Resources
Nonprofit security grants in California: the federal NSGP and the state program, side by side
California nonprofits at risk of attack can apply for two security grants: the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) and the state’s own nonprofit security grant. Both run through Cal OES, both can pay for contract security guards, and neither pays for the vulnerability assessment you file with the application. This guide compares the two in plain language for churches, private schools, shelters and community groups.
Two Grants, One State Office
Last checked November 6, 2026. The Nonprofit Security Grant Program is a federal grant from the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA for physical security and target hardening at nonprofits at risk of terrorist or other extremist attack. California’s State Nonprofit Security Grant Program (often shortened to CSNSGP) is a separate grant paid from the state budget for nonprofits at high risk of violent attacks and hate crimes because of their ideology, beliefs or mission.
The two share one front door. Cal OES is the state agency that handles the federal grant for California and also runs the state grant itself. A nonprofit cannot apply to FEMA directly, and a security company cannot apply on a nonprofit’s behalf. The caps, forms, scoring and guard rules differ between the two, so read each program’s own rules before you build a budget.
Both of the latest rounds have closed: the federal FY 2026 round, whose funding decisions FEMA announced on September 28, 2026, and the state’s 2025-26 round. Neither program had posted its next round when we checked. Cal OES announces new rounds on its grants pages.
The Federal and State Grants Compared
The table sets the two most recent rounds next to each other. Figures come from the FY 2026 federal funding notice, the Cal OES FY 2026 application webinar and the state’s 2025-26 request for proposal, all read November 6, 2026.
| Item | Federal NSGP (FY 2026 round) | California State NSGP (2025-26 round) |
|---|---|---|
| Paid for by | U.S. Department of Homeland Security through FEMA; Cal OES passes it to nonprofits | The state budget; Cal OES grants it directly |
| Money in the round | $300 million nationwide, with $28,933,441 allocated to California | $76 million, California only |
| Cap per site | $200,000 | $250,000 |
| Cap per organization | Up to 3 sites in each funding stream, $600,000 in total per state | Up to 2 proposals, $500,000 in total |
| Contract security guards | Allowed, up to the full grant amount | Allowed, up to 50% of the amount requested, with a plan to keep paying for the guards after the grant |
| Equipment or courses for the guards | Not fundable | Not fundable |
| Construction and renovation | Only with FEMA’s prior written approval | Up to $100,000 |
| Vulnerability assessment | Required, one per site, on the Cal OES worksheet | Required, on the Cal OES worksheet (version 10/25) |
| Scoring extras | Score multiplied by 3 for houses of worship and religious schools, by 2 for secular schools and medical facilities; 15 bonus points for a first-time applicant | 48-point scale with 40 needed to be considered; weighs whether the people served are more likely to face hate-motivated violence |
The federal money for California is split by urban area. A nonprofit inside a designated high-risk urban area applies to the urban-area stream, and everyone else applies to the state stream. The Bay Area urban area takes in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma counties. Its FY 2026 share, before Cal OES’s administration costs, was $10,597,377. The state program has no urban-area split; every eligible California nonprofit competes in one pool.
Who Can Apply
Both grants are for 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Churches, mosques and synagogues are automatically tax-exempt and do not need an IRS recognition letter; Cal OES asks other organizations for theirs. FEMA lists houses of worship, museums, educational facilities, senior centers, community centers and day camps as examples of eligible groups.
The application has to show the risk. For the federal grant that means a high risk of terrorist or other extremist attack at the site. For the FY 2026 round, applicants also sent short bios for leadership and board members. The state grant adds rules of its own: for-profit companies and fundraising arms are not eligible, only one nonprofit per shared building can apply, and the site must be occupied, so vacant lots and buildings under construction are out.
Churches, Schools and Shelters: How Scoring Treats Each
Cal OES scores each federal application out of 40, and FEMA then multiplies that score by the type of organization. Houses of worship, religious schools and religious medical facilities get the largest multiplier, 3. Secular private schools and colleges organized as 501(c)(3) nonprofits, along with secular medical facilities, get 2. Shelters, community centers, senior centers, museums and day camps generally count as 1 unless they are religious or medical. An organization that has never received the federal grant gets 15 bonus points.
- Houses of worship: eligible for both grants with no IRS letter, and at the top of the federal multiplier scale. Our church and house of worship security page covers what a guard does during services and after hours.
- Private schools: religious schools sit with houses of worship; secular private schools sit one step lower at 2.
- Shelters and community centers: eligible when they are 501(c)(3) and show elevated risk; the state program also weighs whether the people served are more likely to be targeted by hate-motivated violence.
Can Grant Money Pay for Security Guards?
Yes, under both programs, with different limits. In the FY 2026 federal round, a nonprofit could spend the full amount of its grant on contracted security personnel. The state’s 2025-26 round capped guard costs at 50% of the amount requested and asked the applicant to show it could keep the guard coverage going in later years without state grant money.
