Nonprofit Security Grant Fund Program
Past Awards
Program Overview
On November 7, 2019, House Bill 859 (or Act 83 of 2019) was signed into law, establishing a new program called the Nonprofit Security Grant Fund Program at the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD).
Act 83 directs PCCD to administer grants to nonprofit organizations who 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 Hate Crime Statistics publication. 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.
The following webpage provides information on who is eligible to apply for these funds; the availability of funds; eligible projects and expenses; what information you will need for the initial request form; and an overview of the review, award and formal application process. Please bookmark this page – and sign up for the email notification above – to receive timely notifications when this information is updated.
Eligible Applicants
Under Act 83, eligible applicants must satisfy the following criteria:
- The applicant must be a nonprofit organization based in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania which is designated as exempt as defined under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Public Law 99-514, 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3)); and
- The applicant must principally serve individuals, groups, or institutions that are included within a bias motivation category for single bias hate crime incidents identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in its Hate Crime Statistics Publication under the Uniform Crime Reporting program. The categories include:
- Race/ethnicity/ancestry;
- Religion;
- Sexual orientation;
- Disability;
- Gender; and
- Gender identity.
It is incumbent upon the applicant to determine if they are an eligible applicant. PCCD will not make that determination for you. Applicants will be required to provide nonprofit documentation upon award and in the final application in the PCCD Egrants system. Applicants should focus on the categories the organization principally serves that may have been – or may be strongly susceptible to – a hate crime incident(s).
Eligible Projects and Expenses
Act 83 contains a list of eligible 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 a nonprofit organization. Security assessments are NOT needed to be eligible to apply. Due to the competitive nature of these grants, PCCD cannot weigh in on allowable projects or expenses.
Eligible expenses for security enhancements include the following:
- Safety and security planning
- Purchase of safety and security equipment
- Purchase of security-related technology, which may include, but is not limited to:
- Metal detectors
- Protective lighting
- Surveillance equipment
- Special emergency communications equipment
- Electronic locksets
- Deadbolts
- Trauma kits
- Theft control devices
- Safety and security training
- Threat awareness and response training
- Upgrades to existing structures that enhance safety and security
- Vulnerability and threat assessments
- Specialty-trained canines
- Any other safety or security-related project that enhances safety or security of the non-profit organization*
*If your organization has a security need not specifically listed, this category encompasses a wide range of items and/or activities. The organization should define how their request meets the needs of the organization.
Funding Availability
Funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Fund Program is contingent upon funds appropriated by the General Assembly. Historically, $5 million in funding has been appropriated to PCCD annually to support this program since FY19-20. FY24-25 is the first year that funding has doubled to $10 million for this program. Future grant opportunities are dependent upon annual allocations from the General Assembly. This program lapses on July 1, 2029.
Budgetary Amounts
According to Act 83 guidelines, eligible applicants may request a minimum of $5,000 up to a maximum of $150,000 in state funding. Applicants requesting $25,001 to $150,000 will be required to provide non-state financial participation based on the size of the grant request.
“Non-state financial participation” is the applicant’s share of the total cost of the project. Funding for the non-state financial participation can come from any source (e.g., fundraising dollars, federal or local government funds, etc.) except state funding. The applicant must provide a match for the requested grant amount at the required percentage with non-state financial support. In-kind matches (i.e., donations of goods, services or time instead of cash) do not satisfy the non-state financial participation requirement. Previous expenditures for security enhancements are not eligible to satisfy the non-state financial participation requirement.
The following chart contains the non-state financial participation requirements, which are based on the amount of state grant funding requested:
| Equal to or less than $25,000 | 0% | $0 |
| Between $25,001 and up to $75,000 | 33% of the requested grant amount | $8,250 - $24,750 |
| Between $75,001 and up to $150,000 | 50% of the requested grant amount | $37,500- $75,000 |
For example, if an applicant is requesting $25,000 in state funding in their initial request, no non-state financial participation is needed. Applicants requesting between $5,000 to $25,000 in state funding are NOT required to provide non-state financial participation.
