RIZE Announces Grant Opportunity for Municipalities to Apply for Opioid Settlement Funds

September 18, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 18, 2025

CONTACT:

Molly McKinney, Ball Consulting Group, LLC
Phone: 617-243-9950; Email: molly@ballcg.com

RIZE Massachusetts Foundation Announces Grant Opportunity for Municipalities to Apply for Opioid Settlement Funds

$1.25M Made Available Through Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership

BOSTON (Sept. 18, 2025) – RIZE Massachusetts Foundation (RIZE), a nonprofit foundation solely dedicated to funding and collaborating on solutions to end the opioid overdose crisis in Massachusetts, announced today it will award $1.25 million in one-year matching grants to municipalities across the Commonwealth through Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership (Mosaic).

Mosaic is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, and powered by RIZE. The funding comes from the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund (ORRF), which resulted from the historic legal effort to hold private companies accountable for the devastation caused by the opioid overdose crisis. Mosaic is part of a network of programs and initiatives funded by ORRF to address the impact of the crisis in Massachusetts.

“Mosaic is a grant program like no other, which can save lives, end stigma, and support communities that have been harmed by the opioid overdose crisis,” said Julie Burns, president and CEO of RIZE. “We envision a Massachusetts with zero stigma and zero deaths, and the Municipal Matching Grant Program is a key component in this effort. It serves to establish or expand community-informed, data-driven strategies to collaboratively utilize opioid settlement funds and effectively respond to the crisis.”

The Municipal Matching Grant Program seeks to match directly distributed municipal opioid settlement funds, enabling cities and towns to use best practices to end the overdose crisis, conduct community outreach and needs assessments, and collaborate with others.

Grantees will also have access to comprehensive support from RIZE through Mosaic’s Municipal Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Program, ensuring municipalities have a trusted partner to develop and implement strategies and solutions rooted in their communities.

In August 2024, Mosaic announced its first grant program, Community-based Opioid Response Efforts (CORE), which is providing $3.75 million over three years to 18 community-based organizations.

Mosaic’s municipally-focused second program has provided nearly $1.5 million in matching grants to 75 cities and towns and their nonprofit partners since its launch in September of last year. Another $1.25 million will be distributed to municipalities in 2027.

In April of this year, RIZE announced a third Mosaic grant program of $7.5 million over three years, focused on family resilience, to community-based organizations. Awardees for that program are expected to be announced later this fall.

Mosaic is designed to fund initiatives that address the opioid overdose crisis in communities and populations that have been historically underserved and have experienced a high rate of opioid-related overdose deaths. This model will ensure that ORRF settlement dollars are invested and remain in the communities most deeply impacted by the crisis while also fueling transformative change through grassroots efforts.

Mosaic represents Massachusetts residents’ deep commitment to ending the opioid overdose crisis and improving the quality of life for people living with substance use disorder.

The Municipal Matching Grant Program application is available on Mosaic’s website: mosaic.rizema.org. Applications are due Nov. 7, 2025, and the grant period will begin in March 2026.

About RIZE Massachusetts

RIZE Massachusetts Foundation (RIZE) is solely dedicated to funding and collaborating on solutions to end the overdose crisis. Guided by those with lived and living experience and unafraid of new ideas, RIZE is building networks, creating programming, and investing in community partners using novel approaches to preventing overdose and increasing access to treatment and recovery supports. RIZE makes health equity a programmatic priority by addressing root causes such as racism, systemic barriers to care, and power imbalances. Learn more at rizema.org.

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Position Summary

The Massachusetts Harm Reduction Workforce Coalition (MAHRWC), established in 2024, is a statewide organization designed to strengthen, connect, and sustain the harm reduction workforce across Massachusetts through community, training, mutual support, and collective action.

The first of its kind in Massachusetts, MAHRWC continues to grow its network of harm reduction workers, advocates, and partners committed to saving lives and advancing justice across the Commonwealth.

The project coordinator will be fully dedicated to MAHRWC, providing day-to-day support for coalition operations, communications, and member engagement. This role helps ensure coalition activities run smoothly by:

  • Managing administrative systems and internal coordination.
  • Coordinating meetings, events, agendas, and follow-up materials.
  • Supporting data tracking, reporting, and documentation.
  • Serving as a key point of contact for members, partners, and other stakeholders.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, committed to public health and harm reduction principles, and comfortable working with diverse stakeholders, including community-based organizations, healthcare providers, policymakers, and people with lived and living experience.

 

Key Responsibilities

1. Administrative & Operational Support

  • Manage coalition calendars, schedules, and meeting logistics.
  • Coordinate virtual and in-person meetings, including agenda preparation and note-taking. This includes the coalition advisory board's regular bimonthly meetings.
  • Maintain shared drives, databases, and internal documentation systems (Google Suite, Zoom, Constant Contact).
  • Support the executive director with activities related to contract and grant reporting.
  • Provide logistical support for trainings, conferences, and coalition events.

2. Communications & Member Engagement

  • Serve as the first point of contact for coalition inquiries.
  • Maintain membership lists and distribution groups.
  • Draft and distribute newsletters, meeting summaries, and updates.
  • Support social media and website updates (if applicable) alongside other staff and consultants.
  • Assist in preparing reports, briefs, and presentations.

3. Data & Reporting Support

  • Track coalition activities, deliverables, and metrics.
  • Assist with grant reporting and compliance documentation.
  • Compile and organize workforce data and partner updates.

4. Event & Training Coordination

  • Coordinate registration and materials for workforce training along with the training coordinator.
  • Support the training coordinator with speaker communication and event logistics.
  • Gather participant feedback and evaluation data.

 

Qualifications

Required

  • Strong organizational and time management skills
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and virtual meeting platforms
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Preferred

  • Experience in public health, behavioral health, or harm reduction
  • Familiarity with workforce development initiatives
  • Experience supporting coalitions or multi-partner collaborations
  • Experience working with communities disproportionately impacted by substance use and overdose

Core Competencies

  • Commitment to harm reduction philosophy and health equity
  • Cultural humility and trauma-informed approach
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
  • Strong interpersonal skills and collaborative mindset
  • High level of discretion and professionalism

 

Work Environment

RIZE Massachusetts Foundation (RIZE), launched in 2017, is the only public-private partnership dedicated to ending the overdose crisis. Guided by those with lived experience and unafraid of new ideas, RIZE is building networks, creating programming, and supporting community partners using novel approaches to preventing overdose and increasing access to treatment. Since its inception, RIZE has awarded over $30 million to more than 275 organizations aligned with its mission.

As MAHRWC’s fiscal partner, RIZE provides financial and administrative support while respecting the group's autonomy and self-determination and supports the coalition’s efforts to dismantle systemic inequities and help build a future where compassion, dignity, and support replace stigma and neglect.

This position reports to RIZE’s chief program officer and works closely with the chief executive officer. It is a full-time, hybrid role with the expectation of two days in the office. RIZE is in downtown Boston, and occasional travel, primarily in-state, will be required for meetings and events as needed. This role may require evening and occasional weekend work.

We are an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, or other status protected under the law.