Community Access

Can I provide input on spending?

• 55% OneOhio Recovery Foundation share: No opportunities available (not required). Though the Foundation’s governing documents and policies acknowledge the importance of public engagement,[1] none establish any specific requirements or processes for the Foundation to receive public input,[2] and the Foundation has not yet established recurring opportunities for the public to provide input on uses of its share.[3]

  • Board. The Foundation’s Board of Directors meetings are open to the public, but its agendas have historically excluded public comment periods. Visit the Foundation’s Meetings and Events pages for information about upcoming and past meetings of the Board, Board committees, and Expert Panel.

  • Regions. Meetings of the 19 regional governing bodies are generally open to the public but are also not required to allow for public comment. Visit the Foundation’s website to find information about each region, including its governing body members, upcoming meeting dates, past meeting minutes, and contact information.[4]

• 30% local share: Up to each locality (not required). Local governments are not required to seek public input on uses of their shares. However, each may choose to seek such input. Watch for other opportunities to weigh in on city and county spending decisions, such as city council meetings and town halls.

• 15% state share: No opportunities available (not required). The state has not established recurring opportunities for the public to provide input on uses of its share.[5]

Can I apply for grants?

Yes. Visit the OneOhio Recovery Foundation’s website to learn more about grant opportunities from the 55% OneOhio Recovery Foundation share.[6] Local governments may create grant programs to distribute their share of funds. The existence, parameters, and processes for local settlement grant programs will vary by locality, so stay alert for new opportunities. Visit the Opioid Settlement Community Grants Portal (OpioidSettlementTracker.com and Legal Action Center) for the most up-to-date information on settlement grant opportunities for community organizations.

Where do I go for updates?

• For updates on the OneOhio Recovery Foundation’s share, visit the Foundation’s website, which includes Foundation news, upcoming Board and Expert Panel meetings, and an events calendar. You can also sign up for the Foundation’s email updates here.

• To find updates on the local share, a good starting point is to check the websites for your board of county commissioners, city council, or local health department. See, e.g., Summit County’s Opioid Healing Fund website.

• A single resource containing updates specific to the state share could not be found,[7] but you can review general information on the Ohio Attorney General’s opioid settlements page.

• You can also sign up for updates from Community Education Group’s Appalachian Opioid Remediation (AOR) Database, which tracks information about the 13 states of Appalachia.

What else should I know?

• The OneOhio Recovery Foundation was sued by a grassroots organization, Harm Reduction Ohio, for allegedly violating open meeting and public records laws. An early stage of the open meetings litigation was decided in Harm Reduction Ohio’s favor (the case was later settled).[8] In May 2023, the Supreme Court of Ohio ruled in a separate lawsuit by Harm Reduction Ohio against the Foundation that the latter must comply with the state’s public records laws.[9] However, Ohio’s fiscal years 2024-2025 budget bill overturned this decision by exempting OneOhio and its regional boards from multiple state transparency and anti-corruption laws, including the state’s public records law.[10] The Foundation has adopted governing documents and a Transparency Policy in which it voluntarily agrees to follow certain public access and transparency principles.[11]

• You can contact the OneOhio Recovery Foundation and/or request to be put in contact with your region using the Foundation’s online contact form or by emailing [e-mail].

Citations

1. See OneOhio Recovery Foundation Transparency Policy. Accessed September 1, 2024 (“The engagement of the public, government, experts, and key stakeholders such as those with lived experiences, is essential in order to successfully achieve the Foundation’s charitable mission”); OneOhio Recovery Foundation Grant Making Policy, Secs. III(a) (“Staff shall develop and implement a listening process informed by regional and statewide constituents to determine funding priorities as needed”), IV(a)(ii) (“Regions are encouraged to involve stakeholders from the private sector, such as experts in the OneOhio abatement strategies and people with lived experience with substance use disorders, in regional grant decisions”), V(d) (“The Expert Panel, as needed, may seek advice and information from outside experts”) (emphasis added) (April 10, 2024); OneOhio Recovery Foundation Expert Panel Policy, Sec. IV(c) (“Per the Grant Making Policy, the Expert Panel, as needed, may seek advice and information from outside experts”) (emphasis added) (December 13, 2023); OneOhio Recovery Foundation, Inc. Code of Regulations, Sec. 3.02(d) (Sept. 14, 2022) (“regions are encouraged to incorporate diverse private sector involvement, including participation by private sector stakeholders with treatment, prevention or abatement expertise, and individuals with lived or shared experience with substance use disorder”). ↑

2. The Foundation has held some individual stakeholder engagement meetings. See Stakeholder Engagement Summary – Meetings Completed & Scheduled Through May 2023. OneOhio Recovery Foundation. Accessed July 3, 2024. ↑

3. If you see this change, email [e-mail]. See also Frequently Asked Questions. OneOhio Recovery Foundation website. Accessed July 29, 2024 (“In pursuit of its mission, the OneOhio Recovery Foundation is actively developing the tools necessary to ensure transparency and make its resources for relief and recovery available across the state. All meetings will be publicly announced, recorded and shared. The Foundation encourages Ohioans interested in receiving updates to sign up on our homepage”). ↑

4. Select one of 19 regions from the “Regions” drop-down menu at the top of the page. ↑

5. If you see this change, email [e-mail]. ↑

6. Grant Headquarters. OneOhio Recovery Foundation. Accessed September 1, 2024. ↑

7. If you see this change, email [e-mail]. ↑

8. https://tinyurl.com/5n96h8w8 ↑

9. See the case’s history here: https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/Clerk/ecms/#/caseinfo/2022/0966; State ex rel. Harm Reduction Ohio v. OneOhio Recovery Foundation, 2023 Ohio 1547, ¶ 34. ↑

10. 2023 Ohio House Bill 33 Sec. 182.02. ↑

11. OneOhio Memorandum of Understanding, Sec. D(12); OneOhio Recovery Foundation, Inc. Code of Regulations, Secs. 3.06(f)-(g), 7.03 (Sept. 14, 2022). See also OneOhio Recovery Foundation Transparency Policy. Accessed September 1, 2024; OneOhio Foundation Expert Panel Policy, Sec. V(a) (Dec. 13, 2023). Some regional boards have also voluntarily agreed to abide by open meetings laws. See, e.g., OneOhio Region 17 Bylaws, Article IX Sec. I (July 20, 2022) (“OneOhio Region 17 will adhere to the Open Meetings Act (ORC 121.22) and shall have ‘open meetings’ which the public may attend”). ↑