While some drug addiction treatment centers charge fees, many offer their services for free, mainly because many patients have little money. These treatments centers receive most of their funding in the form of grants and private donations. Almost all government grants must be applied for and the application should explain how you intend to use the money and how your treatment center will benefit those who receive its services. Most philanthropic organizations and nonprofits follow similar procedures, although, being private agencies, they tend to have more discretion as to how the money can be dispersed.
Instructions
1. Apply for grants from private foundations. Each year, millions of grants are made available by individuals and organizations, some of which specialize in funding for drug treatment and women's issues. An online database of these grants is available at the Foundation Center website.
2. Solicit donations from philanthropic individuals and nonprofit organizations. Try to find out which entities regularly donate to your community and ask them for funding. The Open Society Institute, for instance, regularly offers grants to programs offering drug treatment in Baltimore, Maryland.
3. Apply for a federal grant. Each year, the federal government invests millions of dollars in drug treatment programs. Most current requests for grant applications related to drug treatment are placed on the website of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), but others offered by other agencies can be found by searching within an online database of federal grants.
4. If your treatment center is faith based or intends to work within a particular community, apply for a grant from the federal Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The agency offers a number of grants on a rolling basis throughout the year, so be sure to check frequently for new opportunities.
5. If some of the women you wish to treat are incarcerated, apply for a grant from the United States Department of Justice's Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) for State Prisoners program. Under the RSAT program, federal funding for treatment programs is made available to centers and groups that serve inmates in prisons or detention centers.
6. Many treatment centers also conduct research on their patients and their addictions. If you wish to include a research component in your treatment center, apply for funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which offers grants to individuals and programs that contribute to the science of drug abuse and addiction.
7. Apply for a state grant. The negative effects of drug abuse, which lead to increased hospital visits, crime and the loss of productivity, cost states large amounts of money. Hoping to reduce this expenditure, states often make funding available to treatment centers. Check with your state's health and human services office about grants and funding.
