Eligible churches and other nonprofits can apply for the annual FEMA Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). If awarded, the church can receive up to $150,000 per site for target hardening against potential terrorist or extremist attack. Many churches are unaware of this potential funding opportunity but could benefit substantially if awarded.
Funding is available for churches who own or who lease their facility. Churches can apply for funding for 1-3 sites for a total maximum potential funding of $450,000 for 3 sites. Funding amounts can vary each year depending on the federal budget. A site can be a completely different address such as a satellite campus under the same 501(c)3, or a separate building used for a different purpose but on the same campus, such as a preschool or food pantry building. If applying for multiple sites, a separate application must be submitted for each one.
The NSGP is a reimbursement grant, meaning churches will spend first and then submit invoices for reimbursement. Typically, the grant performance period is 3 years, so large projects can be broken into manageable phases that reduce out-of-pocket expenses to smaller portions which can be reimbursed before more money is spent.
Allowable expenses include upgraded interior and exterior door locks, blast-proof doors and windows, fences and gates, security cameras, generators, PA/emergency alert systems, security training and personnel, and other similar equipment, training, and technology-related items with the goal of target hardening. Each site applying for the grant is required to conduct a security vulnerability risk assessment and will then apply for allowable expenses that the assessment reveals are needed.
For instance, if the assessment reveals a church building is vulnerable due to never having upgraded from key cylinder locks or not having security cameras, then those are items to request funding for. All requested items must be linked to the vulnerability assessment results, and this makes a strong application. They should not be something completely unrelated, as this would be a weak application and likely to be declined.
Local law enforcement can administer an assessment or churches can conduct or obtain their own. The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Houses of Worship Security Self-Assessment tool online is a valid option and has been used with success for the NSGP. It contains approximately 50 questions regarding the facility and existing security procedures.
The grant is very competitive—applying in no way guarantees funding. In 2023, approximately half the applications received were approved for funding. Following all instructions carefully will ensure eligible churches have the best possible chance of winning a grant. When the official Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is released for the current year, scoring criteria will be made available. Understanding how each section of the application is scored can definitely help churches craft a competitive proposal.
Part of the competitive nature of the grant is showing why your church needs it. In the application, churches must demonstrate for each site that they are potentially high-risk targets for extremist or terrorist activity based on their ideology or beliefs. This could include incidents at or threats against the church or current events impacting similar organizations targeted due to similar beliefs. This is an important section of the application.
There are many expenses the grant won’t cover. Churches will want to be sure what they are requesting corresponds with the allowable expense list. Participating in informational webinars is a good way to gain a solid understanding of grant eligibility and allowable expense specifics and to ask questions that may be unique to your organization.
Before deciding if the NSGP is a good fit, church staff should consider the strings attached to receiving federal funding. Federal procurement procedures must be followed and documented and there is a hefty amount of ongoing program and fiscal reporting that accompanies winning a federal grant. Churches with multiple staff members and a strong accounting department will be better positioned to take advantage of this opportunity. One person alone will not be able to manage a NSGP grant application and project. FEMA requires that key roles be spread out and not performed by the same individual. Board members or other church members may also be able to perform some functions.
Churches awarded funding will need to document their procurement process when contracting vendors and making purchases. Documentation should be kept accessible after the grant FEMA has been completed, as FEMA can perform an audit up to three years after the grant period has ended. If noncompliance issues are discovered, funding may have to be returned. This should not scare churches off from applying. However, a realistic assessment of the staff capacity to properly administer such a grant is crucial.
The FEMA grants procurement resource library contains many helpful downloadable resources to help navigate the requirements including a Roadmap to Procurement Compliance Checklist and Top 10 Mistakes when Purchasing Under a FEMA Award. Taking the time to become familiar with these and other resources can be tremendously helpful in understanding the grant requirements.
Some components of the application process are quite time-consuming, so starting early can be beneficial. Before submitting an application, churches and other nonprofit organizations will be required to apply for a UEI (Unique Entity Identifier) through Sam.gov, which can take weeks to receive.
Additionally, an Environmental and Historic Preservation (EHP) review may be required before any awarded funds can be spent. The EHP review can take months to be approved, so a reasonable timeline for grant projects will allow the first few months of the grant period just for the EHP review.
Because the administration of a FEMA NSGP grant requires quite a bit of time, the grant allows for 5% of awarded funds to be spend on Management and Administration of the grant. If awarded the full $150,000, that equals up to $7,500 reimbursement for staff hours spent managing the project, fulfilling reporting requirements, etc.
If a church decides to apply for NPGP funding, they won’t apply directly to FEMA. FEMA awards funds to each state’s State Administrative Agency (SSA) and churches and other nonprofits apply to their corresponding SAA. Reach out to your SAA about the NSGP and applicable deadlines as they vary by state, as well as for eligibility criteria (the deadline posted on the FEMA website only pertains to SAAs).
If the deadline for this year’s funding cycle has already passed in your state, you may be able to sign up for updates from your SAA about the next funding cycle, or set a reminder to reach out to them a couple months before that date next year.
There is a lot of information to digest when considering applying for the NSGP. Once a church determines that they are eligible and do want to apply, ballpark estimates will be needed for each phase of the projects the church plans to accomplish in order to decide how much funding to request. Once the UEI has been applied for, the vulnerability assessment taken, and actual application has been written and submitted, there will be a breathing space of several months while waiting for award announcements, and then the work begins!
Although it is an involved process, the NSGP can be a wonderful opportunity for churches to achieve critical security upgrades to their facility that may not otherwise be possible and which can be a blessing for years to come.
