INDIANA – The Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) is preparing to open the application period for the 2025 Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). It is encouraging eligible organizations to begin their preparations now. The grant, which helps enhance the physical security of nonprofit organizations, will be managed under new federal guidelines that may lead to a condensed application window.
FEMA released the official Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on July 28, 2025, outlining the program’s guidance. The IDHS is the State Administrative Agency (SAA) for Indiana, and all applications must be submitted through them.
Application Period and New Process
While the NOFO lists an August 11 deadline, IDHS has clarified that this deadline does NOT apply to Indiana applicants. The official application period for Indiana will be announced once IDHS receives the required Investment Justification form from FEMA. Nonprofits are advised to sign up for grant updates on the IDHS NSGP webpage to be notified as soon as the application period opens.
This year’s funding process has changed. FEMA will now issue risk-based allocations to each state before applications are reviewed. This means state agencies will have a set amount of funds to distribute, potentially leading to a shorter application timeline for nonprofits.
Who Can Apply and How to Prepare
Only registered 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible to apply, with a maximum of $200,000 per location. To prepare for the application, nonprofits should take the following steps:
- Complete a vulnerability assessment.
- Ensure they have an active Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).
- Determine what security items are needed to address identified vulnerabilities.
IDHS cautions against any conflict of interest between grant writers/consultants and contractors who will perform the work. All vendors must be selected through a fair and competitive process, and grant writers cannot be paid for work funded by the NSGP.
Previous years’ application materials are still available on the NSGP webpage and can provide helpful guidance on what to expect.
A Separate Grant for 2024 Applicants
IDHS also clarified that a separate announcement from June 27 regarding $94 million in grants from the NSGP-National Security Supplemental (NSGP-NSS) is separate from the 2025 grant cycle. This funding relates to applications submitted in fiscal year 2024 by 512 Jewish faith-based organizations, and awardees will be notified in the coming weeks.
