Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA)

The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) Community-based Coalition Enhancement Grants to Address Local Drug Crises Grants is a federal funding opportunity administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), in partnership with the Executive Office of the President, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The opportunity is designed as an enhancement grant program for current or formerly funded Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program recipients. The DFC Support Program was originally established under the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997 to strengthen community coalitions working to prevent youth substance misuse. Through this CARA funding opportunity, federal agencies aim to expand coalition-based prevention activities that specifically target opioid use, methamphetamine use, and prescription drug misuse among youth ages 12 through 18 in communities throughout the United States. The primary purpose of the grant is to support local coalition efforts that prevent and reduce the use of opioids and methamphetamines and the misuse of prescription drugs among youth populations. Funding is intended to enhance existing prevention infrastructure and expand evidence-based community responses to local drug crises. Eligible coalitions must demonstrate that their communities have experienced opioid misuse or methamphetamine use rates higher than the national average over a sustained period. The grant emphasizes coordinated local prevention strategies involving schools, governments, nonprofits, tribal entities, community organizations, and public health stakeholders. Activities supported through the program may include youth prevention initiatives, community education campaigns, local coalition coordination, prevention programming, strategic planning, and outreach efforts focused on substance misuse prevention. The funding opportunity is classified as a discretionary federal grant under Assistance Listing 93.799. The estimated total program funding available is $18,750,000, with approximately 50 awards expected. The award ceiling is $75,000. Although the funding announcement lists an award floor of $0, the notice does not establish a true minimum funding level and instead indicates only a maximum award amount. No cost sharing or matching requirement is required under this opportunity. The grant is intended solely for domestic activities and does not authorize funding for organizations or projects outside the United States or its territories. Applicants are expected to comply with applicable federal executive orders and federal policy priorities referenced within the announcement. Eligibility is restricted to domestic public and private nonprofit entities that are current or former recipients of the Drug-Free Communities Support Program. Eligible applicants may include nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status, public and private institutions of higher education, city or township governments, county governments, independent school districts, federally recognized tribal governments, Native American tribal organizations, special district governments, and other community-based organizations determined appropriate under the authorizing legislation. The funding announcement further clarifies that eligible coalitions may include state and local governments, urban Indian organizations, professional associations, voluntary organizations, consumer and provider-oriented constituency groups, self-help organizations, faith-based organizations, and tribal organizations. Applicants must reside within the United States or U.S. territories and must provide documentation supporting elevated local opioid or methamphetamine misuse rates. Applications are due electronically through the federal grants submission system no later than June 8, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The funding opportunity was posted on May 6, 2026. The notice does not identify a separate letter of intent, concept paper, or pre-application phase requirement. Similarly, the announcement does not provide detailed application evaluation criteria, award notification dates, or a specific project performance period within the synopsis text provided. Applicants are expected to submit complete electronic applications consistent with federal grant application requirements and any additional instructions contained within the full funding announcement package available through Grants.gov. The grant announcement identifies Christi Jones as the program contact for applicants experiencing difficulty accessing the announcement electronically. Applicants may contact the program using the official email address CARA_NOFO@cdc.gov. The opportunity appears to be part of an annually recurring federal initiative tied to ongoing congressional authorization under the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act and the Drug-Free Communities framework. Based on the federal fiscal cycle and the current application schedule, organizations interested in future rounds should anticipate a similar application timeline during spring or early summer of subsequent fiscal years. The funding opportunity supports the broader federal strategy of protecting youth from substance misuse through community coalition engagement, prevention education, and local capacity-building efforts focused on addressing drug misuse trends at the community level.

Document strong community coalition capacity and provide clear evidence that local opioid misuse or methamphetamine use rates exceed the national average. Emphasize youth prevention strategies coalition partnerships and community-based prevention outcomes.