NOFO: Nonprofit Security Grant Program (US)

Deadline: 24/06/24
The US Department of Homeland Security is pleased to announce the Nonprofit Security Grant Program that focuses on enhancing the ability of state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, as well as nonprofits, to prevent, protect against, prepare for, and respond to terrorist or other extremist attacks.

These grant programs are part of a comprehensive set of measures authorized by Congress and implemented by DHS to help strengthen the nation’s communities against potential terrorist or other extremist attacks. NSGP applicants include the State Administrative Agencies (SAA), and subapplicants include eligible nonprofit organizations

In FY 2024, there are two funding sources appropriated for nonprofit organizations:

• NSGP – Urban Area (NSGP-UA): NSGP-UA funds nonprofit organizations located within FY 2024 Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI)-designated high-risk urban areas; and
• NSGP – State (NSGP-S): NSGP-S funds nonprofit organizations located outside of a FY 2024 UASI-designated high-risk urban area. Under NSGP-S, each state will receive a target allocation for nonprofit organizations in the state located outside of FY 2024 UASI-designated high-risk urban areas.

For FY 2024, DHS is focused on building a national culture of preparedness and protecting against terrorism and other threats to our national security. DHS is also focused on forging partnerships to strengthen information sharing and collaboration among federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement. There are no requirements for information sharing between nonprofit organizations and law enforcement; however, the NSGP seeks to bring nonprofit organizations into broader state and local preparedness efforts by removing barriers to communication and being more inclusive. DHS/FEMA encourages information sharing, while the goal of the NSGP is centered on improving and increasing a nonprofit organization’s physical/cyber security and facility/target hardening to enhance the protection of soft targets/crowded places.

Goal

• The NSGP will improve and increase the physical/cyber security and facility/target hardening of nonprofit organizations’ facilities at risk of a terrorist of other extremist attack, ultimately safeguarding the lives and property of the American people. All NSGP activities must be linked to enhancing the security and safety at the physical site of the nonprofit organization. Concurrently, the NSGP will integrate the preparedness activities of nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist or other extremist attack with broader state and local preparedness efforts

Objectives

• The objective of the FY 2024 NSGP is to provide 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 within the period of performance. The NSGP also seeks to integrate the preparedness activities of nonprofit organizations with broader state and local preparedness efforts. Lastly, via funding spent on Planning, Organizational, Equipment, Training, and Exercises (POETE) towards enhancing the protection of soft targets and crowded places, the NSGP seeks to address and close capability gaps identified in individual nonprofit organization Vulnerability Assessments.

Priorities

• Given the evolving threat landscape, DHS/FEMA has evaluated the national risk profile and set priorities that help ensure appropriate allocation of scarce security dollars. In assessing the national risk profile for FY 2024, one area warrants the most concern under the NSGP:
  • Enhancing the protection of soft targets/crowded places.
    • Planning
    • Operational coordination
    • Public information and warning
    • Intelligence and Information Sharing
    • Interdiction and disruption
    • Screening, search, and detection
    • Access control and identity verification
    • Physical protective measures
    • Risk management for protection programs and activities
    • Cybersecurity
    • Long-term vulnerability reduction
    • Situational assessment
    • Infrastructure systems
• Likewise, there are several enduring security needs that crosscut the homeland security enterprise. The following are second-tier priority areas that help recipients implement a comprehensive approach to securing communities:
  • Effective planning;
    • Planning
    • Risk management for protection programs and activities
    • Risk and disaster resilience assessment
    • Threats and hazards identification
    • Operational coordination
  • Training and awareness campaigns; and
    • Long-term vulnerability reduction
    • Public information and warning
  • Exercises
    • Long-term vulnerability reduction

Funding Information

• Available Funding for the NOFO: $274,500,000
• Subtotal for NSGP-UA: $137,250,000
• Subtotal for NSGP-S: $137,250,000
• Projected Number of Awards: 56
• Maximum Award Amount:
  • Nonprofit organizations must apply through their respective SAA. For NSGP-UA and NSGP-S, consistent with prior years, each nonprofit organization may only represent one site/location/physical address per application. For example, a nonprofit organization with one site may apply for up to $150,000 for that site.
  • Nonprofit organizations with multiple sites/locations/physical addresses may choose to apply for additional sites for up to $150,000 per site, for a maximum of three sites per funding stream, not to exceed $450,000 total per state. That is, a nonprofit organization with sites in both NSGP-S and NSGP-UA areas in a given state may apply for a total of up to six sites, but the total of their applications cannot exceed $450,000. A nonprofit organization subapplicant may not exceed a total of six applications (three for NSGP-S and three for NSGP-UA) for a total of $450,000 per state. A nonprofit organization with locations in multiple states may apply for up to three sites within each state and funding stream (three for NSGP-S and three for NSGP-UA per state).
• Period of Performance: 36 months

Eligibility Criteria

• Note: Throughout this funding notice, the term “applicant” refers to the SAA, and the term “subapplicant” refers to the nonprofit organization.
• The SAA is the only eligible applicant to apply for funding to FEMA. Nonprofit organizations are eligible as subapplicants to the SAA.
• As such, nonprofit organizations must apply for FY 2024 NSGP through their SAA, who then submits application information to FEMA.
• Nonprofit organizations may NOT apply directly to DHS/FEMA for FY 2024 NSGP funds

Ineligibility Criteria

• An application submitted by an otherwise eligible non-federal entity (which for this program is the SAA) may be deemed ineligible when the person that submitted the application (for the applicant/SAA) is not:
  • a current employee, personnel, official, staff, or leadership of the non-federal entity; and
  • duly authorized to apply for an award on behalf of the non-federal entity at the time of application.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.