Security grants in the District of Columbia: NSGP through DC HSEMA and the Safe and Secure DC Nonprofit Fund

Status on October 15, 2026

The District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (DC HSEMA) is the State Administrative Agency (SAA) for FEMA's Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). It runs NSGP for the entire National Capital Region (NCR), which includes parts of Maryland and Virginia. The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice (DMPSJ) separately runs the District-funded Safe and Secure DC Nonprofit Fund.

How the National Capital Region works for NSGP

NSGP has two streams: NSGP-UA (Urban Area) for nonprofits inside a designated high-risk urban area, and NSGP-S (State) for everyone else. The NSGP program guide explains both. DC HSEMA's page says the District and the NCR "are only eligible to apply for the urban area NSGP program (NSGP-UA)." In practice, every District nonprofit competes in one regional pool with nonprofits from two Maryland counties and five Northern Virginia jurisdictions.

DC HSEMA collects applications from every NCR jurisdiction and submits one combined application to FEMA. MDEM's NSGP page gives the same instruction from the Maryland side: Montgomery and Prince George's organizations "must apply" through the District. The Maryland guide covers MDEM's rules and Montgomery County's own local grant. We did not review the Virginia agency's procedures, so a Virginia organization near the NCR line should confirm its stream with DC HSEMA in writing. The NOFO disqualifies an application filed in the wrong stream.

The FY2026 allocation

Appendix B of the FY2026 NOFO lists one row for the National Capital Region, under the District of Columbia: a total federal allocation of $7,095,331. That total includes $354,767 that DC HSEMA may keep for management and administration (M&A). The remaining $6,740,564 is the figure DC HSEMA's page quotes for nonprofit awards. Appendix C lists the District's NSGP-S allocation as $0.

The $7,095,331 covers the whole region, not the District alone. Neither the NOFO nor DC HSEMA's page splits it among the District, Maryland and Virginia, and we found no source that does. This page and the state lookup table use total federal allocations, so the figure to compare with other states is $7,095,331.

Request limits

DC HSEMA's page sets "$200,000" as the maximum for one application. An organization with several locations may submit up to three applications, for a maximum of $600,000. An organization with sites inside and outside the NCR deals with two SAAs and two deadlines, and each counts sites under its own rules. Ask both, in writing, how they apply the $600,000 limit before you plan more than one site.

How DC HSEMA took FY2026 applications

DC HSEMA used no portal. Applicants emailed their files to NCR.NSGP@dc.gov and to a second DC HSEMA address listed on its NSGP page, by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, July 10, 2026. The page tells applicants not to submit anything to FEMA or Grants.gov. FEMA later moved its own SAA deadline to July 31, 2026 (Information Bulletin 579), but DC HSEMA's page doesn't mention the change and kept July 10. Other states' dates are on NSGP deadlines.

DC HSEMA's page says "Applicants must submit the following three (3) documents to the SAA for a complete application," with set file names:

The NOFO also requires short bios and resumes for the organization's leadership and board, with names and addresses. DC HSEMA's page doesn't mention them, so ask DC HSEMA how to send them. For what the assessment must show, see vulnerability assessments; the how-to-apply guide covers the federal forms.

• Eligibility. DC HSEMA requires 501(c)(3) status and a location within the NCR. Under the NOFO, churches, mosques, synagogues and similar organizations that the IRS doesn't require to seek recognition need no IRS letter.
• UEI and SAM.gov. DC HSEMA says an applicant may leave the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) field blank and obtain the free identifier before subaward. It also says applicants need not complete SAM.gov registration. The FY2026 NOFO, however, says applicants must have a UEI and active SAM.gov registration. Ask DC HSEMA to resolve that conflict before the next round.
• Review. DC HSEMA conducts the "initial review and scoring," then submits the combined application. FEMA makes the final selections, using the scoring criteria in the NOFO.
• Payment. DC HSEMA's page doesn't say whether subawards pay by reimbursement or advance. Confirm it before you sign anything, and see after the award for the federal steps.

The Safe and Secure DC Nonprofit Fund (DMPSJ)

This District grant is separate from NSGP. The FY27 round offered up to $1 million for work through September 30, 2027. DMPSJ's program page reports that the preceding FY26 round awarded more than $746,000 to 12 organizations.

The FY27 Notice of Funding Availability and Request for Applications (RFA) are posted on the FY27 page as Adobe-hosted links that we couldn't read as text. The FY27 rules on this page come from DMPSJ's July 14, 2026 pre-bidders presentation and its published questions and answers (Q&A) as of July 29, 2026. Where they differ from the RFA, the RFA controls.

FY27 timeline

• August 5, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET: applications due. Late proposals were "INELIGIBLE."
• No later than October 1, 2026: DMPSJ notifies applicants of awards.
• Grant period: award date through September 30, 2027. The presentation sets quarterly reporting dates and an October 1, 2027 invoice deadline.

Who could apply

The applicant needs a physical location in the District and 501(c)(3) status. According to the Q&A, a house of worship that isn't required to hold an IRS determination letter may submit a signed letter on letterhead stating the basis for the exemption, and an organization covered by a national organization's letter may submit that letter with proof of coverage. Applicants answer a "Readiness and Eligibility Screening" in ZoomGrants. DMPSJ says an applicant doesn't need a history of terrorist or extremist attack, but it must describe why it may be at risk of one and how the project addresses that risk.