Guard coverage in a federal application is justified in the facility-hardening part of the Investment Justification, with the number of officers, how often they work and the hourly rate, each tied to a weakness the vulnerability assessment found. The guard service is bought under federal procurement rules (2 C.F.R. 200.317 to 200.327), and only coverage worked inside the grant’s performance period is paid. Off-duty police working as contract security are allowed under the federal grant.
What Neither Grant Pays For
Neither grant pays for the vulnerability assessment that goes with your application. The federal rules list assessment and grant-writing costs as unallowable, and the state program funds assessments only through its separate Support Services grants, which go to nonprofits that provide them to other groups. Other costs the rules rule out:
- Radios, uniforms, vehicles and other equipment for contracted guards, under both grants; the state grant won’t pay to train them either.
- Weapons, and courses on weapons, which Cal OES lists as unallowable.
- Security costs paid before your grant agreement with Cal OES starts.
- General operating costs, overtime and backfill.
- License-plate-reader and facial-recognition camera software.
Equipment the federal grant does fund has to come from FEMA’s Authorized Equipment List and go on property the nonprofit owns or leases: cameras, access control, impact-resistant doors and gates, barriers, fencing, lighting and mass notification are examples. Courses for the nonprofit’s own staff and volunteers, such as active shooter awareness or Stop the Bleed, are covered for fees and materials.
The Vulnerability Assessment and Who Writes It
Every application starts with a vulnerability assessment of the specific address, recorded on the Cal OES Vulnerability Assessment Worksheet. One assessment covers one physical site; reusing the same assessment for several sites can get an application rejected. Cal OES encourages an assessor with a security, emergency services, military or law enforcement background, and a self-assessment is acceptable. The worksheet itself is not scored.
Know this before you hire anyone to write it: a security company that prepares the vulnerability assessment cannot bid on or contract for installing the equipment the grant funds. Cal OES points to the federal competition rule in 2 C.F.R. 200.319(b). If you plan to buy cameras, doors or fencing with the grant, keep the assessment writer and the installer separate.
Our security assessment checklist is a good way to gather notes on your fences, doors, lighting and quiet hours before the formal assessment.
Application Steps for the Federal Grant in California
- Complete the site-specific vulnerability assessment on the Cal OES worksheet.
- Fill in the FEMA Investment Justification form, one per site, without altering the PDF.
- Write a mission statement on letterhead; Cal OES uses it to classify the organization.
- Email the three files to Cal OES, one email per site, following its file-naming rules. Cal OES’s deadline falls ahead of FEMA’s; in FY 2026 it came two weeks earlier.
- Cal OES ranks the applications for each urban area and sends them to FEMA, which applies the multipliers and bonus, runs a security review and decides the funding.
- Register for a Unique Entity ID on SAM.gov. You can apply without one, but you need it before Cal OES can pass the money to you.
The state grant uses its own Application Form and the same style of assessment worksheet, plus proof that you own or lease the site (with a landlord permission letter if you lease) and a map or footprint of the facility with its square footage. Once funding is granted, the project itself cannot be changed.
Writing the Guard Line in Your Grant Budget
A guard line reads best when a reviewer can trace it straight back to the assessment. Before you write it, have these answers ready:
- The assessment finding each post answers, such as an unwatched side entrance during services.
- Posts, hours a day and days a year, for example one officer at weekend services for eight hours a day.
- An hourly rate from a written quote, with the quotes kept for the procurement file.
- The total checked against the cap: up to the whole federal grant, up to 50% of a state request.
- For the state grant, how the coverage continues once the grant ends.
- No equipment line for the guards, and a start date after your grant agreement begins.
Our security guard cost calculator turns posts and hours into a monthly figure you can check against a quote.
Get Help
If your plan includes contract guards, Vantage can price the posts, hours and hourly rate you need for the budget line, and our officers hold BSIS guard cards. Pricing starts with an on-site security review, which costs nothing when you request a guard quote. Request a quote when you are ready to put numbers on paper.
Treat this guide as general information rather than legal or grant advice. Cal OES makes the funding decisions and answers questions about eligibility and allowable costs.
A few useful answers
Common questions
Can a church apply for a nonprofit security grant in California?
Yes. Churches, mosques and synagogues qualify for both the federal NSGP and the state program without an IRS recognition letter. Houses of worship also get the largest multiplier, 3, when FEMA scores federal applications.
Can NSGP money pay for security guards?
Yes. In the FY 2026 federal round a nonprofit could put its entire grant toward contracted security personnel. The state grant capped guard costs at 50% of the request and asked for a plan to keep the coverage going afterward.
Will the grant pay for our vulnerability assessment?
No. Federal rules list the assessment and grant writing as unallowable costs, and the state program funds assessments only through Support Services grants to nonprofits that serve other groups. Budget for the assessment yourself.
Can the company that writes our assessment also install the equipment?
No. Cal OES says a security company that prepares the vulnerability assessment cannot bid on or contract for installing the funded equipment, citing federal competition rules. Use a different firm for the installation.
Can a security company apply for the grant for us?
No. Only the nonprofit applies, through Cal OES, which handles the federal grant for California and runs the state grant too. A guard company can give you a written quote for the guard line in your budget.