Security grants in Maryland: NSGP through MDEM or DC, and state programs

Status on October 14, 2026

The Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) is the State Administrative Agency (SAA) for NSGP in most of Maryland. Nonprofits apply to the SAA, which submits to FEMA; the FY2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) bars nonprofits from applying to FEMA directly.

MDEM opened its FY2026 window six days after FEMA published the notice on June 24 and closed it 15 days later. FEMA then moved its own deadline for SAAs to July 31 (Information Bulletin 579), but MDEM's page still shows July 15 for nonprofits. Other states' dates are on NSGP deadlines, and the steps every applicant follows are in how to apply.

Which agency takes your NSGP application

NSGP-UA (Urban Area) funds nonprofits inside a designated high-risk urban area, and NSGP-S (State) funds the rest; the NSGP program guide explains both. Two FY2026 urban areas include Maryland jurisdictions, and DC HSEMA runs one of them. MDEM's NSGP page assigns each jurisdiction:

These are total federal allocations from the FY2026 NOFO (Appendix C for NSGP-S, Appendix B for urban areas). Each includes the share of up to 5% that the SAA may keep for management and administration (M&A); on that basis, MDEM's two streams total $3,905,398. The National Capital Region figure also covers the District and five Northern Virginia jurisdictions, and FEMA publishes no Maryland share. DC HSEMA's page quotes $6,740,564, which is the NOFO's amount for nonprofit projects without M&A.

MDEM marks Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, and Howard counties with an unexplained asterisk. The NOFO tells applicants to get each urban area's footprint from the SAA and disqualifies applications in the wrong stream. For a site in a marked county or near a county line, get MDEM's stream decision in writing before anyone drafts the Investment Justification (IJ).

Montgomery and Prince George's counties

Organizations in these two counties "must apply" under the National Capital Region through the District of Columbia, according to MDEM's page. For FY2026, DC HSEMA took applications by email to NCR.NSGP@dc.gov and a staff address listed on its page. The page listed the IJ, a mission statement, and the vulnerability assessment, with set file names such as "FY2026_NSGP_UA_DC_NCR_<Nonprofit Name>" for the IJ. The NOFO also required bios and resumes from every subapplicant, so ask DC HSEMA how to send them.

An organization with sites on both sides of the line deals with two agencies and two deadlines. DC HSEMA's page allows "up to three (3) separate applications for different locations in total," for a maximum of $600,000 per organization, while MDEM allows up to six Maryland sites under the same $600,000 cap. Ask both, in writing, how they count sites in both areas.

How MDEM took FY2026 applications

MDEM used no portal, no account, and no separate registration deadline. Each organization sent one email to nsgp.mdem@maryland.gov with the complete packet attached as PDFs. The required subject line was "FY2026 NSGP APPLICATION - [Organization Name]" with the name filled in. MDEM wrote that applications sent outside the window "will not be accepted," and its 4:00 p.m. cutoff names no time zone (Maryland is on Eastern time). MDEM won't consider packets sent to FEMA or Grants.gov. It listed no pre-application webinar.

The packet had four documents:

• The FY2026 IJ. MDEM wouldn't consider an earlier version, or addendums, so answers must fit the form. The file won't open in a web browser; download it and use a PDF application.
• A vulnerability assessment of the site, which MDEM says local law enforcement or a security company should conduct. The federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) performs assessments at no cost. Only houses of worship may assess themselves, using CISA's self-assessment.
• The mission statement on official letterhead.
• Short bios and resumes naming the entity type, leadership, and board members, with their names and addresses.

Every organization, including past subrecipients, also owes an IRS Form W-9 under MDEM's FAQ. MDEM sends an FY2026 Sub-application Quick Start Guide with its notification email or on request; it isn't posted. The NOFO and IJ form were on the Grants.gov FY2026 listing, archived August 23, 2026. For what the assessment must show, see vulnerability assessments.

MDEM's rules after an award

The post-award guide covers federal requirements. MDEM's FAQ adds Maryland procedures, though several answers still describe FY2023 awards, so your executed subaward controls.

