Dear Nonprofit Security Friends,
As you may know, Congress passed, and the President will imminently sign, the Republican long-anticipated reconciliation bill, HR 1.
I have received a number of inquiries on whether this bill includes funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) or impacts the program or nonprofit security in any way.
The answer is “no.”
The bill does include several provisions that impact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Most of the DHS provisions advance the Administration’s immigration enforcement policies and actions in the areas of US Customs and Border Protection personnel, fleet vehicles, and facilities; detention capacity; border infrastructure; border security, technology and screening; and other border security supports.
NSGP is one of several preparedness grants that fall under DHS “State and Local Assistance. There is one provision with HR 1 pertaining to the State and Loal Assistance programs.
Under the bill, FEMA’s State Homeland Security Grant Program will receive funding for security related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2028 Olympics, for detecting, tracking and monitoring threats from unmanned aircraft, and to plus-up the Operation Stonegarden grant program — a program to support activities such as increased patrols, surveillance, and community engagement of state and local law enforcement to enhance border security.
To clarify where things stand with the NSGP program, as of this writing:
- The Administration recently announced the award of 512 grants to nonprofit sub-grantees totaling $94 million under the 2024 NSGP-National Security Supplemental grant program (this was a partial award). There remains an unobligated balance of about $116 million appropriated for this program. The Administration has indicated additional awards are forthcoming but has not shared how or when the remaining balance will be awarded.
- Congress appropriated and the Administration signed into law $274.5 million for the FY 2025 NSGP funding opportunity. The Administration has made no indication on whether and when the FY 2025 NSGP Notice of Funding Opportunity will be released and the program application period commences.
- The Administration included in its Budget request to Congress a funding recommendation of flat funding of $274,5 million for the FY 2026 NSGP program.
- The House Appropriations Committee recommended the higher level of $335 million for NSGP in its FY 2026 Homeland Security spending bill.
- The Senate Appropriations Committee has not yet produced a draft spending bill for FY 2026.
The NSGP program state of play is murky but is going forward, albeit in an unprecedentedly dysfunctional manner.
At this juncture, advocates and stakeholder groups should demand (with the help of Congress) the Administration release the FY 2025 NSGP NOFO, as time is running out for the application submission, review, and obligation of awards processes to occur before the statutory deadline tolls on September 30.
Stay tuned for updates and get ahead of planning and drafting with assistance from my posted guidance, tools and analysis that can be obtained at: https://spherestate.com/insights/.
Best,
Rob Goldberg
Principal
Goldberg & Associates, LLC
In partnership with Sphere State