If an applicant requests $50,000 in state funding, the applicant will need non-state financial participation of $16,500 (i.e., 33% of $50,000), which means that their total project budget will be $66,500 (i.e., $50,000 state funding through the Nonprofit Security Grant Program grant, and $16,500 of funding from any other non-state financial participation source). Applicants will need to provide a summary in their initial request of what they intend to do with their total project budget.
If an applicant is requesting $100,000 in state funding in their initial request, the applicant will need a non-state financial participation of $50,000 (i.e., 50% of $100,000), which means that their total project budget will be $150,000 (i.e., $100,000 state funding through the Nonprofit Security Grant Program grant, and $50,000 of funding from any other non-state financial participation source). Again, applicants will need to provide a summary in their initial request of what they intend to do with their total project budget.
NOTE: PCCD is not liable for any costs incurred prior to the start date of the award. Further, grant recipients will be required to submit financial reports in PCCD's Egrants system and PCCD will reimburse grantees for reported, eligible expenditures. PCCD understands that all grantees may not have enough cash on hand to be able to purchase more expensive items or services on a reimbursement basis and PCCD will work with grantees in those situations to provide funding in a timely manner.
Grants awarded under PCCD's Nonprofit Security Grant Program are typically one-year projects. However, awarded grantees will have the option of submitting a project modification request to extend their grant if needed.
What Information Will I Need When Making my Initial Request?
It is strongly recommended that you have the following information prepared BEFORE you fill out the initial request form in SurveyMonkey when the period opens:
- Name, address and contact information of your nonprofit organization, including Employer Identification Number (EIN).
- The contact information of two individuals associated with your organization.
- Any information on prior security program grants or awards your organization may have received through PCCD or the PA Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) or other sources.
- A short narrative – can be a few sentences – summarizing why you are applying (i.e., statement of need, or laying out the problem, or describing any hate crime incidents) and how the eligible project or items you are requesting are linked to solving that need or problem.
- Any supporting documentation you may have for your narrative (saved as a .pdf document).
- A summary of the eligible items requested and the best estimate of the proposed project costs including match expenditures, if applicable. Applicants will need to provide a summary of their total project budget in their initial request.
The initial request process will be in an electronic survey format (SurveyMonkey) which is found at the top of this webpage. Applicants will ONLY be using PCCD’s Egrants system for the ‘final application’ process if they are selected for an award. More information about the final application process will be provided to those applicants that receive an award.
Overview of the Review Process
Once the application period opens, applications are reviewed on a rolling basis by a Commission-established workgroup comprised of representatives of PCCD, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security. Applicants being recommended for approval who submitted an application during the July 23rd – August 27th solicitation period will be announced by the end of September 2024.
Due to the high interest in the grant program and the limited availability of funding, priority consideration in the application review process may be given to those nonprofit organizations that indicate that their organization or membership was the victim of a hate-crime and clearly describe a credible hate-crime threat to their organization. Geographic distribution of the grants may also be considered. Applicants that have received an award in a prior year are still eligible to apply; however, a prior award may be taken into consideration during the review process.
Applicants receiving awards will be contacted by PCCD staff following the Commission meeting to complete the final application process in PCCD’s Egrants system which is required prior to the issuance of funding. PCCD has final approval of all budgeted costs and applicants should expect PCCD to interact with them regarding the eligibility/necessity of budgeted costs. It is possible that PCCD may require the removal of certain budgeted costs deemed ineligible or unnecessary.
Any eligible applicant that was reviewed and denied may revise and resubmit their application during any open application period.
Questions?
If you have questions about this process, please email RA-CD-NPSEC-GRANT@pa.gov for assistance. We will update the FAQ sheet below to this webpage for commonly asked questions, so please check back regularly for updates.
Please note that due to the competitive nature of these grants, PCCD staff are unable to answer questions about specific proposals. Further, we cannot provide in-person presentations on this process at this time.
Frequently Asked Questions: