Nonprofit security grant updates

Posted on April 07, 2022

Application information for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) will be released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on or about May 13, 2022. NY DHSES will publish its Request for Applications shortly thereafter. Anticipate an New York application window of two weeks or less. Take steps immediately to address the issues below.

What can you do immediately?

Review the latest information. If you didn’t see FEMA’s technical assistance presentation last week, click here to see the slides, including allowable projects, recommendations and other basic information. Note: this year’s Investment Justification will be in the easier-to-use PDF format. Another change, new applicants will be eligible for a 15 point bonus.
Get a UEI. Previous grantees all know about DUNS numbers, but DUNS numbers will not be accepted. Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). This process is challenging so do not leave it until the last minute. Click here to download the Quick Start Guide for Getting a Unique Entity Identifier.
Update your Document Vault. All New York applicants must be prequalified in order to submit an application.

- Certain financial documents must be updated annually. If you are already prequalified, ensure that all financial documentation in your document vault is current and will not be expiring in the near future. Organizations with expired documentation will not be considered for funding.
- Organizations that used the “Streamlined” prequalification process for the Hate Crimes (SCAHC) grants last year must prequalify using the traditional process.

For more information on prequalification, and maintaining prequalification, please visit: https://grantsmanagement.ny.gov/get-prequalified.

1. Assessments. An up-to-date vulnerability assessment must be attached to each application. CSI will continue to deliver assessments to organizations on a three-year cycle (once every three years). The vulnerability assessment submitted must be current and accurately reflect the site’s security vulnerabilities at the time your application is submitted

1. - - Click here to request a physical or cybersecurity assessment, training or purchasing support. Note, the CSI team is delivering scores of physical assessments and CSI has brought in additional experts. However, at this time we cannot guarantee the delivery of physical assessments before the grant applications are due.
    - Organizations can update their recent assessments. Click here for instructions. CSI will supply our current threat overview. Request one here.
    - The vulnerability assessment must contain the site’s physical address, which must match the physical address provided in the Investment Justification (IJ) and in the Work Plan of your E-Grants application.
    - Each and every project being requested in the IJ must be clearly linked to a security vulnerability identified in the vulnerability assessment. Requested projects that are not reflected as vulnerabilities in the assessment will not be funded.

1. 1. E-Grants. You must be a registered user of the DHSES E-Grants System. All applications must be submitted to DHSES using this system. If you need information about this system or need to register for access, please see the NY DHSES website for instructions: https://www.dhses.ny.gov/e-grants.
  2. Charities Bureau.
    You must be registered, have recently applied for registration, or be exempt from registering with the NYS Attorney General’s Office Charities Bureau: https://www.charitiesnys.com/charities_new.html.

Posted in FEMA, Nonprofit Security, Nonprofit Security Grants, NSGP

NSGP Webinar

Posted on March 21, 2019

Some people couldn’t join the webinar today. Sorry, but this was a DHS production and we had no control.

We didn’t hear anything more than that they plan to release the Notice of Grant Opportunity (NOFO) on or before April 16th. We should expect the NY DHSES Request for Applications (RFA) soon thereafter. The NOFO will include the deadline for states to submit the applications to DHS. NY DHSES will have to give themselves enough time to score hundreds of submissions. Remember: The NY RFA will be the definitive and final word on all grant details.

Click here for a copy of today’s slides and here for some FAQ‘s. There are some interesting details in the FAQ’s.

Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Nonprofit Organizations.

