Organizations proposing projects that serve Klickitat County residents can now apply for the 2027 Klickitat County Opioid Settlement Funds Request for Proposals, administered by SWACH in partnership with Klickitat County.
This is the second funding cycle managed through this process. A total of $115,670.46 is available to support projects during the January through December 2027.
“The funds are meant to abate the opioid epidemic in Klickitat County, so it is specific to Klickitat County residents,” said Ashley Gaffney, Director of Community Health Improvement at SWACH. “Organizations that are eligible to apply don’t necessarily need to be within Klickitat County, as long as the project they are proposing serves residents of Klickitat County.”
Projects must align with opioid abatement strategies outlined in the One Washington Memorandum of Understanding, which identifies eligible uses of settle funds, including prevention, treatment, recovery support and other opioid abatement activities.
What’s different this year
The amount of funding available for the 2027 cycle is lower than the previous funding cycle, when more than $288,000 was available. Gaffney explained that the first round included settlement funding that had accumulated over multiple years while Klickitat County established its Opioid Abatement Council and developed a process for distributing the funds.
The RFP also updates how priority populations are described.
Last year’s RFP identified several specific populations for priority consideration. For 2027, the RFP takes a broader approach, prioritizing proposals that serve underserved and/or vulnerable individuals and families impacted by substance use disorder or opioid use disorder.
Organizations that received opioid settlement funding during the previous cycle may apply again. Applicants seeking continued funding will be asked to describe steps taken to sustain their work beyond the one-year funding period.
“Sustainability is something that we will be looking at,” Gaffney said. “For applicants that have received opioid funds in the past, we’re asking what they’ve done to attempt to sustain that work.”
How funding decisions are made
Applications will be reviewed by the Klickitat County Opioid Abatement Council using a scoring matrix and funding decision-making process tied to the questions in the application, community needs and approved uses under the One Washington MOU.
Applicants may request awards ranging from $1,000 and $115,670.
According to Gaffney, the council will consider several factors beyond an application’s overall score, including the project’s potential to address the opioid epidemic, its impact on Klickitat County residents, whether funds can be spent within the contract period, sustainability, long-term feasibility and how well the project responds to community needs.
Strengthening services in a rural community
For Gaffney, the funding is especially important because of the challenges that can come with accessing services in a rural county.
“With Klickitat County being a rural county, there is a scarcity of resources,” she said, pointing to challenges such as transportation and the distance between people and available services.
The funding can strengthen services for people affected by substance use disorder, opioid use disorder or co-occurring mental health needs. It can also support expanded services or new projects that address eligible opioid abatement priorities.
“It really strengthens what the community can do to support individuals who have been impacted by the opioid crisis,” Gaffney said.
Learn more and apply
SWACH’s Klickitat County Opioid Abatement Council webpage includes the full RFP, application information, previously funded projects and updates on how opioid settlement funds are distributed.
Community members can also use the page to share priorities for opioid settlement funding and provide feedback on how funds are used.
Applications are due October 30, 2026, at 5 p.m.
Learn more and apply at southwestach.org/klickitatoac.