Washington County Substance Abuse Council opens 2027 mini-grant applications

Submitted by the Washington County Substance Abuse Council

The Washington County Substance Abuse Council (WCSAC), the county’s  Local Coordinating Council, is now accepting applications for its 2027 Mini-Grant cycle.  The grants support local projects that prevent and reduce substance abuse in Washington  County. Funded projects will run from January 1 through December 31, 2027. 

Applications are due Thursday, December 3, 2026, and must be delivered in person by the applicant or a representative at WCSAC’s regular meeting at 4:00 PM in the lower-level  conference room of the Washington County Government Building, 806 Martinsburg Road,  Salem, IN 47167. Online submissions will not be accepted. After applications are received,  the Council will review them and may request revisions. 

Nonprofit organizations, treatment facilities and programs, law enforcement agencies,  schools, and other community organizations are eligible to apply. WCSAC especially  welcomes applications from the local health department, youth service organizations,  school affiliates, religious and spiritual organizations, community mental health centers,  the recovery community, the courts, the sheriff, local police, and probation services. 

Projects must fall into one of three categories. Because these are mini-grants, funding is  capped at $10,000 per category, which is the most that can be awarded across all projects  in that category: 

• Prevention and Education: awareness and education activities, skill-building,  alternative programming, and efforts to build stronger, more supportive families,  schools, and communities 

• Intervention/Treatment: services for people identified as needing recovery  support, including identification, referral, assessment, and treatment 

• Justice Services/Support: activities addressing the legal consequences of  substance abuse, such as special patrols or initiatives, officer training, and drug  court 

Organizations with more than one project may submit them in a single application, with a separate budget for each. Funds may not be used for general overhead such as rent and 

utilities, or for travel and lodging. Salaries and overtime may be funded only for specific,  documented initiatives. Applicants should review the full guidelines before applying. 

Grant recipients must credit WCSAC as a funding source on all promotional materials,  report on their projects in person at Council meetings throughout the grant year, and  submit a final report with receipts and invoices by December 31, 2027. 

“If your organization is working to address substance abuse in our community, I encourage  you to apply for grant funding. Whether your focus is law enforcement, prevention,  education, or professional training, we want to hear from you. Take the next step, submit  your grant application, and help us make a meaningful difference in the lives of Washington  County residents,” said Tara Coats Hunt, president of the Washington County Substance  Abuse Council. 

Applications and guidelines are available from Courtney Williams, WCSAC coordinator, at  812-216-4865 or crwilliams0625@gmail.com. WCSAC encourages current members and  past grantees to share this announcement with other organizations that could put the funds to use. 

About WCSAC

Each Indiana county has a Local Coordinating Council (LCC), the planning and  coordinating body for addressing alcohol and other drug problems. LCCs are made up of  volunteer members from education, treatment, social services, and local police. LCCs are funded through the county drug-free community fund, which supplements local funding for  treatment, education, and criminal justice efforts. The fund comes from fees paid by people convicted of certain offenses; 75 percent stays in the county and 25 percent goes to the state drug-free communities fund. 

WCSAC meets every other month on the first Thursday at 4:00 PM at the Washington  County Government Building, 806 Martinsburg Road, Salem.