Security grants for synagogues and Jewish organizations

NSGP scoring for different Jewish organizations

A synagogue applies through its State Administrative Agency (SAA) and doesn't need an IRS recognition letter if it meets the section 501(c)(3) requirements. The SAA scores the Investment Justification (IJ) on the 40-point Appendix D matrix. During federal review, FEMA applies the ×3 religious-entity multiplier and adds 15 points for an applicant with no prior federal NSGP award (FY2026 notice of funding opportunity, or NOFO). See the NSGP program hub for other federal rules.

A communal agency's multiplier depends on its own mission. The IJ requires the applicant to self-identify, and the SAA validates that choice against the mission statement. A JCC, family service agency, Federation, museum, or campus Jewish organization should use the category its mission supports. Jewish day schools and preschools have separate funding routes, covered in security grants for private and religious schools.

What Federations and SCN provide

The Secure Community Network (SCN) calls itself "the official safety and security organization of the Jewish community in North America." Its 2025 overview says SCN experts offer facility assessments and grant guidance, while local partners provide training and law-enforcement coordination.

Jewish Federations of North America reports that more than 130 local Federations have community security initiatives. Its $130 million LiveSecure campaign supports local security programs, directors, training, and access to public grants. Services differ by community, so contact the local security lead before the grant window opens.

Federal responsibility stays with the applicant. FEMA's FY2025 FAQ says nonprofits can't pass NSGP funds to other organizations. The Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) must be the applicant nonprofit's own officer or employee; Federation staff and consultants can't serve as AOR. After selection, the applicant handles the subaward agreement, procurement, claims, and reports. Assign that work internally before applying, then use the post-award guide for the federal sequence.

Community campuses and shared buildings

FEMA's FY2026 IJ form, posted with the FY2026 NSGP notice on Grants.gov, permits only one nonprofit to apply per building, facility, physical structure, or address. Multiple requests from that location are all ineligible, although the funded work may benefit the nonprofits that share it.

Agree in writing which agency will apply before the state window opens. A local Federation can convene the discussion; the nonprofits make the decision. Consider who owns or leases the building, whose mission and assessment support the project, whether the applicant has prior federal NSGP funding, and who can administer the award. A tenant also needs the owner's approval for the proposed work.

Separate buildings on one campus need state guidance. FEMA's FY2025 FAQ says a site is "a singular address or physical building" and that buildings at one address "can be identified by name." New York's FY2026 FAQ instead requires "a separate and distinct street address." Ask the SAA how it treats the campus before two agencies apply.

Organizations with several sites

A congregation with a second campus, a JCC with branches, or a regional agency with several centers may apply for up to three sites in each funding stream. The FY2026 NOFO caps each site at $200,000 and each organization at $600,000 per state. An organization with sites in both streams may submit up to six site applications in that state, but the combined request still can't exceed $600,000. For sites in different states, follow each state's process and deadline.

Each site requires a complete IJ and a site-specific vulnerability assessment, "regardless of whether the projects are similar in nature." The organization must occupy the physical address when it applies. The first-time bonus follows the organization, not the site, so a JCC that previously received NSGP funding for its main building doesn't get the bonus for a branch.

Guards and the holiday calendar

The FY2026 NOFO allows a subrecipient to use up to 100% of its award for contracted security personnel, who must comply with Information Bulletin 441. Federal funds can't buy equipment for those guards. The security guard guide covers the IJ detail, procurement, and licensing rules.

FEMA announced FY2026 awards on September 28, after Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Because subrecipients can't claim pre-award costs, a new award couldn't reimburse that fall's coverage. Plan a competitive procurement for the next holiday season within the period of performance; an incumbent guard company gets no automatic preference. Set the record process before services begin, and ask the state what it will accept with a guard invoice. If congregational staff don't write on Shabbat or holidays, arrange for the guard company to create and sign the required shift records.

State programs sometimes separate personnel from equipment. New Jersey's SFY2026 notice offered up to $20,000 for security personnel, but an organization could receive only one of the two state components that year. Massachusetts offered up to $40,000 for personnel with a 1:1 match. Category 2 of the Justice Department's FY2026 houses of worship program paid police overtime for a "visible, uniformed security presence"; only governments could apply.

State programs used alongside NSGP

State-funded programs give synagogues and other faith-based nonprofits a separate route. Status changes with each budget; security grants by state lists every state's agency and deadline.

Grant history affects some state routes. New Jersey's SFY2026 notice preferred equipment applicants without a federal or state security grant in the prior two cycles. Colorado invites nonprofits that applied for federal NSGP funding and weren't selected. Arizona limits its state program to applicants that haven't received federal NSGP funding for three cycles or can't carry reimbursement costs. Nebraska's latest round excluded organizations with a federal NSGP award in the prior five years.