Prospects for NSGP 2012

Will there be a Nonprofit Security Grant Program in 2012?
On December 23rd, the President signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Bill for FY2012, including funding for Homeland Security. The bill contained contained changes to the 12 current Homeland Security State and Local Grant Programs.

For the first time, Congress included the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), as a stand alone program, one of the 12 that is no longer attached to the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI). UASI is a program with geographic limitations that may no longer apply to NSGP in FY2012.

1. The changes give the Secretary of Homeland Security new discretionary authority to determine both the allocations to be dispersed among the 12 grant programs (virtually all of the state and local funding distributed by DHS), and, for NSGP, the geographic areas for inclusion (Last year NSGP applicants were required to be located in a Tier 1 UASI. Congress gave the Secretary discretion to define the areas or to require no area at all). 
2. Total funding for the 12 grant programs was provided this year as a single allocation, at a significantly reduced amount (a cut near $860 million or 43%). The Secretary will determine how the allocation will be split among the grant programs.

By law, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which administers the grant programs, must publish its grant guidance for these programs on or about February 23rd. The reforms of the DHS grant programs raise questions about the future direction  of the NSGP. In advance of this guidance, the Washington Office of JFNA will be meeting with senior officials at the Department of Homeland Security to advocate for a strong NSGP program. All of us owe the Washington Office of JFNA our deepest gratitude.

JCRC-NY guidance
Once the guidelines are published at the end of February, JCRC-NY will update our guidance materials based on the new grant materials and schedule tranings. For further information contact David Pollock at pollockd@jcrcny.org. You may obtain guidance from the JCRC at www.jcrcny.org/securitygrants and the Jewish Federations of North America at: www.jewishfederations.org/homelandsecurity.

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