Homeland Security Grants for Churches: Eligibility and How to Apply

Churches can get federal help paying for security cameras, reinforced doors, fencing, active shooter training, and even contracted guards through the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, a FEMA grant that is the main homeland security grant for churches and other houses of worship. Awards run up to $150,000 per site in most states and up to $200,000 in FEMA-designated high-risk urban areas, with no matching funds required from the church.¹² Applications don’t go directly to FEMA. They go to your state’s homeland security or emergency management office, which scores them and forwards a ranked list to FEMA for final funding decisions.³

Does Your Church Qualify

Two things have to be true. The church must be a 501(c)(3) organization, and it must be considered at high risk of a terrorist or extremist attack.⁴

On the paperwork side, churches have an advantage over other nonprofits. Because churches, integrated auxiliaries, and conventions of churches are not required to file annual information returns with the IRS, they generally do not need to produce a formal IRS determination letter. A “letter of exemption” is accepted instead.⁵

On the risk side, applicants have to show something concrete. That can be prior threats or attacks against the organization based on its ideology, mission, or beliefs; symbolic value as a recognized historical or regional institution; or findings from a threat or vulnerability assessment already conducted at the site.⁴

Urban Area or State Track

The program is split into two streams. NSGP-Urban Area serves organizations inside FEMA-designated high-risk urban areas. NSGP-State serves everyone else. You must apply to the correct stream based on your physical address, and applying to the wrong one can get you disqualified. City limits don’t always match the urban area footprint, so FEMA recommends confirming with your State Administrative Agency (SAA) before you file.⁶

A church with sites in both zones may apply to both streams, but cannot exceed six applications total (three per stream) or $600,000 in requested funding per state. Every physical location needs its own application and its own vulnerability assessment. Combined assessments covering multiple sites will be rejected.⁶⁴

What the Grant Pays For

NSGP funds cover physical security improvements and related preparedness work in several categories:

Equipment on FEMA’s authorized equipment list, including surveillance cameras, access control systems, barriers, and bollards.
Planning documents such as security risk management plans, continuity of operations plans, and emergency response plans.
Training, including active shooter training for staff and congregation members.
Exercises such as emergency response drills and tabletop exercises.
Contracted security services, though the applicant must show it can sustain that capability in future years without NSGP funding.
Management and administration costs, up to 5% of the subaward.

The grant works on reimbursement. The church pays first for approved expenses, then gets repaid, and only costs incurred during the official period of performance qualify.⁶

Some costs are explicitly off-limits. You cannot use NSGP funds to pay for the vulnerability assessment or the investment justification, the two documents that anchor the application itself. Funds also cannot be used for lobbying, to match other federal grants, or to duplicate capabilities the federal government already provides.⁷²

How to Apply

Start with your State Administrative Agency, usually the state homeland security or emergency management office. Deadlines and portal details vary by state. Iowa asks for a preliminary “Notice of Interest” before it releases the full application. Washington requires a “Notice of Intent” by a set date. Check your state’s page early, because those preliminary steps can gate your access to the full submission.⁸⁹

The core package has three documents:

A vulnerability assessment for the specific site. It can come from state or local law enforcement, a county emergency management agency, or CISA’s free self-assessment tools, and generally must be no more than three years old.
An investment justification, filled out on a FEMA-provided template, that explains what you want to buy or build, how it addresses the vulnerabilities identified in the assessment, and why it’s achievable within the grant period.
A mission statement describing the church’s purpose and any beliefs or activities that raise its risk profile.

You also need a Unique Entity Identifier from SAM.gov and proof of nonprofit status (or, for churches, a letter of exemption).⁴⁹⁵

How Applications Get Scored

The program is competitive. Between FY 2021 and FY 2023, applications nearly doubled from 3,313 to 5,182, and only about 42% of applicants were funded in FY 2023.¹⁰

Reviewers weigh evidence of current or persistent threats against the organization based on ideology or beliefs, the symbolic value of the site, how well the proposed project matches the vulnerabilities identified in the assessment, and how integrated the applicant is with state and local preparedness efforts. Not having received prior NSGP funding can also count in your favor.¹¹

Common Mistakes That Sink Applications

Every item you propose to buy should trace back to a specific weakness the assessment identified. Vague project descriptions and mismatches between the assessment and the investment justification are the failures that come up most often.⁴

