Non-Profit Security Grant Program
FY25 NSGP Update
Nonprofits in NC must apply for FY25 NSGP funding through our new Salesforce grants management portal during the application period October 1 to 31, 2025. Late and/or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Eligible nonprofit sub-applicants will be able to apply for up to $200,000 per individual site, up to 3 different sites, for a maximum of $600,000. Each site requires a separate application and will be scored separately.
This short video instructs individuals who need Salesforce access for their organization for NSGP how to request a new user-ID, if they are not already a registered user in the system.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) / Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) published the FY25 NSGP NOFO on July 28, 2025.
NSGP provides federal funding for physical security enhancements and other security-related activities to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist or other extremist attack. NSGP also seeks to integrate the preparedness activities of nonprofit organizations with broader state and local preparedness efforts.
NSGP is a competitive federal grant program from DHS / FEMA administered through North Carolina Dept. of Public Safety (NCDPS) / North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) in the state of NC. This grant provides up to $600,000 (3 locations per organization, $200,000 each location) of funding support for target hardening and other security enhancements and activities to eligible nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of terrorist attack.
There are two funding sources appropriated for nonprofit organizations:
- NSGP - Urban Area (NSGP-UA): NSGP-UA funds nonprofit organizations located within the FY 2025 Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI)-designated high-risk urban area, which is defined as the Charlotte Area in NC; and,
- NSGP - State (NSGP-S): NSGP-S funds nonprofit organizations located outside of a FY 2025 UASI-designated high-risk urban area. Under NSGP-S, each state will receive a target allocation for nonprofit organizations in the state located outside of the FY 2025 UASI-designated high-risk urban areas, which are defined as all locations outside the Charlotte Area in NC.
Click here for a map of all counties considered part of the Charlotte Area UASI in NC for NSGP:
| Cabarrus | Lincoln |
| Catawba | Mecklenburg |
| Gaston | Stanly |
| Iredell | Union |
FY25 NSGP-UA total federal funding target allocation for NC: $766,531
FY25 NSGP-S total federal funding target allocation for NC: $3,950,000
This is currently one of the highest FY25 NSGP-S total federal funding target allocations among all states in the nation, with only 3 states having a higher total federal funding target allocation than NC.
Eligibility: To be eligible for the FY 2025 NSGP, a nonprofit organization must:
- Meet the description under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) of 1986 and be exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such code;
- For NSGP-UA, be located within one of the FY 2025 UASI-designated high risk urban areas (Charlotte area); for NSGP-S, be located outside of the FY 2025 UASI designated high risk urban areas; and
- Be able to demonstrate, through the application, that the organization is at high risk of a terrorist or other extremist attack.
Primary Purpose: Target Hardening.
Example Projects:
- Private contracted security guards
- Physical security enhancements
- Closed circuit television (CCTV)
- Security cameras
- Security screening equipment for people and baggage
- Access controls
- Fencing, gates, barriers, etc.
- Card readers, associated hardware/software
- Conduct or enhancement of security risk assessments
- Development of:
- Security plans and protocols
- Emergency/contingency plans
- Evacuation/shelter in place plans
- Active shooter training, including integrating the needs of persons with disabilities
- Security training for employees
- Public awareness/preparedness campaign
- Response exercises
NSGP-S and NSGP-UA Subaward Cap Maximum Award: For FY25 for NSGP-UA and NSGP-S, eligible nonprofit sub-applicants with one site may apply for up to $200,000 for that site.
Nonprofit sub-applicants with multiple sites may apply for up to $200,000 per site for up to three sites per funding source, for a maximum of $600,000 per sub-applicant per state. That is, a nonprofit organization with sites in both NSGP-S and NSGP-UA areas in any given state may apply for a total of up to six sites (three sites for NSGP-S and three sites for NSGP-UA), but the total of their applications cannot exceed $600,000.
A nonprofit organization with locations in multiple states may apply for up to three sites within each state and funding stream (three for NSGP-S and three for NSGP-UA per state). Each individual site must have a unique Vulnerability Assessment and complete FY25 NSGP Investment Justification (IJ). For example, a nonprofit organization with sites in both NSGP-S and NSGP-UA areas in two different states may apply for a total of up to six sites (three sites for NSGP-S and three sites for NSGP-UA) in each state, but the total of their applications cannot exceed $600,000 per state.
A nonprofit organization sub-applicant with multiple sites may not exceed a total of six applications (three for NSGP-S and three for NSGP-UA) for a total of $600,000 per state. Each site requires a separate application and will be scored separately.
If a nonprofit sub-applicant applies for projects at multiple sites, regardless of whether the projects are similar in nature, each individual site must include a Vulnerability Assessment and FY25 NSGP Investment Justification (IJ) unique to each site. That is, one Vulnerability Assessment and one FY25 NSGP Investment Justification (IJ ) per location/physical address.
FY25 NSGP Sub-Application Process for Eligible Nonprofits in NC
Applications for eligible nonprofits in NC
Applications for eligible nonprofits in NC open in Salesforce on October 1, 2025 and close at 11:59 PM on October 31, 2025.
All applicants for both NSGP-S and NSGP-UA will need to fill out the FY25 NSGP Investment Justification (IJ) fillable PDF. This is your application. This fillable PDF must be submitted in Salesforce no later than 10/31/2025 at 11:59PM.
