Giving Compass' Take:

• Karen Kahn discusses a report from Grantmakers in Aging that outlines strategies for philanthropists who want to make an impact on the opioid crisis. 

• What partnership opportunities exist that could maximize philanthropic efforts? 

• Learn about private sector action on the opioid crisis.

A report from Grantmakers in Aging (GIA), “Heartache, Pain, and Hope: Rural Communities, Older People, and the Opioid Crisis,” examines the differential impact of opioid misuse and abuse on older adults living in small towns and rural communities and interventions that provide potential models for scaling up the philanthropic and public response to this crisis.

Noting the need for widespread collaboration to address the opioid crisis, the authors write, “Commitment, creativity, ingenuity, and coordination between government, funders, nonprofits, and the medical community will be needed, if we are to make meaningful progress toward meeting the needs, and indeed, saving the lives, of individuals and communities in pain.” For funders and nonprofits, the report profiles a number of best practices that could provide models for successful interventions at the local, regional, or national level.

In the meantime, GIA has identified an array of promising interventions that philanthropic organizations could invest in to help rural communities address opioid addictions among people of all ages.

These strategies include:

  • Educating Clinicians to Better Manage Chronic Pain
  • Expanding Access to Medication-Assisted Therapy
  • Building Community Coalitions
  • Providing Senior-Centered Therapy
  • Training Community Health Educators

Read the full article by Karen Kahn about the opioid crisis at Nonprofit Quarterly.