1. What is the purpose of the NSGP? The NSGP provides funding support for target hardening and other physical security enhancements to nonprofit organizations that are at risk of a terrorist attack.
2. Where can I learn more about the NSGP? The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is the official document that contains all information and requirements for the current year NSGP. The FY 2019 NSGP NOFO has not been released yet. Check http://fema.gov/grants for the NOFO release.
3. How much funding is available under the NSGP? The total amount of funds available for NSGP is determined annually by the appropriations act. The total amount of funds available under FY 2019 NSGP is $60,000,000, of which: $50,000,000 is for NSGP-Urban Area (NSGP-UA); and $10,000,000 is for NSGP-State (NSGP-S)
4. Who is eligible to apply to FEMA for NSGP funding? The State Administrative Agency (SAA, in NY that’s DHSES) is the only entity eligible to apply to FEMA for NSGP funding on behalf of an eligible nonprofit organization. Nonprofit organizations must apply to their SAA as the sub-applicant.
5. Am I an eligible nonprofit organization? An eligible nonprofit organization must:
  a) Meet the description under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) of 1986 and be exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such code;
  b) For NSGP-UA, be located within one of the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI)- designated urban areas (the year you are applying for funding); OR for NSGP-S, be located outside of a UASI-designated urban area (for the year you are applying for funding); and c) Determined to be at high risk of a terrorist attack by the Secretary of Homeland Security (this is informed by the state scores/recommendations and the Federal review results).
6. What is the difference between NSGP-UA and NSGP-S? NSGP-UA provides funding for nonprofit organizations located within a current year UASI designated urban area. NSGP-S provides funding for nonprofit organizations located outside of current year UASI designated urban areas. The UASI-designated urban areas are determined annually. For a list of UASI-designated urban areas, see the NSGP NOFO for the year you will apply for funding.
7. Should I apply to NSGP-UA or NSGP-S? If the physical address of the nonprofit organization is within a UASI-designated urban area (the year you are applying for funding) then you may apply to NSGP-UA. If the physical address of the nonprofit organization is outside of a UASI-designated urban area (the year you are applying for funding) then you may apply to NSGP-S. If you are unsure whether your nonprofit organization’s physical address is located within or outside of a UASI-designated urban area, contact your SAA. For a list of SAA contacts, see http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary/assets/documents/28689?id=6363. You may not apply to both programs. Applications that are received for the wrong program will be deemed ineligible.
8. How do I apply? Eligible nonprofit organizations must apply to their SAA for NSGP funding. Nonprofits may not apply to FEMA directly. Contact your SAA for information on how to apply.
9. What kinds of target hardening project costs or security enhancement costs can I apply for? Allowable costs include planning, equipment, training, and exercises. Below are some examples of each:
  - Planning – Activities related to the development of plans such as:
    - Security Risk Management Plans
    - Continuity of Operations Plans
    - Response Plans
  - Equipment – Authorized Equipment List Sections 14 and 15 only; examples include:
    - Access control equipment
    - Surveillance equipment
    - Physical protective measures such as fences, bollards, concrete barriers
  - Training
    - Active Shooter Training
    - Security Training for employees, or members/congregation
  - Exercises
    - Response exercises

For a complete and up-to-date description on allowability, see the NSGP NOFO for the year you will apply for funding. See more FAQ’s here.

Posted in FEMA, Nonprofit Security Grants, NSGP

Non-Profit Security Grant is Coming Soon!

Posted on February 26, 2019

DHS Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives

Prepare Now for the Non-Profit Security Grant!

Updated March 14, 2019| FEMA will release the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) no later than April 16, 2019 which opens the application period. Under the FY 2019 NSGP FEMA will award $60 million in security related funding to nonprofit organizations. New York State DHSES will transform this document into its Request for Applications (RFA) which will be the last word for New York nonprofits on the requirements and deadlines for submissions.

In FY 2019, FEMA will award $60 million dollars in security funding for nonprofit organizations. The application period for NY organizations starts on the day the RFA is released. Nonprofit organizations are required to submit their application to NY DHSES shortly thereafter.

FEMA Webinar (3/21) – Protecting Your Organization: Fiscal Year 2019 Nonprofit Security Grant Program, and other Resources to Help Keep Your Facility Safe

Please register if you are unable to attend to receive a recording of this webinar.

Please join FEMA’s Grant Programs Directorate in partnership with DHS’s Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives and FEMA’s Individual and Community Preparedness Division, on Thursday, March 21, 2019 from 2-3 p.m. ET to learn about the Nonprofit Security Grant Program and how to prepare for the application period.