One procurement rule surprises many applicants. A consultant or grant writer who helps prepare the investment justification cannot later perform, or bid on, the security work funded by that grant. FEMA treats it as “double dipping” and a conflict of interest under federal procurement rules. If you hire outside help for the application, use a different vendor for the installation.¹²¹³

Small things matter too. Confirm the correct funding stream, and follow your state’s file naming conventions. Some states reject applications with improperly named documents.⁴

What Happens If You Win

The standard period of performance is 36 months from the award date, though individual SAAs may set shorter deadlines. Recipients file biannual performance progress reports and quarterly federal financial reports.²

Any project that physically changes a building — installing cameras, reinforcing doors, building fencing, or other construction — triggers a mandatory Environmental and Historic Preservation (EHP) review. FEMA will not release funds for the work until EHP clearance is issued, and starting work early can void your reimbursement entirely. Simple projects may clear in 30 to 45 working days, but complex projects involving ground disturbance or historic structures can take a year or more. Submit thorough documentation and good photographs early.¹⁴¹⁵

Organizations that spend $750,000 or more in total federal awards during a fiscal year must undergo a single audit. Financial records and supporting documents have to be kept for at least three years after the final financial report.²

Free Help Before You Apply

If your church isn’t ready to apply, or wants to strengthen a future application, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) offers free resources aimed specifically at houses of worship. Its Houses of Worship Security Self-Assessment, available in paper and interactive digital formats, walks you through identifying vulnerabilities and building a mitigation plan. That same assessment can serve as the foundation of a later NSGP application.¹⁶

CISA also fields Protective Security Advisors who work directly with congregations on security planning, and offers active shooter preparedness materials, bombing prevention training, and a “Power of Hello” program that trains staff to recognize suspicious behavior.¹⁷

Other Federal Options

The NSGP is the main federal grant aimed at house-of-worship security, but two others may apply. The State Homeland Security Program (SHSP), also administered through FEMA, funds “target hardening and other measures associated with increased security” at places where people gather, including houses of worship. It runs through broader state homeland security strategies and requires coordination with regional planning bodies, and nonprofits are eligible applicants in some states.¹⁸ The Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program, run by the DHS Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, lists faith-based organizations as eligible but funds prevention capabilities rather than physical security hardware.¹⁹

One Note on Current Program Status

Before you build your timeline, know that the FY 2025 cycle has been contested. In November 2025, 34 House Democrats, led by Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson, wrote that they were “alarmed” the Trump administration had not awarded the $275 million Congress appropriated for FY 2025 and accused the administration of disregarding congressionally mandated outreach.²⁰ For FY 2025, DHS also introduced new conditions requiring recipients to cooperate with immigration enforcement, avoid programs that “advance or promote DEI,” and refrain from participating in “discriminatory prohibited boycotts.” Some Muslim advocacy groups have advised organizations to pause applications until those conditions are removed. A FEMA spokesperson said: “Under President Trump, DHS protects all Americans from terrorism, regardless of faith. Claims that FEMA blocked funds from Muslim groups are false. All applicants are evaluated equally based on risk.”²¹ Check with your SAA on current-year timing and conditions before you commit resources to an application.

1
FEMA. Nonprofit Security Grant Program
2
SAM.gov. Nonprofit Security Grant Program Assistance Listing
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Every CRS Report. Nonprofit Security Grant Program
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Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. Nonprofit Security Grant
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Texas eGrants. Non-Profit Security Grant Pre-Application Guide
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FEMA. FY 2025 NSGP Frequently Asked Questions
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CalOES. FY26 NSGP Notice of Funding Opportunity
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Iowa Department of Homeland Security. Nonprofit Security Grant Program
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Washington Military Department. NSGP Application Details
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DHS/FEMA. NSGP Report to Congress, Fiscal Years 2021-2023
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Illinois Emergency Management Agency. FY 2026 NSGP Application Information
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FEMA. Procurement Under Grants Policy Guide
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Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Nonprofit Security Grant Program
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CalOES. EHP Policy Guidance
15
FEMA. Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation
16
CISA. Protecting Houses of Worship Resources
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CISA. Protecting Houses of Worship
18
Texas eGrants. State Homeland Security Program Regular Projects, FFY 2026
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DHS. Prevention Grant Funds Clearinghouse
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House Committee on Homeland Security Democrats. Democrats Demand Trump Administration Release Homeland Security Grant Funds
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Religion News Service. Amid Growing Anti-Muslim Fervor, Mosques Face Increasing Challenges to Provide Security