Tennessee · Community Center, JCC & Museum

Security grants for community centers, JCCs, museums & cultural institutions in Tennessee

Tennessee lists one security-grant program of its own in this catalog, Tennessee Houses of Worship State Security Grant Program, and community centers and museums are outside its stated audience. That makes the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program the route in Tennessee, through the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security — Office of Homeland Security — its urban-area stream for Nashville Area, its state stream for the rest of Tennessee. 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 community centers, JCCs, museums & cultural institutions

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

Tennessee Houses of Worship State Security Grant Program

Not eligible

Administered by Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security — Office of Homeland Security

Community centers, JCCs and museums are outside this program's stated audience; in Tennessee, they rely on the federal NSGP through the state's Office of Homeland Security.
The state's own instructions say only 'eligible 501(c)(3) organizations'. If your center also houses a congregation, the congregation itself may be the applicant — ask ohs.grants@tn.gov before assuming neither of you can apply.

Up to $70K per organization · Closed — next cycle expected

TN Houses of Worship Security Grant: full details →

Federal NSGP in Tennessee

The federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program is administered in Tennessee by the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security — Office of Homeland Security, the state's State Administrative Agency. Both streams follow one federal notice; each card says which stream is for community centers and museums where.

Federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program — Urban Area

See notes

Administered by FEMA via your State Administrative Agency (SAA)

For community centers and museums inside Tennessee's FEMA-designated high-risk urban area — Nashville Area. Confirm your area with the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security — Office of Homeland Security.

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 community centers and museums in Tennessee outside that urban area; the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security — Office of Homeland Security 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 community centers and museums

A community center, JCC or museum 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 community centers and museums — how to apply, what the money can buy, what each site needs — are on the national Community Center, JCC & Museum page →

Documents for community centers and museums in Tennessee

What each program asks applicants to provide. Where a program treats community centers and museums differently — usually over the IRS determination letter — the cell reads “see note” and the numbered note under the table says how. Tennessee Houses of Worship State Security Grant Program is not listed here — its card above explains why community centers and museums are outside its stated audience.

Documents each security-grant program in Tennessee asks community centers and museums to provide
Document	NSGP-UA	NSGP-S
501(c)(3) status from the IRSFederal tax-exempt status.	Required	Required
IRS determination letter¹Your IRS 501(c)(3) confirmation letter.	See note 1	See note 1
SAM.gov registration (with UEI)Federal entity ID.	Required	Required
Threat, Vulnerability & Risk Assessment (TVRA)A documented assessment of your organization's specific risk profile.	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
Budget Detail WorksheetItemized budget mapped to allowable cost categories.	Required	Required
Mission statementA clear statement of your organization's purpose and the community you serve.	Required	Required
Board resolution authorizing the applicationA formal vote from your board of directors authorizing the application and committing to comply with grant terms.	Required	Required

1.NSGP-UA and NSGP-S: A community center, JCC or museum 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 community centers and museums. Lines without a note are allowable too — they just have no audience-specific angle.

Federal NSGP-UA and NSGP-S

Target hardening (cameras, doors, fences, alarms, lighting)Cameras, access control and reinforced doors fit a facility with several entrances, public programs and after-hours rentals.
Contracted security personnel (can be up to 100% of the award, but grant funds can't buy their equipment)Paid security staffing suits a building that is open to the public for long hours, with visitors who are not members.
Security planningSecurity planning and a risk assessment give a multi-use facility one plan covering every program under its roof.
Training (attendance fees only)Training and exercises prepare front-desk staff, program leaders and volunteers to respond to an incident.
Exercises
Cybersecurity measuresCybersecurity appears on this list — check the line's own limits — and matters for a center or museum that keeps membership, donor or ticketing data.
Construction and renovationConstruction or renovation can pay for entry redesign or protective glazing — worth checking for a museum in an older building, where historic-preservation review may apply.
Management & administration (up to 5% of the award)

Realistic next step in Tennessee

1. 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 Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security — Office of Homeland Security (linked below).
FEMA NSGP page ↗

Federal NSGP applications in Tennessee go through Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security — Office of Homeland Security. Confirm the current deadline and submission steps on their official page before you apply.

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

Community Center, JCC & Museum FAQ for Tennessee

Does Tennessee have its own security-grant program for community centers and museums?

Tennessee has one program of its own in this catalog. Tennessee Houses of Worship State Security Grant Program, administered by the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security — Office of Homeland Security, reads “Not eligible” for community centers and museums on its card above (up to $70K per organization). That leaves the federal NSGP, applied for through the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security — Office of Homeland Security, as the route in Tennessee.

Is any application window open in Tennessee right now?

TN Houses of Worship Security Grant 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 community centers and museums in Tennessee?

NSGP-UA is for community centers and museums inside Tennessee's FEMA-designated high-risk urban area — Nashville Area — and NSGP-S for those elsewhere in Tennessee; the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security — Office of Homeland Security confirms which one applies to your address.

The national Community Center, JCC & Museum page answers 6 more general questions.

Other organization types in Tennessee

Church, Synagogue & Mosque Private & Religious School

Community Center, JCC & Museum security grants in other states

District of Columbia Florida Georgia Illinois Pennsylvania 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.