Washoe Opioid Abatement Recovery Fund Frequently Asked Questions
Can services be for individuals impacted by substance use in general?
Services must be for individuals with Opioid Use Disorder (does not need to be the primary diagnosis), Opioid miscues, or at risk of Opioid use and their co-occurring Substance Use Disorders and Mental Health diagnoses. The funds not for substance use in general.
How much money is being awarded in the 2024 NOFO?
The 2024-2026 WOARF cycle will award up to $4.5 million. Each priority area has a different estimated maximum award amount.
Priority 1 - $1 million
Priority 2 - $750,000
Priority 3 - $750,000
Priority 4 - $1 million
Priority 5 - $1 million
How many grants will be awarded?
This will depend on the number of applications and the grant amounts requested.
Who is eligible to apply for these funds?
Nonprofit's, government entities, and private entities are eligible to receive Washoe County Funds. Washoe County departments are also eligible to apply for funds through the competitive process so long as the proposal does not supplant existing Washoe County funds for the program.
My organization is interested in doing multiple projects, should we apply under multiple priority areas or just send one application?
Organizations may submit more than one application. All organizations should closely consider which priority area most closely aligns with their project activities.
If my organization receives funding, will we be required to sign a contract?
All organizations that receive funding will be required to sign a contract with Washoe County. The contract will include language about data reporting and performance expectations.
What are administrative costs?
Administrative costs are those expenses incurred by grant recipients or sub-recipients in support of the day-to-day operations of their organization. These overhead costs are the expenses that are not directly tied to a specific program purpose.
General Guidelines
- These expenses are not related to the direct provision of program activities.
- Administrative costs can be for Personnel, Non-Personnel, Direct or Indirect.
- The costs are usually for general operating expenses incurred by the organization.
- Budgets and financial reporting need to distinguish separately the cost between administrative and programmatic costs.
- Administrative costs have limitations and include a cap/limit on the amount of costs that can be claimed against the settlements/bankruptcies.
- This is done for most of the funds to be used for program purposes which benefit the program’s targeted population.
- The cap of administrative costs is determined by state statue or court order in litigation documents.
- Indirect costs are considered administrative costs and therefore must be included when determining if the administrative cap has been met.
- There is NO indirect for these funds.
The funding period is for two years, but the budget spreadsheet is based on a 12 month period. How should I fill out the budget?
There are three options, choose one:- Rewrite the formula in column F “Percent of Months Worked Annual” to be E#/24 and adjust the annual salary to include any cost of living increases in the now “average” Annual Salary
- Add an additional line for each employee Year 1 and Year 2
- Or, duplicate the spreadsheet and make a Year 1 and Year 2 and add the two together in your budget summary
If my organization receives funding, how long do we have to spend funds?
Washoe Opioid Abatement and Recovery Fund projects are active for up to 24 months for from the award notification date. Our team and your organization will determine your program's best performance start date. October 1, 2024, will be the performance start date for Washoe Opioid Abatement and Recovery Fund.
What will be our reporting requirements if my organization is awarded funding through this process?
Organizations will be required to provide quarterly activity and financial reporting regarding the use of funds, project impact, and populations served. The organization must follow federal procurement laws and ensure that funds charged to the grant are allowable and allocable to the grant determined by your Board of County Commissioners' approved scope of work and budget.
What criteria will be used to evaluate my application?
Criteria that may be used to evaluate applications include, but are not limited to: project impact, the population of the County to be served, alignment with Washoe County Opioids Needs Assessment Target Areas, sustainability, meaningful partnership with directly impacted people, and matching or in-kind contributions available to support the project.
My organization does not have a valid nonprofit status. Can we use a fiscal sponsor?
If your organization is not a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) nonprofit, you may use a fiscal sponsor to receive funds for your project. Your fiscal sponsor will be subject to accounting best principles and financial monitoring. Your fiscal sponsor must also be registered on SAM.gov and have a UEI#. Additionally, they will be a part of your team's reporting structure and provide detailed financial reports for draw requests. Lastly, the fiscal sponsor must follow federal procurement rules in compliance with the 2CFR200 Uniform Guidance.
If using a Fiscal Sponsor, your organization must have a written agreement or note signed by both entities stating that they are willing to serve as the fiscal sponsor.
Are Fiscal Sponsors eligible for their own grants in addition to grants they are sponsoring?
