Applications are open in four states for our 2025 microgrants
Across the country, billions in opioid settlement funds are now flowing into states, cities, and towns — yet how that money is spent remains unclear. This is a critical follow-the-money moment. Investigative and accountability journalism is essential to ensure transparency and hold public officials accountable for how these funds are used to address the addiction crisis.
To support this vital reporting, and thanks to funding from the Open Society Foundations, Reporting on Addiction is offering four microgrants ($500–$1,000 each) for journalists reporting in Kentucky, Maine, New Jersey and New York to investigate how opioid settlement funds are being allocated and spent in their cities and states. Applications are due by June 15.
Jonathan JK Stoltman
Read about the 2024 microgrant recipients.
Stories can be published in any format — digital, audio, video, photo, or multimedia — and should aim to go beyond daily news coverage. We’re looking to fund stories that dig deep into this topic and would likely not be told without the additional support to do them. Priority will be given to submissions focused on:
- Spending (or a lack of spending) related to evidence-based prevention, addiction, harm reduction, treatment and/or recovery
- Issues with waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement of opioid settlement funds
- Incorporating the perspectives of impacted community members
- Helping communities understand the spending decision-making process (or lack of process)
Final pieces must be published by February 1, 2026. Freelancers should secure a publication commitment before applying and supply supporting documentation.
Grants will be awarded by a panel of journalists, educators, and experts committed to improving addiction reporting. Recipients will be announced in July 2025.
Questions? Reach out: contact@reportingonaddiction.org
At Reporting on Addiction, we’ve spent the past four years supporting journalists who strive to reduce stigma and increase empathy through their addiction coverage. Investigating how opioid funds are used is not just a story, it’s a responsibility.
Supported in part by a grant from Open Society Foundations