EASTON, MARYLAND — Deadline first: Sept. 11, 2026, at 3 p.m. Talbot County has opened Opioid Restitution Fund Community Micro Grant applications for local nonprofits. A county press release dated Aug. 27, 2026, and the Sheriff’s Office ORF page set that cutoff. Late submissions will not be accepted.

The ORF program page’s 2027 application block lists one-time grants from $5,000 to $20,000. Money must be used by June 30, 2027. Funding comes from opioid settlement dollars paid by pharmaceutical companies and distributors, the Aug. 27 release says.

Eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations with active 501(c)(3) status in good financial standing. Projects must address opioid-related needs in Talbot County. Organizations must review the full guidelines at talbotcountymd.gov/orf before submitting.

Applicants seeking Council consideration submit a formal letter of interest that, at minimum, identifies the amount requested; justifies who benefits; illustrates the scope of work; summarizes how the money will be used; and describes how success will be measured. Applications go to the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office. Grant administrator: Lori Stepp, Talbot County Sheriff’s Office, 28640 Mary’s Court, Suite 100, Easton, MD 21601; email lstepp [at] talbotcountymd.gov.

The Aug. 27 release says applications are reviewed for eligibility and alignment with allowable ORF uses. Funding recommendations then go to the Talbot County Council. Sheriff Joe Gamble, on the record in that release, said local organizations remain on the front lines of prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm-reduction work, and that the second year of the micro-grant cycle is another chance to put settlement dollars into Talbot programs.