The presentation allows up to two applications for different District locations, and the Q&A requires a separate application for each physical location. Two offices at one address may each apply only if each is a separate eligible legal entity; one entity gets one application. The minimum award is $25,000. We found no stated maximum in the presentation or the Q&A.

What the fund pays for

The presentation names three focus areas: protecting soft targets and crowded places, planning, and exercises and training. Allowable costs include salary and fringe benefits for term or contract staff who perform protection functions, such as special police officers, security guards and off-duty law enforcement officers, plus equipment, training and related materials. The Q&A adds:

• Guards. The fund may support existing guard costs as well as expanded coverage, such as extra hours. Planning and pricing guard coverage is covered in security guard grants.
• Cameras. Funded cameras must comply with District camera-connectivity and video-sharing requirements, including integration with the Metropolitan Police Department's (MPD) Real Time Crime Center through CameraConnectDC. An applicant doesn't need an existing connection to apply, but answering "Yes" to the camera question commits it to comply if funded. See security camera grants for the federal camera rules.
• Other equipment. Replacing or modernizing access-control systems and obsolete CCTV; screening and weapons-detection equipment; controlled-entry vestibules, panic alarms, protective glazing and reinforced doors, when the application justifies them.
• Cybersecurity. Allowed when it supports the security of the physical site or its systems. Managed services and subscriptions must be limited to the grant period, and for a multi-year warranty the applicant requests only the grant-period share.
• Planning and training. Security assessments and plans, active-shooter and shelter-in-place training, and drills.

The fund doesn't pay for food, travel, lobbying, research projects, costs incurred before the award, existing debt or taxes owed, the remaining balance on a project already started, costs reimbursed by another District government grant, or general safety improvements unrelated to the fund's purpose. The Q&A says "All funded activities must be new to this grant program." The presentation and Q&A don't mention a match.

Applying, scoring and payment

Applications went through ZoomGrants only: "Applications submitted manually will NOT be accepted." The presentation's checklist lists a project summary, a proposal narrative of up to 10 pages, workplan and budget templates, and administrative documents, including:

• The IRS determination letter, a current DC business license (or a letter stating the exemption), and a Clean Hands Certificate from the Office of Tax and Revenue dated within one year of October 1, 2026.
• A certificate of good standing from the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, a tax certification affidavit, the board roster, and resumes and job descriptions for relevant staff.
• A certificate of insurance naming the District government or DMPSJ as certificate holder, and standard assurances and certifications.
• Two years of independent audit reports, an engagement letter for an audit within 12 months, or a letter explaining why neither is available.
• Quotes for every proposed purchase, including consulting and professional services, and a justification letter for any sole-source vendor.

The checklist also lists executed vendor agreements. Asked whether signed contracts were due with the application, given the bar on pre-award costs, the Q&A answered only by repeating the quote requirement. Ask DMPSJ before signing anything for a future round.

Reviewers score applications out of 100 points: proposal narrative 40, data and evaluation 20, organization and qualifications 20, and budget and financial management 20. The presentation says a score of "60 or less" isn't eligible, while the Q&A says projects scoring "60 points or higher" are considered. The documents therefore conflict on a score of exactly 60. DMPSJ should confirm which rule controls in a future round.

The fund pays by reimbursement. A grantee uploads each programmatic report and invoice package to ZoomGrants for DMPSJ's approval, then uploads the approved package to the District Integrated Financial System (DIFS) portal for payment. The organization pays vendors first, so it should plan the cash to carry costs until each claim is paid.

Using NSGP and the District fund together

The only published statement on overlap is from the FY25 round. In its FY25 Q&A, DMPSJ said an applicant "can be part of an active Federal NSGP award; however, if an applicant was selected and awarded an NSGP grant in FY24, the applicant cannot apply." It also said a different location could apply if it had no FY24 NSGP award. We didn't find a comparable rule in the FY27 presentation or Q&A, and we couldn't read the FY27 RFA. Before applying to a future round, ask DMPSJ in writing whether a recent NSGP award affects eligibility.

The FY27 materials bar costs "reimbursed by a different grant from DC Government." Because NSGP is federal, that sentence doesn't resolve overlap with NSGP. An organization holding both awards should assign each cost to one program and disclose the other award.

Schools and other programs

We found no other District-funded security grant for nonprofits or faith groups. DMPSJ's funding page also lists Safe Passage and Safe Commercial Corridors grants; we did not review them for nonprofit site security. A nonprofit private or religious school with its own 501(c)(3) entity may fit NSGP or the District fund; see private and religious school security grants. Guidance by faith community is on the church, synagogue and mosque pages. This page doesn't cover every private or invitation-only source.

Programs compared

Official documents

If DC HSEMA or DMPSJ issues a newer notice, form or instruction than these, the newer document controls.

Last checked and change log

Last checked: October 15, 2026, against DC HSEMA's NSGP page; DMPSJ's fund, FY26, FY27 and funding-opportunities pages, FY27 presentation and Q&A, and FY25 Q&A; the April 29, 2026 supplemental-funding release; MDEM's NSGP page; and FEMA's FY2026 NOFO, Information Bulletin 579 and September 28, 2026 announcement.

• October 2026: Page published. FY2026 NSGP closed for the National Capital Region on July 10, 2026; no NCR award list found. Safe and Secure DC Nonprofit Fund FY27 round closed August 5, 2026; no award announcement found.