West Virginia allocates $6.21M for drug crisis grants

The West Virginia First Foundation has announced it will distribute $6.21 million in grants to help combat the state’s drug and overdose crisis. The funding comes from West Virginia's share of opioid settlement money, expected to reach about $1 billion over the next decade. The announcement was made during the foundation's first quarterly meeting of 2025. However, details about how many organizations will receive grants were not disclosed. Individual grants were discussed in a closed session of the board. A spokesperson indicated that recipients will be notified by March 31. After that, the names of the organizations receiving the funding will be made public. This funding round is part of a supplemental grant cycle initiated in December. Last year, only $10.4 million of the planned $19.2 million was awarded due to challenges with the application process. The board plans to hold quarterly public meetings in 2025, and updates from Thursday's meeting were limited. Along with the grant approvals, the board updated its travel policy and formed a new committee called "New Horizons," which will focus on future initiatives.