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Maine · Church, Synagogue & Mosque

Security grants for churches, synagogues, mosques, temples & gurdwaras in Maine

Maine lists one security-grant program of its own in this catalog, Maine Nonprofit Security Grant Program, and it has notes specific to houses of worship. The federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program applies in Maine too, through the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). Every rule below is quoted from the program's own materials, and each card names the agency to confirm it with.

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What each program says about churches, synagogues, mosques, temples & gurdwaras

One card per program in this catalog for Maine — the state's own program first, then the federal NSGP streams. Each badge reflects what the program's own materials say about houses of worship; it is not a determination, so confirm with the agency named on the card before you plan around it.

Maine Nonprofit Security Grant Program

See notes

Administered by Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management

  • A church, mosque or synagogue that is automatically tax-exempt does not need to attach an IRS determination letter to its Maine application. Every applicant, congregations included, still needs a SAM.gov UEI (the free Unique Entity ID the federal government issues) before MEMA can issue an award, so start that registration early. If your congregation's tax status is unusual, check with HSGrants.Maine@Maine.Gov before applying.

Up to $25K per site · up to $75K per organization · Closed — next cycle expected

ME-NSGP: full details →

Federal NSGP in Maine

The federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program is administered in Maine by the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), the state's State Administrative Agency. Both streams follow one federal notice; each card says which stream is for houses of worship where.

Federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program — Urban Area

See notes

Administered by FEMA via your State Administrative Agency (SAA)

For houses of worship inside a FEMA-designated high-risk urban area. This catalog lists none in Maine; the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) can confirm whether one covers your address.

Up to $200K per site · up to $600K per organization · Closed — next cycle expected

NSGP-UA: full details →

Federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program — State

See notes

Administered by FEMA via your State Administrative Agency (SAA)

For houses of worship outside a FEMA-designated high-risk urban area — with none listed for Maine in this catalog, this is the likelier stream; the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) confirms it.

Up to $200K per site · up to $600K per organization · Closed — next cycle expected

NSGP-S: full details →

What the federal notice says about houses of worship

  • A church, synagogue, mosque or temple does not need an IRS determination letter for the federal NSGP — the current federal notice treats houses of worship as 501(c)(3) organizations without one. Other nonprofits should attach theirs.

The rest of the notice's rules for houses of worship — how to apply, what the money can buy, what each site needs — are on the national Church, Synagogue & Mosque page →

Documents for houses of worship in Maine

What each program asks applicants to provide. Where a program treats houses of worship differently — usually over the IRS determination letter — the cell reads “see note” and the numbered note under the table says how.

Documents each security-grant program in Maine asks houses of worship to provide
DocumentME-NSGPNSGP-UANSGP-S
501(c)(3) status from the IRSFederal tax-exempt status.RequiredRequiredRequired
IRS determination letter12Your IRS 501(c)(3) confirmation letter.See note 1See note 2See note 2
SAM.gov registration (with UEI)Federal entity ID.Not listedRequiredRequired
Threat, Vulnerability & Risk Assessment (TVRA)A documented assessment of your organization's specific risk profile.RequiredRequiredRequired
Investment Justification narrativeThe heart of the application — explains the threat, your mission, the proposed mitigation, and how you'll sustain it after the grant ends.RequiredRequiredRequired
Budget Detail WorksheetItemized budget mapped to allowable cost categories.RequiredRequiredRequired
Mission statementA clear statement of your organization's purpose and the community you serve.Not listedRequiredRequired
Board resolution authorizing the applicationA formal vote from your board of directors authorizing the application and committing to comply with grant terms.Not listedRequiredRequired
  1. 1.ME-NSGP: A church, mosque or synagogue that is automatically tax-exempt does not need to attach an IRS determination letter to its Maine application. Every applicant, congregations included, still needs a SAM.gov UEI (the free Unique Entity ID the federal government issues) before MEMA can issue an award, so start that registration early. If your congregation's tax status is unusual, check with HSGrants.Maine@Maine.Gov before applying.
  2. 2.NSGP-UA and NSGP-S: A church, synagogue, mosque or temple does not need an IRS determination letter for the federal NSGP — the current federal notice treats houses of worship as 501(c)(3) organizations without one. Other nonprofits should attach theirs.

What the money can buy

Each program's own allowable-cost list, with a note on how the line tends to apply to houses of worship. Lines without a note are allowable too — they just have no audience-specific angle.

ME-NSGP

  • Security planningSecurity planning and a risk assessment give a volunteer-run congregation a written plan it can hand to the next board.
  • Target hardening (access control, cameras, intrusion detection, lighting, bollards, blast film, doors and locks, fencing and gates)Cameras, controlled entry doors and alarms fit a sanctuary that is open to the public at service times and quiet in between.
  • Contract security personnel (no supplanting)Paid security staffing covers services, festivals and holiday gatherings without putting congregants on the door.

The federal NSGP-UA and NSGP-S list is the same in every state — it is on the national Church, Synagogue & Mosque page, with the same notes for houses of worship →

Realistic next step in Maine

Ordered by what you can act on now: open windows first, then programs whose next cycle is unannounced, then closed windows to prepare for.

  1. 1. Maine Nonprofit Security Grant Program

    Closed — next cycle expected

    The ME-NSGP window is closed. Watch its official page for the next cycle and prepare an Investment Justification (the application narrative) now, so you are ready the day it opens.

    Official program page ↗

  2. 2. Federal NSGP (NSGP-UA / NSGP-S)

    Closed — next cycle expected

    The federal window is closed. Register in SAM.gov (free) and get a vulnerability assessment (TVRA) for each site now, so you are ready when the next cycle opens through the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) (linked below).

    FEMA NSGP page ↗

Federal NSGP applications in Maine go through Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). Confirm the current deadline and submission steps on their official page before you apply.

Maine SAA — official page ↗Not sure you qualify? Check free →

Church, Synagogue & Mosque FAQ for Maine

Does Maine have its own security-grant program for houses of worship?
Maine has one program of its own in this catalog. Maine Nonprofit Security Grant Program, administered by the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, reads “See notes” for houses of worship on its card above (up to $25K per site · up to $75K per organization). The federal NSGP applies in Maine as well, through the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).
Is any application window open in Maine right now?
ME-NSGP and the federal NSGP-UA and NSGP-S are closed, with the next cycle expected. Nothing is open at the moment, so use the time on the preparation steps above; each card links to the official page that will announce the next cycle.
Which federal NSGP stream applies to houses of worship in Maine?
This catalog lists no FEMA-designated high-risk urban area in Maine, which points to NSGP-S, the stream for nonprofits outside those areas; the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) confirms which stream applies to your address.

The national Church, Synagogue & Mosque page answers 6 more general questions.

Related pages

Church, Synagogue & Mosque security grants in other states

CaliforniaDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaMarylandMassachusettsOhioPennsylvaniaTennesseeTexasVirginiaWashington

Eligibility, deadlines, and funding amounts are based on publicly available program documents and may change between funding cycles. Verify all details with the administering agency before applying. Catalog last reviewed September 2026. SecurityGrants.com is not affiliated with FEMA, DHS, or any state agency.