The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness announced an increase in the Nonprofit Security Grant Program’s maximum target-hardening equipment allocations from $50,000 to $100,000.
The additional funds are due to Governor Murphy’s increase of $2 million to the grant program which was included in the recently signed Fiscal Year 2024 state budget, which NJOHSP administers annually to nonprofit organizations that can demonstrate a high risk for a terrorist attack.
“Across our nation, we have witnessed a troubling increase of threats and a rising tide of violence against faith-based communities,” Governor Phil Murphy said in a statement.
“We recognize that mitigation and preparedness are imperative in our efforts to ensure the security of our faith-based communities and houses of worship. This funding will allow our residents to continue to worship with greater peace of mind knowing that New Jersey is committed to their safety,” he added.
This recent increase brings the total amount of available NJ NSGP funding to $7 million during the upcoming cycle, which NJOHSP anticipates opening to applicants this fall.
Eligible nonprofit applicants may tap into that funding either to purchase target-hardening equipment or to hire security personnel for up to $20,000.
“Governor Murphy’s commitment to protecting one of the state’s most vulnerable communities against violence is commendable,” said NJOHSP Director Laurie Doran. “NJOHSP stands ready to support this latest initiative as we’ve witnessed extremists throughout the country continue to target houses of worship. While we cannot stop every attack, we’ve found that target-hardening measures largely help deter threat actors and delay intruders from gaining access.”
Examples of authorized target-hardening equipment include the installation of reinforced doors and gates, perimeter fencing, blast-resistant trash receptacles, public notification and warning systems, shatter-resistant glass and cybersecurity software, such as firewalls, encryption software and anti-virus programs.
Following a successful three-year pilot program launched in 2019, Governor Murphy signed legislation in January 2022 permanently dedicating an annual funding source to the NJ NSGP.
To date, NJOHSP has awarded approximately $11.8 million to successful grant recipients through the program.