opioid overdoses and preventing the transmission of HIV and viral hepatitis through support of organizations grounded in harm reduction principles. These programs offer free access to safer use supplies, educational outreach, and community-based wraparound services. Grants are available to U.S.-based organizations that are tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and not classified as private foundations. The foundation also welcomes applications from tribal governments and tribal organizations using a fiscal sponsor. Eligible applicants must operate harm reduction or syringe services programs that have been in operation for at least one full year. In addition, applicants must have organizational budgets under $600,000 and must provide safer use supplies as part of their core program offerings. The foundation prioritizes funding for organizations led by people who use drugs, as well as Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, and those disproportionately impacted by criminalization, HIV, hepatitis C, and overdose. Funding is also prioritized for organizations located in geographic areas with limited availability of safer use supply programs, areas with few or no harm reduction resources within a 100-mile radius, and communities with high rates of HIV, HCV, overdose, or injection drug use. Additional priority is given to organizations with statewide strategies, those offering innovative models at the regional or national level, and those positioned to influence policy outcomes. Grants are awarded as single-year general operating support gifts and may include funding for harm reduction supplies. The average award ranges from $2,500 to $20,000 per year. There is no match requirement. Grant cycles recur twice annually, with applications due on May 1 and November 1. Submissions must be completed online by 11:59 p.m. CST on the due date. Required documentation includes a project budget, IRS determination letter (or fiscal sponsor documentation), a list of board members with professional affiliations, and optional letters of support. Organizations must create an online user profile prior to submission. Once registered, applicants may save and return to the form before submitting. The program is open to applicants across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Native American Reservations or Tribal Lands. It supports both urban and rural harm reduction efforts and is part of the Comer Family Foundation’s ongoing commitment to supporting public health responses to drug-related harms in underserved communities.