Security grants in Massachusetts: federal NSGP and the two Commonwealth programs

Status on October 15, 2026

The Office of Grants and Research (OGR), part of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, is the State Administrative Agency (SAA) for FEMA's Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). OGR also runs the two state-funded Commonwealth programs.

OGR's "expects" language comes from its August 26, 2026 press release. The state's Current Funding Opportunities page showed no nonprofit security listing on October 15. OGR publishes no program inbox for NSGP; use the contact route on its NSGP page.

Which federal stream a site uses

Massachusetts has one FY2026 urban area, the Boston Area (FY2026 NOFO, Appendix B). OGR's FFY2026 Availability of Grant Funds (AGF) defines it as nine cities: Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Quincy, Revere, Somerville and Winthrop. A site in one of those cities competes under NSGP-UA. NSGP-S covers "the other 342 Massachusetts cities and towns."

The applicant picks the stream on the Investment Justification (IJ), and OGR verifies the location. The NOFO disqualifies an application filed in the wrong stream, so use the municipality of the site's street address. A site outside the nine listed cities files under NSGP-S.

These figures are total federal allocations, which include the SAA's 5% for management and administration (M&A). The state lookup table uses the same basis. OGR's AGF quotes the smaller "actual" amounts available for nonprofit projects, $399,755 for NSGP-UA and $3,420,000 for NSGP-S, which match the NOFO's actual-allocation column. The two sets of numbers describe the same money.

An organization may apply for up to three sites per stream, at $200,000 per site and no more than $600,000 per state. The NSGP program guide explains federal eligibility and scoring.

How OGR took FY2026 applications

OGR released its AGF on June 26, 2026, and set the deadline at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, July 10. The AGF says "late applications will not be accepted." FEMA later moved its deadline for SAAs to 5 p.m. ET on July 31 (Information Bulletin 579), but OGR posted no change to its applicant deadline. NSGP deadlines compares state dates.

Applications went through an online Cognito Forms application, where applicants uploaded their attachments. OGR named no separate portal registration or state vendor registration. A Unique Entity ID (UEI) was not required to apply, but the AGF requires one to receive funds, so start SAM.gov early (see how to apply for NSGP).

The package, one per site

OGR wants one application and one IJ for each physical site. A P.O. box doesn't count, and the nonprofit must occupy the site when it applies. Each package held these items:

1. FEMA's FFY2026 Investment Justification, signed by the nonprofit's own point of contact.
2. OGR's Budget Worksheet, submitted as an Excel file.
3. The mission statement on the organization's letterhead.
4. A site-specific vulnerability assessment, as a PDF or Word file. The AGF makes a missing assessment an automatic disqualification.
5. OGR's Risk Assessment Form.
6. The indirect cost rate agreement, if the organization has one.

OGR said it would not recommend an incomplete package to FEMA. It also set file names by stream: FY2026_NSGP_UA <MA> <Metro Boston> <Nonprofit Name> or FY2026_NSGP_S <MA> <Nonprofit Name>. Use the pattern in the next AGF, which may change.

OGR's added rules

• Prior-year applicants. An FFY2025 applicant may reapply in FFY2026 for the same project, but it can receive FFY2025 or FFY2026 money for that project, not both. It may instead request a different project with none of the FFY2025 elements.
• Construction and renovation. Contact OGR before applying for any project of this kind.
• Contracted security. Contract security and other outside hiring may not be sole-sourced. OGR also requires a sustainment plan for contracted security at closeout. Security guard grants covers the federal rules for guards.
• Unallowable items. OGR follows the NOFO and lists pre-award costs, planning costs before award, Knox boxes, facial recognition, license plate readers, drones, weapons and overtime as not allowed.

The allowable costs guide has the full federal list. Check OGR's list as well, because a Massachusetts applicant must meet both.

Review, awards and after

Peer reviewers and OGR score on-time applications in both streams. OGR sends eligible applications to FEMA for validation, and FEMA makes the awards. FEMA announced FY2026 awards nationally on September 28, 2026 (FEMA). OGR's page lists October 2026 as the tentative notification, but no Massachusetts FY2026 list was posted by October 15. The performance period ends no later than August 31, 2028.

Subrecipients sign OGR's General Subrecipient Grant Conditions, file quarterly financial and progress reports, and may receive site visits. The AGF doesn't say whether OGR pays federal subawards by reimbursement or advance. The FFY25 recipient resources list contracting forms (a W-9, an EFT agreement and a FFATA form) and say reporting forms are "coming soon." Ask OGR how it pays before you sign a vendor contract, and follow your executed subaward. The post-award guide covers the federal steps.

