Governor Tom Wolf announced the availability of $5 million in funding for security enhancement projects for nonprofit organizations serving diverse communities throughout Pennsylvania. Applicants are eligible for security enhancements designed to protect the safety and security of the users of a facility located in the commonwealth that is owned or operated by the nonprofit organization.

“These grants expand the school safety and security grants introduced last year,” Gov. Wolf said. “And will help our myriad nonprofits address security needs heightened by the heinous attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018 and the safety concerns that still exist for religious, social and other nonprofit organizations across the commonwealth.”

Administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), the Nonprofit Security Grant Fund Program was part of Act 83 of 2019, which directs PCCD to administer grants to nonprofit organizations that principally serve individuals, groups or institutions that are included within a bias motivation category for single bias hate crime incidents as identified by the FBI’s 2017 Hate Crime Statistics publication.

Applicants can find the application and information about the Program on PCCD’s website. Grant awards can range from $5,000 to $150,000 for a wide variety of eligible items, including:

– Safety and security planning and training;
– Purchase of safety and security equipment and technology;
– Upgrades to existing structures that enhance safety and security;
– Vulnerability and threat assessments.

The application period is open for a 30-day window from Wednesday, January 15 to Friday, February 14. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis by a PCCD-established workgroup comprised of representatives of PCCD, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security, with awards being considered at the March 11 PCCD meeting.

Questions regarding the program and the application process should be forwarded to RA-CD-NPSEC-GRANT@pa.gov.