How to Apply for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP)

The federal NSGP awards roughly $300 million a year to help at-risk nonprofits harden their facilities. Here are the six steps to a complete application — from confirming you're eligible to submitting through your state agency.

1. 1. Confirm you're eligible

   The NSGP funds U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofits at risk of a hate-motivated or terrorist attack — houses of worship, schools, community centers, museums, and similar organizations. There are two streams: NSGP-UA for nonprofits inside a designated high-risk urban (UASI) area, and NSGP-S for everyone else in the state. Check your eligibility free in about two minutes before you invest time in an application.

2. 2. Register in SAM.gov and get your UEI

   Every applicant needs an active registration in SAM.govand a Unique Entity ID (UEI). This is free but can take one to three weeks (longer if information needs verifying), so start it early — it's the most common reason nonprofits miss the deadline.

3. 3. Complete a vulnerability assessment

   Your application must be grounded in a vulnerability assessment (a TVRA — Threat, Vulnerability & Risk Assessment) that identifies the specific physical gaps you want to close. You can use a professional assessor or a structured self-assessment. Start with our free security self-assessment (modeled on the CISA Houses of Worship framework).

4. 4. Write your Investment Justification (IJ)

   The IJ is the scored heart of the application. Reviewers look for a tight “golden thread”: your identity and threat → the specific vulnerabilities from your assessment → the investments that close them → the budget. It should cite current, local threat evidence and a realistic timeline. Our AI grant writer drafts every section — and its pre-submission review scores your draft the way a reviewer would.

5. 5. Build an itemized, allowable budget

   Federal NSGP funds target-hardening (cameras, access control, doors, alarms, lighting), contracted security, training, and planning — up to $200,000 per site(up to three sites), with a management & administration line of up to 5%. Itemize every cost (quantity × unit price) and keep it within the cap. Firearms, hiring your own personnel, license-plate readers, and pre-award costs are not allowable.

6. 6. Submit through your State Administrative Agency (SAA)

   You don't apply to FEMA directly — you apply through your state's SAA, and deadlines vary by state(often only a few weeks after the federal notice). Find your state's deadline and submission steps on its page, and submit before the SAA's cutoff.