The state-funded Commonwealth programs

Both state programs come from one budget line, 8000-1127, which the state budget site titles "Nonprofit Security Grant Pilot Program." The line funds "target hardening and other security enhancements" for nonprofits at high risk of terrorist attacks or hate crimes, as G.L. c. 22C, section 32 defines hate crimes. The line's text gives priority to nonprofits that have experienced terrorist attacks or hate crimes, requires at least one grant each in the eastern, central and western regions, and calls for geographically equitable distribution (OGR report to the General Court, June 2026).

The line provided $5,200,000 in state FY2026 and $5,450,000 in the enacted FY2027 budget. The FY2027 text directs at least $750,000 to the personnel program, up from $500,000 in FY2026. OGR had not posted the FY2027 split on October 15.

Commonwealth Nonprofit Security Grant Program (equipment)

Massachusetts 501(c)(3) nonprofits that show a high risk of a terror attack or hate crime may apply. OGR's report says it accepted one application per nonprofit for the state FY2026 round, though a nonprofit could file separate applications for locations in separate communities. The program page names houses of worship, medical, human service and educational organizations among those that qualify, which covers churches, synagogues, mosques and nonprofit private and religious schools.

Costs are limited to two categories, physical security enhancement equipment and inspection and screening systems. OGR's examples include exterior doors and locks with single secure entry points, surveillance cameras, site alarms, internal public address systems, tourniquets and other emergency first aid equipment, fencing, lighting and access control. Guards are not in scope; they belong to the personnel program.

The state FY2026 round drew 274 eligible applications. OGR awarded $4,465,000 to 142 organizations, and 131 received only part of their request. Applicants should rank items so a reduced award still buys a complete project.

We could not confirm the per-application limit. OGR's state FY2026 notice and FAQ are no longer posted, and their links returned errors on October 15, 2026. The largest equipment award in OGR's report was $60,000. Use the limit in the next notice. No match was stated for this program.

Commonwealth Nonprofit Security Personnel Grant Program (guards)

This pilot pays only for contracted security personnel. Funds can't buy equipment, uniforms or other items for guards, or pay for services provided by on-duty law enforcement. Eligibility follows the same high-risk test, and the program page names faith-based, educational, medical and human services nonprofits.

The budget text requires participating nonprofits to contribute "$1 for every $1 contributed by the commonwealth." In state FY2026, 53 organizations applied and OGR awarded $500,000 to 23 of them. The largest award in the report was $40,000, but the published limit could not be confirmed because the notice is offline. See security guard grants for federal guard rules.

How the last state round worked

Both programs ran on one schedule. OGR posted the AGF on September 19, 2025, held an optional webinar September 30, and closed applications at 4 p.m. on October 30, 2025. Awards were announced in March 2026. The equipment performance period ran March 2026 to August 31, 2026, and the personnel period ran to September 30, 2026. OGR's report says review took longer than in earlier years because of the volume.

Two internal reviewers and one external reviewer scored each submission. OGR considered need, local data, the project and implementation plan, the budget, risk, geographic diversity, strategic priorities, past performance and available funding.

Payment differs from most grants. Winners received contracting materials: a Standard Contract, a Contractor Authorized Signatory Listing Form, OGR's Subrecipient Grant Conditions, and, per the recipient resources page, a W-9 and an EFT form. OGR's report says, "The full award amount will be rendered to each organization once their contract is executed and all contract documents approved." The executed Standard Contract is the grantee's "formal notification to begin incurring costs," so don't sign with a vendor before it arrives. Quarterly programmatic and financial reports follow.

Programs compared

Using more than one program

We found no published OGR rule that bars a nonprofit from holding a federal NSGP award and a Commonwealth award at the same time. The federal AGF asks applicants to list prior federal and state nonprofit security awards in the IJ, so OGR sees both. Because the state SFY2026 notice is offline, we could not check what it said about overlap. Ask OGR in writing when the next notice appears.

Federal NSGP and the personnel pilot can both pay for contracted security. If one site holds both awards, assign each shift and invoice to one program. Do the same for equipment funded from multiple sources. Do not charge the same cost twice.

Local programs

No verified local program is included here. Check city and town sources separately. This page also excludes OGR's past FFY2024 National Security Supplemental NSGP round.

Official documents

If OGR posts a newer notice 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 15, 2026, against OGR's NSGP, CNSGP, CNSPGP and recipient-resource pages; the FFY2026 NSGP AGF; OGR's August 26, 2026 release and June 2026 report to the General Court; budget line 8000-1127 for FY2026 and FY2027; the Current Funding Opportunities page; and FEMA's FY2026 NOFO, Information Bulletin 579 and September 28, 2026 announcement. Mass.gov blocks automated checks, so we read its pages as a visitor.

• October 2026: Page published. FY2026 NSGP closed in Massachusetts July 10, 2026; no Massachusetts FY2026 award list found. Both Commonwealth programs closed; OGR expects a new round "this fall," with no date posted. State FY2027 budget line enacted at $5,450,000.