Preparing for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (1-11-22)

Dear Principals and Administrators,

 

The Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) is a federally funded grant made available through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS/FEMA). Its purpose is to provide support for target hardening & other physical security enhancements and activities to nonprofit organizations that are at a high risk of a terrorist attack. The NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) is the State Administrative Agency (SAA), which submits the final application package to FEMA on behalf of all NYS nonprofit applicants who submitted their applications to DHSES.

 

The grant is not yet opened and will probably open in the coming months. We would advise you to start preparing for the grant so that you can send in your application as soon as it becomes available.

If you are planning to apply for the grant, here is what to do:

 

1) Get Prequalified: NYS will not accept applications for grants unless the applicant is prequalified in the Grants Gateway. To begin the prequalification process, click here.

 

2) Get an assessment: Have a risk assessment done by a qualified person/company. The JCRC offers free security assessments to Jewish organizations located in New York City, Long Island and Westchester. To apply for a professional online assessment click here.

 

3) Application: Complete a specialized NSGP grant application, known as an Investment Justification.

 

4) Get help: The NSGP is a competitive grant which means that not everyone that applies will be awarded the grant. Prior experience has shown us that organizations retaining a grant writer considerably increases the chance of success.

 

Some other points:

 

Eligibility: All at-risk nonprofits (501(c)(3)) are eligible to apply.

Grant streams: As in recent years, there will be an “Urban Areas” program covering defined high-risk areas and a statewide program for non-urban areas, such as Monsey.

 

Amount: It is expected that maximum awards will be $100,000.

 

The Jewish Federation of North America (JFNA) has an FAQ and other helpful resources on their website here.