Treat the FAQ's bid thresholds with care. It says MDEM "has established an upper limit of $50,000 for micro-purchases," so multiple bids are needed only above $50,000, and it cites the FY2023 federal micro-purchase threshold of $10,000. The FY2026 NOFO sets that threshold at $15,000 for purchases on or after October 1, 2025. An organization may self-certify a threshold up to $50,000 under 2 CFR 200.320(a)(1)(iv), but only with a written annual justification backed by low-risk audit status or an internal risk assessment. Before buying anything over $15,000 without competitive quotes, get MDEM's answer in writing. See procurement rules.

Maryland state programs

Maryland funds two hate-crime security grants, one for nonprofits and one for schools and child care centers, plus a formula program for some nonpublic schools.

Protecting Against Hate Crimes (PAHC)

Chapter 746 of 2023 (Senate Bill 840) created the Protecting Against Hate Crimes Grant Fund in Public Safety Article section 4-1601. It authorizes the Governor to budget $5,000,000 a year for the fund from fiscal year 2025. The SFY2027 notice offered $10,000,000 for July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, with no extension. The Governor's August 25, 2026 release counts 116 organizations in its subheading and "more than 100" in its text.

PAHC rests on hate-crime risk under Maryland's Criminal Law Article, and GOCPP points organizations at high risk of terrorist attack to NSGP. Its mechanics also differ:

GOCPP gives priority to organizations with direct or recent hate-crime threats or incidents and to those without a PAHC award in the past three fiscal years. Consultants in a project budget, such as trainers, are capped at $81.25 an hour or $650 a day without GOCPP's advance approval. Reimbursement follows quarterly reports, and the notice warns against requesting more than the organization can carry while it waits. Guidance by faith community is on the synagogue, church, and mosque security grant pages.

MCSS Hate Crimes Grant for schools and child care centers

MCSS, part of MSDE, offered $3.5 million in state funds for FY2027 (MCSS notice). Nonpublic schools approved under the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 13A.09.10, including registered church-exempt schools, and private schools approved under COMAR 13A.09.09 had to appear on MSDE's list. Child care centers approved to operate in Maryland and local school systems could also apply. The notice doesn't list nonprofit status among its criteria; applicants had to be at risk of hate crimes, and proof of a direct incident earned priority points.

• Scoring added points for first-time applicants and documented direct targets, and took 5 points from FY2025 or FY2026 grantees that never filed a reimbursement request.
• Guards are reimbursed up to $40 an hour, and sworn officers up to $75, only for instructional hours, Monday through Friday, per MCSS's FAQ. Time records and activity logs go with each claim.
• Claims follow a completed, paid project. A vendor invoice stamped "PAID" isn't proof of payment. The grant has no extensions, and the final claim is due July 30, 2027.
• Maintenance agreements, subscriptions, construction, and pre-award costs aren't allowed. Door and lock hardware must meet fire and building codes to be reimbursed.

Schools sharing an address must choose one applicant, per the FAQ on MCSS's grant page. MCSS's Safe Schools Fund Grant lists only local public school systems as applicants.

Nonpublic School Health and Security (NSHS)

MSDE's FY2026 page, archived July 29, 2026, funds school nurses, other health services, and security such as surveillance systems, alarms, and trained personnel. Only nonpublic schools that took part in both the BOOST Scholarship and Nonpublic Textbook programs in fiscal year 2025 could apply. Each got a base award of $8,681 plus a per-student amount, MSDE estimated 144 grants, and applications closed at 11:59 p.m. on September 26, 2025.

We couldn't confirm any FY2027 amount, rule, or date: MSDE's NSHS page and FY2027 guide wouldn't open on October 14, and its restored Grant Programs page doesn't list the program. Other routes for day schools are in private and religious school security grants.

Montgomery County's FY27 Nonprofit Security Grant (local)

This county program is separate from NSGP and the state grants. It's the one local program we verified; for other counties, ask the county's emergency management or grants office. The Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security runs it with the Office of Grants Management (OGM), using $1,200,000 from the FY27 county budget (county NOFO).

