Pennsylvania · Church, Synagogue & Mosque

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

Pennsylvania lists one security-grant program of its own in this catalog, Pennsylvania Nonprofit Security Grant Fund (Act 83), and houses of worship may fit, with conditions. The federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program applies in Pennsylvania too, through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency / PEMA — its urban-area stream for Philadelphia Area and Pittsburgh Area, its state stream for the rest of Pennsylvania. Every rule below is quoted from the program's own materials, and each card names the agency to confirm it with.

Check if you qualify (free, 2 min) →Browse all grants

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

One card per program in this catalog for Pennsylvania — 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.

Pennsylvania Nonprofit Security Grant Fund (Act 83)

Conditions apply

Administered by Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD)

Pennsylvania's fund is not written for any one kind of organization: it targets nonprofits that principally serve people in one of the FBI hate-crime bias categories, and religion is one of those categories. A congregation whose members are the community it serves is a fair fit on that reading. The program does not list houses of worship by name, so confirm with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) before you apply.

Up to $150K per organization · Open — deadline September 10, 2026

PA NSGF: full details →

Federal NSGP in Pennsylvania

The federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program is administered in Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency / PEMA, 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 Pennsylvania's FEMA-designated high-risk urban areas — Philadelphia Area and Pittsburgh Area. Confirm your area with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency / PEMA.

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 in Pennsylvania outside those urban areas; the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency / PEMA 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 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 Pennsylvania

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 Pennsylvania asks houses of worship to provide
Document	PA NSGF	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.	Not listed	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 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.

PA NSGF

Security equipment & technology (cameras, metal detectors, electronic locks)Cameras, controlled entry doors and alarms fit a sanctuary that is open to the public at service times and quiet in between.
Planning and trainingTraining and drills help ushers, greeters and volunteers — the people actually at the door — know what to do.
Vulnerability and threat assessmentsSecurity planning and a risk assessment give a volunteer-run congregation a written plan it can hand to the next board.
Structural upgradesConstruction or renovation can pay for a secure vestibule or reinforced entry when the building itself is the weak point.
Installation costs
Specialty-trained canines
Any other security project PCCD approves

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 Pennsylvania

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. Pennsylvania Nonprofit Security Grant Fund (Act 83)
Open — deadline September 10, 2026
The PA NSGF window is open. Check the deadline on the official page and start the application now — the documents table above lists what to have ready. Its official page is the SAA page linked below.
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 Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency / PEMA (linked below).
FEMA NSGP page ↗

Federal NSGP applications in Pennsylvania go through Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency / PEMA. Confirm the current deadline and submission steps on their official page before you apply.

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

Church, Synagogue & Mosque FAQ for Pennsylvania

Does Pennsylvania have its own security-grant program for houses of worship?

Pennsylvania has one program of its own in this catalog. Pennsylvania Nonprofit Security Grant Fund (Act 83), administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), reads “Conditions apply” for houses of worship on its card above (up to $150K per organization). The federal NSGP applies in Pennsylvania as well, through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency / PEMA.

Is any application window open in Pennsylvania right now?

PA NSGF is open (deadline September 10, 2026); the federal NSGP-UA and NSGP-S are closed, with the next cycle expected. Where a window is open, the next-step section above says what to have ready; the official page linked on each card carries the exact deadline.

Which federal NSGP stream applies to houses of worship in Pennsylvania?

NSGP-UA is for houses of worship inside Pennsylvania's FEMA-designated high-risk urban areas — Philadelphia Area and Pittsburgh Area — and NSGP-S for those elsewhere in Pennsylvania; the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency / PEMA confirms which one applies to your address.

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

Other organization types in Pennsylvania

Private & Religious School Community Center, JCC & Museum

Church, Synagogue & Mosque security grants in other states

California District of Columbia Florida Georgia Maine Maryland Massachusetts Ohio Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington

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.