Get a head start on the application by reviewing the FY 2018 NSGP Investment Justification (IJ) questions and preparing your answers. Download a copy at: Investment Justification 2018, JCRC-NY’s 2018 Tutorial (PDF of PowerPoint), JCRC-NY’s Tying together the risk and target hardening language and JFNA’s Threat Chronology.

Note: JCRC-NY modified a FEMA announcement to add NY-specific details. Organizations outside of NY should check with their state.

Posted in FEMA, Jewish Security, Nonprofit Security, Nonprofit Security Grants, NSGP

National Preparedness Month couldn’t be more relevant

Posted on September 12, 2018

Forecasters predict that Hurricane Florence will aim its “potential for unbelievable damage” at the Carolinas and Virginia and will not have a significant impact on the New York area.

Beware! It’s peak hurricane season and this is not a time for complacency. We may see fewer hurricanes this year, but scientists conclude that hurricanes are getting wetter and slower.

Find a wealth of information on the FEMA Ready website.
You should have an emergency plan covering four basic areas: How will I receive emergency alerts and warnings? What is my shelter plan? What is my evacuation route? What is my family/household communication plan? Check out the New York City Emergency Management pocket guides outlining the very basic steps all New Yorkers should take to prepare for an emergency available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Bengali, French, Haitian Creole, Italian, Korean, Polish, Urdu, Yiddish
Know your zone. New York City refined its Evacuation Zones after Sandy. Take a look at the NYC Hurricane Zone Finder and for Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester.
Get notified. Sign up for emergency alerts from NYC, Nassau, Suffolk and/or Westchester(temporarily unavailable).
Stock up. As we know from Texas and Florida, storms bring power outages and limited mobility. Build or restock your emergency preparedness kit. Include food and water sufficient for at least three days, medications, a flashlight, batteries, cash, and first aid supplies.
Halacha. The Jewish holiday season continues, so think about how severe weather can affect synagogue services and religious observances. Remember, wind conditions in the metropolitan areas in 2015 led emergency planners to advise those with Sukkahs (Sukkot) to dismantle or secure them (See our post Sukkahs in the Wind and an excellent teshuvah on severe weather considerations here).

Posted in Disaster, FEMA, Halachah/Preparedness, Preparedness, Severe weather, Tropical Storm

FEMA: 2018 Hurricane Season Outlook

Posted on May 02, 2018

Photo: NOAA.gov

Arago’s Admonition:

“Never, no matter what may be the progress of science, will honest scientific men who have regard for their reputations venture to predict the weather.”

It is hard to believe, as FEMA and our stakeholders are still very much in active recovery mode from the 2017 hurricane season, that the official start to the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1st. Forecasts from leading researchers and meteorologists, including those at Colorado State University, are predicting a busy 2018 hurricane season with a 60% probability for a major hurricane hitting the U.S. coast. Researchers also predict a slightly above average season in terms of number of hurricanes formed and intensity of the storms.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an above average hurricane season would equal over 11 named storms. NOAA continues to monitor weather patterns and will make formal forecasts closer to the start of June when the season officially begins.

Colorado State University added that higher than average ocean waters in the western tropical Atlantic combined with cooler than average ocean temperatures in the north and western Atlantic will contribute to an active upcoming hurricane season.

FEMA offers a number of resources to help to prepare for the upcoming Hurricane season. Visit FEMA.gov or download the FEMA app from iTunes or Google Play today. Before the 2017 Hurricane Season, Acting FEMA Administrator Robert J. Fenton Jr. (now FEMA Region IX Administrator) said, “Regardless of how many storms develop this year, it only takes one to disrupt our lives. Get ready now with these easy, low-cost steps that will leave you better prepared and will make all the difference: Have a family discussion about what you will do, where you will go and how you will communicate with each other when a storm threatens; Know your evacuation route; tune into your local news or download the FEMA app to get alerts, and finally – listen to local authorities as a storm approaches.”

(Sources: FEMA.gov, NOAA.gov, Colorado State University Extended Range Forecast of 2018 Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Activity, http://www.bsc.es/seasonalhurricanepredictions)

Posted in FEMA, Hurricane, Severe weather

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