Jewish Federation’s Director of Security Initiatives, Amy Keller, reviews tips and tricks for organizations interested in applying for the FFY2022 Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Emergency Agency (FEMA) Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) and the New Jersey NSGP are designed to help nonprofit organizations prevent, prepare for, and protect against potential attacks.
To learn how your organization can apply for a security grant, check out the resources below or email securitygrants@jewishheartnj.org.
This page is based on information that may change. Applicants are urged to use official government websites for the latest and best information on federal and state NSGP grants.
The information herein reflects the best efforts by Federation to answer to common questions regarding security grants. Grant applicants are urged to revisit this page often as new information is posted regularly.
Applicants should also consult their own legal counsel, board of directors, security professionals, law enforcement, or other advisers during the preparation of their applications.
The following is being provided for educational and informational purposes only, without representation, guarantee, or warranty of any kind. Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey is not responsible for any injury, loss, or damages to persons or property arising from the use or misuse of this information.
The Federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) is made available through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS-FEMA).
The NSGP is a competitive grant that provides funding for physical and cybersecurity enhancements and other security-related activities to nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist or other extremist attack. The NSGP also seeks to integrate the preparedness activities of nonprofit organizations with broader state and local preparedness efforts.
The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) is the State Administrative Agency (SAA) for the program. Nonprofit organizations must apply to NJOHSP, which then submits a final application package to FEMA on behalf of all nonprofit sub-applicants.
As the SAA, NJOHSP has the final preference on aspects of your submission. Organizations should follow dates and guidance from NJOHSP when it comes to submission requirements, submission cycle, allowable costs, and documentation.
The timeline for the NSGP fluctuates each year as it is dependent on the federal appropriations process. It is therefore recommended that nonprofit organizations planning to apply get started early, as there are several steps that can be completed prior to each application period.
501 (c)(3) nonprofit organizations that are determined to be at high risk of attack due to their ideology, beliefs, or mission.
FFY2023, Congress appropriated $305 million for Urban Areas and Non-Urban Areas, split evenly between the two. Organizations are able to apply for up to $150,000 per location.
The FFY2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program was released on February 27, 2023. Submission deadlines are determined by each State Administrative Agency. We expect New Jersey's application cycle to open on March 1, 2023, and close on March 31, 2023, and sub-grantee awards are anticipated to be announced in late summer/early fall.
You will need to access the NJOHSP submission portal, fill out questions and upload your mission statement, Investment Justification (IJ), Vulnerability Risk Assessment (VRA), and other supporting documents.
Note: For the federal NSGP, organizations in Monmouth and Greater Middlesex counties must APPLY as NSGP-UA in the Jersey City/Newark urban area.
This is a reimbursement grant. If your organization is awarded a grant, you will have to advance funds for items and services purchased and submit proof of installation or execution and payment in order to be reimbursed.
Allowable costs are focused on security-related activities. Funding can be used for contracted security personnel, as well as security-related planning, training, exercises, and the acquisition and installation of cybersecurity enhancements and security equipment on property owned or leased by the nonprofit organization at the time of application.
Examples include:
Yes. Here are some examples of restrictions on expenditures:
No, only one nonprofit can apply per building/facility/physical structure/address. Multiple requests for federal assistance will all be deemed ineligible.
Organizations may apply for a single location or multiple locations for the same 501 (c)(3) nonprofit.
A nonprofit with one site may apply for up to $150,000 for that site.
A nonprofit with one site and multiple facilities at one physical address may apply for up to $150,000 for that site. Only one VRA and IJ are required but both the VRA and IJ must address the multiple facilities and their unique needs.
Nonprofits with multiple sites (multiple locations/physical addresses) may choose to apply for additional sites at up to $150,000 per site for a maximum of three sites, not to exceed $450,000. A VRA and IJ are required for each site.
The reviewers score IJs using the NSGP Scoring Matrix. Before you submit your grant package, it is good practice to review your IJ using the scoring matrix to have the best chance to obtain the maximum number of points.
Bonus points may be given for:
Process for creating the final score:
The period of performance is the length of time that subrecipients have to implement their project(s), accomplish all goals, and expend all grant funding. The period of performance for the federal NSGP is 36 months.
