At a recent Shabbat service in West Bloomfield, Mich., Rabbi Jen Lader urged her congregation to press Congress for more federal help to protect houses of worship. She cited the March attack on Temple Israel and credited trained security staff and resources with preventing greater loss of life. Lader told worshippers they were not asking for protection for one faith alone, but for every community that gathers to pray.
More than 400 Jewish leaders flew to Washington this week to press lawmakers to boost the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), the federal program that helps houses of worship and other nonprofits harden their facilities. The advocacy effort — led by the Jewish Federations of North America — came just after a deadly shooting at a San Diego mosque, a pain-filled reminder for many that attacks are not limited to any single community.
Fadi Hammami, co-president of the Islamic Association of Greater Hartford, said his group first applied for NSGP funds in 2019 and received a $50,000 award in 2021 to reinforce doors and add cameras and alarms. He praised the program’s intent but criticized how it works in practice. NSGP requires applicants to wait for approval and to front the cost of projects, with FEMA reimbursing grantees afterward. That reimbursement model creates a barrier for smaller congregations and community centers that don’t have reserves to pay up front.
Community security professionals describe similar frustrations. Shane Dennis, who does security assessments for congregations in the Ann Arbor area, said applications typically start with basic physical defenses — fencing, controlled entrances, lighting, cameras and locks — and then move to interior plans, safe rooms and blind-spot coverage. Individual houses of worship can request up to $200,000 under NSGP; nonprofits with multiple sites may request up to three sites for a maximum of $600,000 per state. In practice, many applicants ask for much less and focus on ‘‘low-hanging fruit’’ such as better locks, signage and maps that help first responders locate rooms quickly.
Applicants also face a cumbersome administrative process that can take years from application to completion. Jerry Sorokin, executive director of Beth Israel Congregation in Ann Arbor, said his 2024 request to install bollards was delayed while the congregation waited for grant approval; when the application was denied he found himself months behind schedule and later rented bollards after seeing news of a nearby attack. Recent shutdowns at the Department of Homeland Security added further delays to award distributions.
On Capitol Hill, bipartisan lawmakers are hearing similar concerns. Representative Josh Gottheimer described frequent calls from religious leaders who say they and their communities feel unsafe. Data from fiscal year 2024 show roughly one-third of NSGP applications received awards: about 12,000 applications were submitted and roughly 4,000 were funded, counting NSGP and a related security fund. Funding for the program has grown since its 2005 start; congressional appropriations for NSGP in fiscal year 2025 totaled $274.5 million, but an extended DHS shutdown delayed the flow of those funds. FEMA expects to announce FY2025 awards soon.
Lawmakers and advocates are urging a much larger increase. A bill introduced this week would raise congressional funding for the program to $1 billion, boost resources to state-level administrators, require that reimbursement payments be processed within 90 days of appropriations, and relax limits on using funds to hire security personnel. NSGP was originally designed to harden buildings — locks, cameras, barriers — but in 2019 the program was expanded to allow nonprofits to contract off-duty law enforcement. Current rules still bar using grant money to hire public safety officers as direct employees.
Supporters argue that allowing institutions to hire their own guards would improve safety. Eric Fingerhut, president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, pointed to the critical role of on-site security at both Temple Israel and the San Diego mosque, saying staff who know the building and community can spot problems earlier and respond more effectively.
Advocates have also raised concerns about application conditions that might deter certain communities from applying. In January, lawmakers asked DHS to clarify whether grant materials implied that applicants would be required to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement — a worry that could dissuade immigrant-serving organizations and congregations from seeking funds. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) sent a letter to the DHS secretary after the San Diego attack asking for a briefing for Muslim leaders and urging the department to ensure equal access to NSGP and to remove any conditions that could chill speech or participation. CAIR and other Muslim organizations say prior guidance from FEMA once reassured Muslim applicants that applying would not trigger hostile investigations; they want a similar assurance under current leadership.
FEMA has told news organizations that DHS has not blocked NSGP funds to Muslim groups and that all eligible entities are encouraged to apply. The department is expected to issue additional guidance clarifying compliance questions under its new leadership.
Advocates say the combination of greater funding and simpler, faster administration would make a tangible difference for congregations large and small. For many houses of worship, even modest security upgrades can be life-saving; for others, hiring trained staff who understand the community and layout of a building would provide an additional layer of protection. The push on Capitol Hill aims to make those resources available more broadly and quickly, while addressing administrative hurdles that currently limit access for smaller and less well-funded organizations.