Giving Compass' Take:

· The rising number of overdoses caused by the opioid epidemic is raising concerns from every part of the country. PhilanTopic discusses the increased need for philanthropy to address this crisis and provides a few ways organizations can focus their resources to make an impact.  

· How can the private sector focus their resources to address this issue in an effective way? How can philanthropy help society navigate this crisis and find solutions for the affected areas? 

· Learn more about the opioid epidemic and how to the private sector can help.

Philanthropy is critical to a flourishing democratic society, one in which a vision for solving intractable problems and empowering people to thrive is shared by most, if not all. Among other things, philanthropy has been a driver of some of the greatest breakthroughs in the public health area, including the discovery of a vaccine for polio and the development of antiretroviral therapy to address the scourge of HIV/AIDS. Yet as we consider the most urgent public health crisis in America today — the disease of addiction and the threat posed by the opioid epidemic to our communities and families — we are at a loss to explain the glaring absence of a robust philanthropic response.

Overdose is the number-one cause of accidental death in the United States, its impact felt across every demographic and zip code. Opioid overdoses alone kill more people in a weekend than the worst hurricane, and yet there has been no emergency-like response, from philanthropy or government. With a few notable exceptions, foundations and grantmakers focused on health and social issues have gone AWOL, leaving much-needed solutions desperate for funding support. Just recently, for example, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, one of the few foundations to focus on substance use disorders, announced that it will be phasing out its grantmaking in this area.

Read the full article about the opioid epidemic by Mitch Nauffts at PhilanTopic.