Ohio · Private & Religious School

Security grants for private, parochial & religious schools in Ohio

Ohio lists one security-grant program of its own in this catalog, State of Ohio Security Grant, and its card below reads “Eligible” for private and religious schools. The federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program applies in Ohio too, through the Ohio Emergency Management Agency — its urban-area stream for Cincinnati Area, Columbus (OH) Area and Cleveland Area, its state stream for the rest of Ohio. 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 private, parochial & religious schools

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

State of Ohio Security Grant

Eligible

Administered by Ohio Department of Public Safety / Ohio Emergency Management Agency

Ohio's program names chartered nonpublic schools and ODE-licensed preschools as eligible applicants, so a private, parochial or religious school holding an Ohio charter — or a preschool licensed by ODE, the state education department — fits the stated audience. Confirm your school's standing with the Ohio Department of Public Safety / Ohio Emergency Management Agency before you apply.

Up to $125K per site · up to $250K per organization · Closed — next cycle expected

OH OSG: full details →

Federal NSGP in Ohio

The federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program is administered in Ohio by the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, the state's State Administrative Agency. Both streams follow one federal notice; each card says which stream is for private and religious schools where.

Federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program — Urban Area

See notes

Administered by FEMA via your State Administrative Agency (SAA)

For private and religious schools inside Ohio's FEMA-designated high-risk urban areas — Cincinnati Area, Columbus (OH) Area and Cleveland Area. Confirm your area with the Ohio Emergency Management Agency.

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 private and religious schools in Ohio outside those urban areas; the Ohio Emergency Management Agency confirms which stream fits your address.

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

NSGP-S: full details →

What the federal notice says about private and religious schools

A private or religious school applies as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and should attach its IRS determination letter — the federal notice's no-letter exemption is written for houses of worship, and other nonprofits are told to attach theirs.

The rest of the notice's rules for private and religious schools — how to apply, what the money can buy, what each site needs — are on the national Private & Religious School page →

Documents for private and religious schools in Ohio

What each program asks applicants to provide. Where a program treats private and religious schools 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 Ohio asks private and religious schools to provide
Document	OH OSG	NSGP-UA	NSGP-S
501(c)(3) status from the IRSFederal tax-exempt status.	Required	Required	Required
IRS determination letter¹Your IRS 501(c)(3) confirmation letter.	Not listed	See note 1	See note 1
SAM.gov registration (with UEI)Federal entity ID.	Not listed	Required	Required
Threat, Vulnerability & Risk Assessment (TVRA)A documented assessment of your organization's specific risk profile.	Required	Required	Required
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.	Required	Required	Required
Budget Detail WorksheetItemized budget mapped to allowable cost categories.	Required	Required	Required
Mission statementA clear statement of your organization's purpose and the community you serve.	Required	Required	Required
Board resolution authorizing the applicationA formal vote from your board of directors authorizing the application and committing to comply with grant terms.	Not listed	Required	Required

1.NSGP-UA and NSGP-S: A private or religious school applies as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and should attach its IRS determination letter — the federal notice's no-letter exemption is written for houses of worship, and other nonprofits are told to 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 private and religious schools. Lines without a note are allowable too — they just have no audience-specific angle.

OH OSG

Target hardening (access control, cameras, doors, windows, fencing, lighting, bollards)Controlled entry, cameras and reinforced doors are the classic school project: one monitored entrance while classes are in session.
Contracted / armed security personnel and resource officersPaid security staffing can cover arrival and dismissal, the busiest and most exposed times of a school day.
Inspection and screening equipmentScreening and inspection equipment fits a school that already funnels visitors through a single controlled entrance.
Emergency and crisis communications systemsAn emergency communications system lets a school reach every classroom at once.
Blast protectionBlast protection and protective glazing address the glass doors and ground-floor windows of a school building.
Training (not firearms or self-defense)Staff training and drills prepare teachers and front-office staff, who are the first to respond in a school.
Trauma / emergency medical equipment

The federal NSGP-UA and NSGP-S list is the same in every state — it is on the national Private & Religious School page, with the same notes for private and religious schools →

Realistic next step in Ohio

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. State of Ohio Security Grant
Closed — next cycle expected
The OH OSG 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. 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 Ohio Emergency Management Agency (linked below).
FEMA NSGP page ↗

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

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

Private & Religious School FAQ for Ohio

Does Ohio have its own security-grant program for private and religious schools?

Ohio has one program of its own in this catalog. State of Ohio Security Grant, administered by the Ohio Department of Public Safety / Ohio Emergency Management Agency, reads “Eligible” for private and religious schools on its card above (up to $125K per site · up to $250K per organization). The federal NSGP applies in Ohio as well, through the Ohio Emergency Management Agency.

Is any application window open in Ohio right now?

OH OSG 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 private and religious schools in Ohio?

NSGP-UA is for private and religious schools inside Ohio's FEMA-designated high-risk urban areas — Cincinnati Area, Columbus (OH) Area and Cleveland Area — and NSGP-S for those elsewhere in Ohio; the Ohio Emergency Management Agency confirms which one applies to your address.

The national Private & Religious School page answers 6 more general questions.

Other organization types in Ohio

Church, Synagogue & Mosque

Private & Religious School security grants in other states

Florida Georgia Pennsylvania Tennessee

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.