An organization may request up to $15,000 per facility, with a separate application for each of up to four facilities. The grant period is 12 months from the date the county signs the agreement. Funds can pay for security personnel, a security assessment or plan, training, a drill, new cameras, and a fususCORE device that shares camera feeds with the county police. They can't pay for other equipment, facility upgrades, supplies, camera monitoring, the device's subscription, or costs before a signed contract.

The county adds conditions NSGP doesn't have. The organization must be in good standing with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation, show "Current" (or exempt) on the Maryland Charities Registry, and have its principal place of business in the county (a national or regional organization needs a county location that provides the services). Funded activities must take place in the county, exclusively for county residents. They must also be free, open to all residents, and not provided to promote a religion or with a requirement to attend services or programs, and the money can't replace existing funding. Before you apply, ask OGM how the open-to-all and religion conditions apply to security at a house of worship.

The NOFO sets this order:

1. Register as a county vendor.Organizations not yet in the County Vendor Registration System must register before submitting.
2. Create a profile on the county's Euna (eCivis) portal.Sign in at the grants portal before you select Apply on the FY27 solicitation. The NOFO's program-page link still read "TO BE INSERTED," and the county's open-solicitations page listed nothing when we checked; write to grants@montgomerycountymd.gov if you can't find it.
3. Complete every task.Upload police reports of prior hate or bias incidents, the board list, and the latest Form 990 or an explanation. Enter the budget in Euna's budget tool, then upload at least two vendor quotes or proposals for each expense in the next task; missing quotes disqualify the application.
4. Submit by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, October 29, 2026.Incomplete applications aren't accepted, and nothing can be added afterward unless OGM asks.

Of 100 points, 40 depend on showing that the organization has experienced or is at risk of hate crimes; crimes not motivated by bias don't count. Scores can't be appealed, but OGM gives feedback on request. The county expects award letters in January 2027. Spending counts only after the contract is final and a notice to proceed is issued.

Using more than one program

NSGP requires a high risk of terrorist or other extremist attack. PAHC, the MCSS grant, and Montgomery County's grant rest on hate-crime risk, so you should justify each request on that program's terms.

Three notices address double funding. PAHC requires disclosure of every pending application for the same cost items and bars supplanting. MCSS bars a grantee that has another state grant for a project from seeking Hate Crimes Grant money for it, except to supplement the overall budget. It calls this "double dipping," and the penalties are refunds and exclusion from future state grants. Montgomery County bars supplanting and asks for other grants and current security funding. You should keep one list that assigns every cost item to a single program.

A campus with a congregation and a school needs a plan for each building. PAHC excludes the school, MCSS takes one applicant per address, and NSGP has its own shared-address rules; see schools on a shared campus. Some of what you submit can also become public. GOCPP posts PAHC awardees on its grant map, and MCSS treats applications as public information except as the law provides. Montgomery County applications fall under the Maryland Public Information Act, though the county won't publish a recipient list. Ask each agency how it handles security-sensitive details before you write them.

Official documents

If an agency sends a newer guide or form than these, the newer document controls.

Other states' agencies and programs are in the state lookup table.

Last checked and change log

Last checked: October 14, 2026, against MDEM's and DC HSEMA's NSGP pages, FEMA's NSGP page and FY2026 NOFO, GOCPP's PAHC page and notice, the Governor's August 25 release, MCSS's grant pages and notice, MSDE's archived NSHS page and Grant Programs page, and Montgomery County's FY27 NOFO. Statuses, MDEM's FAQ, and DC HSEMA's application limits were rechecked October 15, 2026.

• October 2026: Page published. FY2026 NSGP closed in Maryland (MDEM July 15, DC HSEMA July 10); FEMA announced awards September 28, 2026; no MDEM award list found; PAHC and the MCSS grant closed; NSHS FY2027 unconfirmed; Montgomery County's grant open until October 29, 2026.