Nonprofit Security Grants: More News

The critical importance of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) is sadly validated with each tragic headline about violence at a nonprofit institution or event.

We first covered this much-sought-after source of federal financial assistance last spring. What prompted that initial discussion was the newly installed administration’s intentional disruption of that money flow as it took a machete to the federal budget more broadly. See Nonprofit Security Grant Program: Bipartisan Push to Unfreeze It (April 3, 2025) and Update on Nonprofit Security Grant Program (May 28, 2025). The negative reaction by the charitable community along with bipartisan outrage from Congress was sufficient eventually to have the decision reversed. See e.g., Lawler and Colleagues Urge FEMA to Lift Pause on Nonprofit Security Grant Funding (March 24, 2025) Press Release, lawlerhouse.gov.

Recent headlines about shootings in a classroom at Brown University and on the beach in Sydney during a religious group’s Chanukah celebration prompted our return to this topic last week. See Nonprofit Security Grants: Prepare Now for Next Round (December 16, 2025).

“Coming up next” was to be a “more in-depth look at the nuts and bolts” of the popular and highly competitive NSGP including “details of the mind-numbingly complex application process.”

A few days later, though, the news cycle got ahead of us late on Friday afternoon, December 19th.

When we thought all of Congress had long since dashed to the airport for the holiday recess, the Senate Appropriations Committee surprised us with its long-overdue FY 2026 funding recommendation for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program: $330 million.

Months earlier, the House of Representatives appropriators had settled on a figure of $335 million. The administration’s recommendation was a bit lower, at about $275 million.

The next step in the appropriations process comes after New Year’s Day, when conferees will hash out a final agreement so that the FY 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) can be prepared and released. Often, the number selected at final negotiations is a compromise amount within the range of the initial recommendations: here, from about $275-million (the White House) to around $330-million (Senate) to $335-million (House).

So, that’s that for a while. Relax. Have a wonderful holiday.

Uh … not so fast.

Wait-and-See Moment?: No

The charitable community should understand that there is urgent advocacy action needed as soon as the members of Congress return after New Year’s Day.

The day before the Senate appropriators met, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) had penned a letter to the committee leadership urging a bold investment for FY 2026. See Blumenthal Calls for Dramatic Increase in Funding for Comprehensive Hate Crime Prevention (December 18, 2025) Press Release, blumenthal.senate.gov [including text of letter with call “for a $1-billion investment” in the NSGP]. By the way, he is not a lone voice in calling for a dramatically-higher appropriation than the FY 2025 level.

Since the late Friday news dump from the Senate, there has been deep concern expressed from many quarters including by Senator Blumenthal. The Connecticut lawmaker wrote letters to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on both Monday and Tuesday afternoons.

Throughout 2025, Senator Blumenthal and other members of Congress from both parties were vocal as well about DHS’s mismanagement, foot-dragging, repeated delays – particularly in the late issuance of the NOFO for FY 2025 – and other disruptions and attempts to impose improper conditions. See for example: Blumenthal Demands DHS Rescind New Rules Requiring Religious Organizations Join Trump Administration Immigration Enforcement Agenda to Receive Security Funding (August 22, 2025) Senator Richard Blumenthal, blumenthal.senate.gov.

See also: Moskowitz Leads More Than 70 Colleagues Urging Transparency from FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant (August 11, 2025) Press Release, moskovitz.house.gov [Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) led bipartisan group of 70 representatives urging administration to reinstate longstanding information-sharing about NSGP]; and Letter to Acting FEMA Administrator from House members (August 7, 2025), [Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) led bipartisan group on issues including lack of information-sharing.

The Key Objection

The primary objection is that the dollar amounts of the funding proposals are not acceptable. While these are not ungenerous figures, they keep the funding-level at about the current point. The highest amount recommended – from the House at $335-million – is way too low.

Funding levels over recent years have commendably been on an upward trajectory, but they have not kept up with: (a) the extraordinary interest by the nation’s 501(c)(3)s, and particularly religious institutions; and (b) the objective need for assistance to “harden the facilities” of these clearly eligible organizations. Not even half of the submitted grant applications have been approved and funded.

If the funding level had kept up with the levels of interest and the need, it would be at around the $1-billion mark. That’s right: one billion dollars.  That’s why Senator Blumenthal was not shy about mentioning that specific figure in his most recent correspondence with the Department of Homeland Security.

Another sad, but true fact: Even with an adequate appropriation level for FY 2026 and beyond, the National Security Grant Program application ordeal is so daunting – so complex and expensive in both time and money – that it (unfairly) weeds out smaller organizations. Many simply don’t apply at all.

Other Issues

Additional issues on the agenda for January action include:

• The application process must be lightened up. It can take months of arduous and expensive preparation. Even officials at FEMA recommend that a prospective applicant assemble a team to manage all of the bits and pieces that go into a final submission complete enough to meet all of the requirements and good enough to be competitive.
• This grant program is reimbursement-based. The organization must spend the money up front. Some of the items – including the notorious Vulnerability Assessment – are not reimbursable at all.
• The Vulnerability Assessment in this day and age is an unnecessary hurdle. Everyone – government officials, lawmakers, charitable organizations, other stakeholders, and ordinary Americans – knows that houses of worship and religious institutions are potential – even likely – targets 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Every threat matrix in America has these organizations at the top of any realistic risk assessment. The federal government and members of Congress acknowledge this in writing over and over. It is an undisputed fact.
• Members of Congress from both parties have pointed out  – notably in frustrated letters all year long to Secretary Kristi Noem – that the federal government has delayed and disrupted the funding process repeatedly, in contrast to past practice and procedure. It appears much more than incompetent mishandling of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. It smacks of an intentional course of action or policy, despite the administration’s effusive public words of support and praise for the funding of this “vital” element of our “national security.”
• An additional – and particularly disturbing – development has been the administration’s decision announced several months ago to make funding conditional on the awardee’s acceptance of certain duties and restrictions including cooperation with federal immigration officials. There has been widespread backlash and opposition to this apparent requirement.The extent to which it is – or will be – enforced is speculative and uncertain at present; however, the chilling effect on the charitable sector is unacceptable.

Conclusion

Happy New Year! We’ll pick this up later.

— Linda J. Rosenthal, J.D., FPLG Information & Research Director