Dear Nonprofit Security Friends,

While most of the email responses I receive from subscribers are positive, some are critical of my more recent reporting on NSGP and the challenges I articulate the program is facing in the midst of what I call the program’s “constructive dismantling;” the conditions of mismanagement so severe the program is not functioning.

They suggest I am being partisan. I disagree. I am conveying facts, circumstances, and analysis based on the public record, first-hand experience, and my engagements with congressional staff, executive branch professionals, clients, and NSGP stakeholders.

To this point, last week I received a copy of a statement from a State Administrative Agency’s NSGP Coordinator conveying that their State’s FY 2025 NSGP grant program is in limbo, as it and 22 other states are ensnared in a lawsuit against DHS/FEMA challenging “the reduced UASI grant funds and the NSGP seems to be collateral damage (at the moment).” He advised a local stakeholder, “Have your IJ written, and your Risk Assessment & 501c3 letter ‘at the ready’ to upload into our portal at a moment’s notice…and cross your fingers.” This is NOT functioning government.

Yesterday, House Homeland Security Committee ranking member, Bennie Thompson (D-MS), posted a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and outgoing acting FEMA director David Richardson (copied to the Committee’s Chairman Andrew Garbarino) to express many concerns (which I share) on the status of the FY 2025 NSGP program, and to suggest several action steps to get the program back on track for the FY 2025 cycle and going forward.

I reviewed the letter during its drafting and was pleased by the balance of its message and recommendations and the author’s intent for it to be a bipartisan supported letter. Mr. Thompson shared the letter with the Committee’s majority for their comments and support. Unfortunately, no member of the majority signed onto the letter.

In previous years, there was little light between the Homeland Security Committee’s majority and minority on matters pertaining to NSGP. Past committee chairmen Peter King (R-NY), Michael McCaul (R-TX), and John Katko (R-NY) led on letters supporting the program (letters I had a hand in drafting).

The present Thompson letter calls for DHS and FEMA to:

1. Immediately clarify the timeline for the FY 2025 NSGP applications, address all other open issues or incomplete grant guidance to the State Administrative Agencies and nonprofit sub-applicants, and expedite application completion and awards to nonprofits.
2. Immediately remove the vague NOFO requirements that unduly burden States and nonprofit organizations and may ultimately prevent nonprofits from accessing funds.
3. Immediately provide Congress with the full list of nonprofits that received NSGP awards this year and continue to provide this information each time awards are made in the future.
4. Immediately begin outreach, engagement, and educational assistance to nonprofits to share essential information about the NSGP application process.
5. Immediately rescind any guidance or directives that have resulted, or could result, in violations of anti-discrimination laws within NSGP.

Together, these recommendations would address the delays, constraints, and holds impacting the FY 2025 NSGP program and future grant cycles.

The letter was signed by more than 30 Democratic House Members, including all Democrats on the Homeland Security Committee, and may be read at: https://democrats-homeland.house.gov/news/correspondence/-democrats-demand-trump-administration-release-homeland-security-grant-funds-for-houses-of-worship-and-nonprofits.

I understand that a similar letter is being drafted by Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), the ranking members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

The letter comes at a time of heightened threats to nonprofit institutions and especially houses of worship. In my next blog, I will include an update on several recent threats. Today, I will share just one incident (emanating from Senator Peter’s own State of Michigan) to underscore the need for the immediate fixes articulated in the Thompson letter.

Two weeks ago, the FBI arrested three Dearborn, MI, men accused of affiliation with the terrorist organization ISIS and who were allegedly planning a terrorist attack or attacks in the United States. I reviewed the nearly one hundred page amended complaint against these individuals and garnered the following details:

• The defendants are Ayob Nasser, Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmoud. All from Dearborn and each charged with conspiring to provide material support to ISIS and for possessing firearms that would be used to commit an act of terrorism on behalf of ISIS in the US. The amended criminal complaint includes details of their potential attack plan.
• Law enforcement searches resulted in the seizure of three AR-15 style rifles, two shotguns, four handguns, approximately 1,680 rounds of ammunition compatible with the three AR-15 style rifles, two GoPro cameras, a flash suppressor, six tactical vests/chest rigs, two tactical backpacks, and 44 rifle magazines. Two of the rifle magazines were found to be loaded, along with three loaded 9mm magazines. FBI agents also found and seized boxes of 9mm ammunition, ammunition cans, and shotgun slugs. Other firearm accessories seized included grips, stocks, trigger springs and components, weapon slings, tactical flashlights, multiple optics, including a magnified optic, and a pressure switch for tactical lasers/flashlights.
• The amended complaint references that the defendants traveled to scout potential attack target locations in Ferndale, Michigan, and in the Midwest.
• It also revealed that the three defendants communicated regarding potential attack targets and related information on a WhatsApp group chat they created in June 2025.
• In discussions between October 23 and October 24, 2025, Ali and Mahmoud posted videos from their trips to the gun range (where they were practicing their plans) to their chat group. In one exchange commenting on the videos, someone in the group (referred to as “Person 1”) texted, “American Jewish Center,” suggesting that Jewish institutions would be targeted.

The amended complaint may be read in full at: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/third-suspect-arrested-and-charged-along-two-current-defendants-conspiring-provide.

I certainly do not want to make readers uncomfortable with my reporting, but I will not dilute my opinions (under pressure or otherwise) to create a false sense that all is well. NSGP, like many of the counter terrorism grant programs FEMA administers, is in jeopardy at a time when the nonprofit sector and faith-based communities remain in need of physical target hardening and preparedness resources. My next threat incident reporting will underscore this point, again.

Best,

Rob Goldberg
Principal
Goldberg and Associates, LLC
In partnership with Sphere State