Securing non-profitsDHS awards $19 million to nonprofits for security

On Tuesday DHS announced that it had awarded nearly $19 million to nonprofit organizations around the country that are considered to be at high risk of terrorist attack.

The grant money comes as part of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NGSP), which according to DHS “provides funding support for target hardening activities to nonprofit organizations” and is also aimed at “[integrating] nonprofit preparedness activities with broader state and local preparedness efforts.”

80 percent of this year’s funds, roughly $15 million, were disbursed to Jewish communal organizations and institutions considered vulnerable to attack.

The Jewish Federations of North America welcomed the announcement.

Cheryl Fishbein, the chairwoman of the Federations’ Domestic Affairs Cabinet, said, “The Department of Homeland Security has demonstrated a great commitment to protecting the Jewish American community.”

Since the program’s inception in 2005, it has awarded $118 million to nonprofits across the United States to help fund video surveillance equipment, blast-proof windows, and promote security-related preparedness.

In order to be eligible for funding, nonprofits must be located in a region designated as high-risk under DHS’s Urban Areas Security Initiative. Currently thirty-one regions have been declared eligible including the areas around New York City, Houston, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.