Nonprofits Are Essential Partners in Maximizing Kentucky’s Opioid Settlement Investments

A recent article has renewed attention on how Kentucky’s opioid settlement funds are being distributed and whether communities are realizing the full intent of these historic investments thanks to a new report by Kentucky Center for Economic Policy highlighting spending through June 30, 2025.

At Kentucky Nonprofit Network, we’ve been actively working as the state association of charitable nonprofits and through our local and regional Coalitions of members to urge local leaders to not simply work with nonprofits in their community to discuss funding, but to strengthen the partnerships that make meaningful, lasting impact possible. Partnerships are the key to ensuring that opioid settlement dollars support effective prevention, intervention, treatment, recovery, and long-term community wellness.

Your local charitable nonprofits are uniquely positioned to meet people where they are. They have earned the trust of families, understand local needs, and often provide services that government cannot deliver at all or cannot deliver alone. They are more than recipients of potential opioid settlement funding – they are strategic partners that help local governments achieve better outcomes for their residents.

When nonprofits are included early in planning and decision-making, communities benefit from:

• Stronger coordination across systems of care.
• Greater accountability and community trust.
• Investments that reflect local needs and lived experience.
• Sustainable programs that continue serving residents long after one-time settlement dollars are spent.

Opioid settlement funding has been a priority of KNN since its announcement because Kentucky has an unprecedented opportunity to invest these resources in ways that create lasting change. We know that lasting change will require collaboration among state and local leaders, the nonprofit sector, and community members, especially those directly impacted or at risk – essentially, this issue impacts every Kentuckian.

It is critical that local governments embrace the expertise and partnership opportunities with their community’s charitable nonprofits and utilize the existing resources to help them put these dollars to use. We look forward to an expected dashboard with additional local spending details from the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General. KNN will continue to actively advocate for funding processes and nonprofits that are best positioned to maximize the impact of these funds in partnership with state and local government for the people and communities they were intended to serve. Kentucky’s nonprofits are working every day to prevent addiction, expand treatment and recovery, and at the most basic level – help individuals and families thrive. Kentuckians and our communities deserve thoughtful action.

To join KNN in this advocacy, learn more about our local/regional Coalitions of members.