Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly named a statewide addiction recovery project that goes by the acronym ACCORN, which stands for Appalachian Continuum of Care for Overdose Reduction Network.
Funding approved at the West Virginia First Foundation’s annual meeting Thursday marked nearly $40 million in total funding commitments made in a week.
This week’s funding included:
The announcement of a $8.8 million supplemental round of funding
The initial $10.4 million in WVFF’s Initial Opportunity Grant funding
Direct funding of $20 million allocated for the Appalachian Continuum of Care for Overdose Reduction Network (ACCORN)
During the meeting, the Board voted on the Initial Opportunity Grants, announced a new supplemental grant application period and elected new officers for 2025.
Initial Opportunity Grant
WVFF launched the Initial Opportunity Grant program to support opioid crisis initiatives.
According to a news release, there were 174 applications received, and the Board approved funding totaling $10.4 million.
However, the board is not currently announcing who the recipients are.
The following board members recused themselves from reviewing, scoring and voting on the applications in the following target areas to remove any potential conflicts of interest:
Jon Dower: Transitional/Recovery Housing Expansion, Diversion and Interdiction Program
Greg Duckworth: Child Advocacy Centers/PPW-NAS, Youth Prevention and Workforce Development
Steven Corder: Child Advocacy Centers/PPW-NAS
Tim Czaja: Diversion and Interdiction Program
Introducing a supplemental round for funding
The board also announced a “supplemental round” of funding to reach its original goal of $19.2 million disbursed for the 2024 grant year. Board chairman Matt Harvey acknowledged that it was “not traditional” to offer applicants who were not funded in the initial funding round the opportunity to address application deficiencies.
That means this second chance will allow these organizations to work with WVFF staff directly on how to meet the necessary criteria and potentially receive their cut of the remaining $8.8 million of Initial Opportunity Grant funds.
In a post-meeting statement, Harvey said, “Our ultimate goal is to save lives and restore families. This supplemental round ensures that organizations that experienced challenges during the first round have an opportunity to succeed while maintaining the integrity and accountability of the process.”
Board elections and administrative updates
WVFF held its first annual election of officers. None of the positions changed, meaning that they remain as follows:
Chair: Matthew Harvey
Vice-Chair: Matthew Christiansen
Treasurer: Jeff Sandy
Secretary: Dora Stutler
WVFF also announced the completion of its administrative staff. The team includes:
Jessicah Cross, Chief of Staff
Rachel Thaxton, Director of Support Operations
Danin Cather, Chief Marketing Officer
Romeo Tan, Chief Operating Officer
Anthony Woods, Chief Financial Officer
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