Applications must contain:
- Vulnerability Assessment. Link is from DHS/FEMA “FY25 NSGP Sub-applicant Quick Start Guide.” Follow the guidance in this link to complete the required vulnerability assessment. There are no state-specific guidelines for vulnerability assessments for FY25 NSGP in NC.
- Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Go to SAM.gov to register. Sub-recipients do not need to have a valid UEI at the time of application but must have a valid UEI to receive a subaward.
- FY25 NSGP Investment Justification (IJ) (you must download this form onto your computer and open it with Adobe to complete it as it is not web-viewable or web-fillable). The IJ is the application form used to apply for NSGP.
- Mission Statement
- Supporting documentation related to actual incidents that have occurred at the location/facility, if applicable. This includes items such as police reports or photographs (include a brief description of the items you are submitting in your IJ).
- Nonprofits must self-certify their organization type in their IJ for final scoring purposes, based on the information they provide in their IJ: ideology-based/ spiritual/religious entities (Houses of Worship, Educational Institutions, Medical Facilities, etc.), secular medical and educational institutions, and all other nonprofit organizations. This is subject to verification by NCEM and DHS/FEMA.
- If nonprofits in NC applied for FY24 NSGP but did not receive funding, it is recommended that they apply for different projects for FY25 NSGP than they did for FY24 NSGP to maximize their competitiveness for FY25 NSGP funding. Nonprofits that received FY24 NSGP and/or FY24 NSGP-NSS funding must apply for different projects for FY25 NSGP.
Other requirements from DHS/FEMA:
- Sub-applicants must submit short bios and resumes. This submission should include the type of entity, organizational leadership, and list of board members (if applicable) along with the names and business addresses of the individuals. Sensitive personally identifiable information (PII) such as personal addresses, phone numbers, etc. should not be included with this information. Sub-applicants will upload this information with their application in Salesforce.
- Sub-applicants should not have foreign nationals or noncitizens included. If a sub-applicant has foreign nationals, they must be properly vetted and must adhere to all government statues, polices, and procedures.
- A security review will be performed by the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis on prospective sub-recipient nonprofit organizations. This review takes place after the competitive scoring and selection process is complete. The information provided is limited to the organization’s name and physical address, as submitted by the nonprofit organization.
- If awarded funds, sub-recipients may be required to provide information on whether their work or mission involves supporting immigrants [DHS/FEMA uses the term “aliens” instead of immigrants] - regardless of whether FEMA funds support such activities - and whether any FEMA funding was used for an activity involving support to immigrants. Sub-recipients may also be required to disclose if they have any “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” (DEI) practices.
DHS/FEMA FY25 NSGP FAQ #33:
According to DHS/FEMA FY25 NSGP FAQ #33: If my organization receives funds through the NSGP, will the federal government be able to impose restrictions on my organization in any other area of policy that may contradict the religious and/or other beliefs of my organization?
Sub-applicants are encouraged to seek legal counsel before applying for or agreeing to an NSGP subaward. NSGP sub-applicants and sub-recipients may wish to contact their counsel regarding particular operations and potential liability or concerns based on civil rights statutes and regulations.
Two publicly available resources are available here:
- Faith-Based Rule at DHS | Homeland Security
- DHS Standard Terms & Conditions (including the civil rights requirements)
If NSGP sub-applicants and sub-recipients have questions about federal nondiscrimination obligations, they may contact FEMA’s Office of Civil Rights by emailing FEMA OCR@fema.dhs.gov.
Scoring of Applications
NCEM (the “SAA” for NC) will score all sub-applications as follows:
- Verify if the nonprofit is an eligible organization for FY25 NSGP, and verify if the nonprofit is located inside (NSGP-UA) or outside (NSGP-S) the designated Charlotte Area UASI;
- Review and score all complete application packages (including vulnerability assessments & mission statement) using the NSGP Scoring Criteria provided by DHS/FEMA in Appendix D of the FY25 NSGP NOFO;
- Validate the self-certified organization type listed in the IJ by assessing the central purpose of the organization described in the mission statement;
- Prioritize all NSGP IJs by ranking each IJ. Each IJ will receive a unique rank (#1 [one] being the highest ranked through the total number of applications the SAA scored);
- Note that IJs will be deemed incomplete if the sub-applicant uses a prior year IJ form, submits a scanned copy of an IJ form, or leaves any required information blank in the IJ form. No substitutes will be accepted for the required FY25 NSGP Investment Justification (IJ) form.
To calculate an application’s final score, the sub-applicant’s NCEM (the “SAA” for NC) score will be multiplied by DHS/FEMA as follows:
- By a factor of three for ideology-based/spiritual/religious entities (Houses of Worship, Educational Institutions, Medical Facilities, etc.);
- By a factor of two for secular medical and educational institutions; and
- By a factor of one for all other nonprofit organizations.
Sub-applicants that have never received an NSGP award will have 15 points added to their score by DHS/FEMA.
FY25 NSGP virtual information sessions:
NCEM is hosting two virtual information sessions (on Microsoft Teams) for FY25 NSGP:
- October 14, 2025: 2PM – 3PM: Join the meeting
- October 21, 2025: 2PM – 3PM: Join the meeting
The purpose of the sessions is to provide information about FY25 NSGP and the sub-application process, as well as to answer questions from sub-applicants.
The webinars will be recorded and posted on this website for anybody who cannot attend.
If you have any questions related to Salesforce, contact: NCEMSalesforce@ncdps.gov.
If you have questions about the application process, please contact: NSGP@ncdps.gov.