Yes. Fiscal Sponsors are eligible to apply for their own projects in addition to the projects they are sponsoring. The Sponsor must be willing to take on the financial risk and responsibility of passing funds through to the entity while working with the entity to provide financial reports and submit draw requests for allocable grant expenses.
My organization is not registered on SAM.gov or have its Unique Entity Identifier. Can we still apply?
Yes. Your organization can apply for the community grant but must initiate obtaining a UEI # now. In your application, please note your UEI status. We recognize that the federal government is processing thousands of SAM.gov registrations to access WOARF dollars. We will waive this requirement during the application phase but will not pay out funding until your organization is actively registered on SAM.gov with a UEI #.
What is a Certificate of Good Standing Nevada Business License?
An active Nevada Business License issued by the Secretary of State is sufficient for the grant program.
Aside from having a valid business license and NV vendor status are their any other license requirements?
Just those are required.
The application it asks if the applicant is SAPTA Certified under Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) 458, and Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 458 and do you have a minimum of two (2) years providing substance use disorder treatment, or if we are able to provide MOU’s for providers who are. Is it ok if we are not SAPTA certified?
SAPTA certification and MOUs are not required for every single priority but it is an important piece of information to understand whether the organization has the capacity to provide the services.
Will there be a second round of funding?
Washoe County will receive $41 million over the next 20 years. It is expected that the next round of funding will start in 2026.
What should my organization include in our grant application?
Complete all of the questions in the application and speak to how the project the organizations intends to do most fulfills the goals of the priority you are applying for.
How should the Edit Goals section be filled out?
There are various goals listed on the grant application portal. For that section of the application, you may either leave it blank or use the same number of units for each of the goals that your project fulfills with the units of your choice. For example, if your project impacts 100 individuals and falls under the Address economic impacts spurred or exacerbated by the pandemic goal, put 100 in the target email. For example:
What does budget scalability mean?
Scalability refers to the project’s budget ability to be increased or decreased without compromising the project. For example, if Washoe County didn’t award the full amount requested, would it nullify the project.
Can the proposed activity be two pronged? I.e. use funds to identify OUD in need of services and then also use funds to provide direct OUD services?
Yes.
Will the compensation be reimbursement or lump sum?
Grants will be reimbursed. On a case by case basis, organizations may be eligible for an advance.
Can the proposed activity be a new expansion of a current activity, as long as the new activity is not currently funded. i.e. hire additional staff so can expand the number of people served?
Yes, as long as the existing activity is maintained and those funds are not moved to another project.
Can we include more than one priority in a single project?
You can only select one priority per application. You can still speak to other priorities in your narrative.
Are the examples in the data measures examples or the expected measures?
Every priority will have a set of measures that will be required, but the measures will be developed in collaboration with awardees.
How do we show that we are evidence based?
Demonstrate through data the outcomes of your programming. Share the research that informed your program structure.
Does WOARF prioritize quantity over quality?
The fund prioritizes effective strategies that meet the unique needs of individuals while maximizing the potential good.
What does Overdose Prevention mean?
Overdose prevention refers to the tertiary prevention strategies of evidence-based overdose education and Naloxone distribution.
Does the project need to include inpatient treatment or can we coordinate outpatient treatment for clients and provide comprehensive wrap-around services for individuals with Opioid use disorder, co-occurring mental health disorders, and substance use disorders?
Projects under Priority 1 do not need to include inpatient treatment, but responses must result in uninsured and underinsured participants with OUD/Opioid misuse receiving treatment services that are comprehensive.
For the question about Current Funding, does this include all funds the Organization receives and does that have an impact on award amounts?
This should be all funding currently being received relevant to the treatment of substance use disorder and the staff associated with the project. The purpose is to help the County mitigate the risk of supplanting funding. Please note that failure to disclose a relevant funding stream may result in disqualification.
Can an applicant apply for more than the cap noted?
We will not be able to award over the cap. We need to be able to assess what the organization will accomplish at the maximum funding amount noted.
How can I find the Eligible Strategies According to the Settlement Agreement (Appendix A of the NOFO)?
At the end of the NOFO is a link to Appendix A: The Use of Funds by Settlement Agreement Spreadsheet. The first tab of the spreadsheet is a summary of all nine settlements. To see the details on the strategies noted, click on the “Links to Agreements Tab” and then click on the link provided for each of the settlement agreements.