Projected Period of Performance Start Date: 09/01/2023
Projected Period of Performance End Date: 08/31/2026
A Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) is a 12-character alphanumeric identifier assigned to an entity by the System for Award Management, SAM.gov. As of April 4, 2022, Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) numbers are no longer valid and all organizations applying for the federal NSGP grant MUST have a UEI number. Obtaining a UEI does not cost anything; it is free of charge.
For the FFY2023 NSGP, nonprofit organizations are not required to have a UEI issued at the time of application but MUST have a valid UEI to be eligible to receive funding.
Note: If you receive an award but are ineligible to receive the funds you are no longer considered a first-time awardee and may not receive bonus points for future grant cycles.
Determine whether your organization was previously assigned a DUNS number when applying for federal assistance.
Watch this video to learn how to get a Unique Entity ID without needing to complete an entity registration on SAM.gov.
NSGP-UA (Urban Area) provides funding to nonprofit organizations located within an Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI)-designated high-risk urban area. NSGP-S (State) provides funding for nonprofit organizations located outside of UASI-designated high-risk urban areas.
For the federal NSGP, organizations in Monmouth and Greater Middlesex counties must APPLY as NSGP-UA in the Jersey City/Newark urban area.
A Vulnerability Risk Assessment (VRA) is an evaluation that identifies threats and hazards based on previous incidents and other intelligence sources. The assessment will list observations about your vulnerabilities related to planning, training, exercises, contracted security personnel, cybersecurity, and security equipment investments to mitigate your vulnerabilities and help make your facilities more secure.
For the federal NSGP, a VRA must be conducted within 2-3 years of an organization's grant submission date. If substantial changes have been made to your facility since your last VRA or if you are requesting items not listed in your VRA, your organization will need to have your VRA updated or conduct a new assessment.
For more information, visit our security assessments page.
Note: Organizations are also allowed to submit self-assessments. Best practice is to have a security or law enforcement professional review all self-assessments. Please see below for a list of self-assessment tools.
The Investment Justification (IJ) is a fillable template provided and required by FEMA that asks nonprofits to describe the organization, risks/threats to the organization, and proposed projects/activities to mitigate security deficiencies (as identified in the vulnerability risk assessment) utilizing NSGP funding.
The IJ is subject to change each fiscal year, and prior years’ templates will not be accepted. Only use the form for the current fiscal year.
Note: This is the only document from the grant package that is forwarded by NJOHSP to DHS/FEMA.
Click here for the current IJ.
There are a number of things that constitute a strong IJ. Some of the most important elements include:
For more information, read the IJ Checklist.
Contracted security personnel are allowed under the grant program as described in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and the accompanying appendix C in the Preparedness Grants Manual.
Things to note:
The NSGP will cover activities directly related to the management and administration (M&A) of the award, such as meeting the financial management and monitoring requirements of the grant.
To be considered for reimbursement, M&A costs must be included in the Target Hardening section of your Investment Justification and limited to up to 5% of the total award. M&A may not be used for operational costs such as vendor or contractor project management.
Examples of M&A include:
It is good practice to check the references of those offering to administer your grant.
Note: NJ regulations require three bids for any project over $1000, including M&A contractors.
Yes. Here are examples of some expenditures:
See the Authorized Equipment List for a full list of allowable costs.
Note: Subscription fees can only cover the period of performance, which is 3 years.
Any item included in your facility hardening plan must have a parallel vulnerability in your Vulnerability Risk Assessment (VRA) – including cybersecurity measures.
Jewish Federation’s Director of Security Initiatives, Amy Keller, reviews tips and tricks for organizations interested in applying for the FFY2022 Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
Organizations should follow dates and guidance from NJOHSP when it comes to submission requirements, submission cycle, allowable costs, and documentation.
NOTE: These are the most current versions of reports from our partners that may be used for the FFY2023 grant cycle.
Webinars in this section are for FFY2023
Resources
Webinars
The New Jersey Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NJ NSGP) is a State-run program that provides funding to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations across New Jersey at the greatest risk of terrorist attacks.
The program consists of two funding opportunities:
Coming soon