RELEASE: Gottheimer Leads 70+ Members in Bipartisan Push Urging Transparency for Nonprofit Security Grant Program Applicants

NORTH JERSEY — This week, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), alongside Reps. Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) , Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), and Mike Lawler (NY-17) led a bipartisan letter calling on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to immediately release information to Congress to help nonprofit organizations applying for Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) funding.

Currently, FEMA is withholding from Members of Congress the list of nonprofits in their districts that will be awarded Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) awards this year — despite a longstanding precedent of sharing this information. This lack of transparency comes after a months-long delay in releasing awards and as nonprofits face a fast-approaching application deadline for next year’s funding. Without knowing whether they were awarded funds, countless synagogues, churches, mosques, and other nonprofit organizations and religious institutions are unable to plan and complete applications for next year’s round of NSGP funding for much-needed security investments.

The bipartisan letter calls on the Trump Administration to immediately provide congressional offices with the list of June grant awardees — a commonsense step that has long been precedent in past years and would allow nonprofits to submit accurate applications ahead of the fast-approaching deadline.

The Nonprofit Security Grant Program provides critical funding to nonprofits at high risk of a terrorist attack, specifically faith-based institutions and houses of worship. The funding allows institutions to enhance their physical security and provide access to training to protect communities from the growing threat of hate and violence.

“We ask that you work with Congress and immediately share the list of awardees from June, as has been the normal course of business for FEMA, so that these non-profits at risk of attack can submit an accurate application before the deadline. As we wrote to FEMA back in March, the NSGP is one of the most effective and critical programs for protecting all faith-based communities from attack. There are numerous examples available that demonstrate the direct return on investment for communities under threat,” the Members of Congress wrote in the letter to Acting FEMA Administrator David Richardson.

The Members continued, “The Administration has made clear its goal to protect Americans from terrorist threats as well as to respond to the rise in hate crimes. Therefore, it is imperative that eligible nonprofit organizations, including Jewish faith-based organizations, have the information they need to submit the best and most accurate application before the deadline. This requires cooperation to ensure that awardees are notified of their intent to receive funding from FEMA following the June announcement.”

“We thank Representative Gottheimer and the bipartisan group of lawmakers for their steadfast support of the NSGP, and especially for their commitment to protecting Jewish and other faith-based communities amid an unprecedented threat environment,” said Michael Masters, National Director and CEO of the Secure Community Network. “While the release of the FY2025 funding notice is a welcome development, the condensed application timeline presents real challenges. Timely and transparent communication is key to helping communities navigate the process effectively and maintain a proactive security posture.”

The letter, led by Reps. Gottheimer, Lawler, Moskowitz, and Malliotakis, was also signed by: Jake Auchincloss (MA-4), Don Bacon (NE-2), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Wesley Bell (MO-1), Donald Beyer (VA-8), Brendan Boyle (PA-2), Shontel Brown (OH-11), André Carson (IN-7), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Steve Cohen (TN-9), Herbert Conaway (NJ-3), Jim Costa (CA-21), Danny Davis (IL-7), Madeleine Dean (PA-4), Debbie Dingell (MI-6), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Cleo Fields (LA-6), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-7), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Laura Friedman (CA-44), Laura Gillen (NY-4), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Glenn Ivey (MD-4), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Young Kim (CA-40), George Latimer (NY-16), Susie Lee (NV-3), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Seth Magaziner (RI-2), John Mannion (NY-22), Jennifer McClellan (VA-4), Betty McCollum (MN-4), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Robert Menendez (NJ-8), Grace Meng (NY-6), Gwen Moore (WI-4), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Norton (DC-At-Large), Frank Pallone (NJ-6), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Chris Pappas (NH-1), Aumua Amata Radewagen (AS-At-Large), Jamie Raskin (MD-8), Josh Riley (NY-19), Deborah Ross (NC-2), Patrick Ryan (NY-18), David Scott (GA-13), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Greg Stanton (AZ-4), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Thomas Suozzi (NY-3), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Dina Titus (NV-1), Norma Torres (CA-35), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Jefferson Van Drew (NJ-2), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Nikema Williams (GA-5), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24).

Read the full letter here and below:

Dear Acting Administrator Richardson,

We are writing to express our sincere concern following the Administration’s failure to share the list of awardees with congressional offices for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). In June, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that it awarded $94,416,838 to 512 Jewish faith-based organizations across the United States through the NSGP. This is following months of delay after the Administration decided to pause the drawdown of funding in order to conduct an additional review of all grant allocations. At a time when hate and violence against faith-based communities across this country are at historic levels, the NSGP has provided life-saving funding to protect faith-based communities and institutions. As members of Congress working diligently to ensure there are resources available to faith-based institutions to secure themselves against attack, it is extremely concerning that FEMA’s reason for not providing Congress with this information is because of a perceived “security concern.” FEMA has not informed Congress of the nature of this threat. This is not the normal course of business.

As you are aware, the process to apply for the NSGP is long and arduous. Most importantly, non-profit organizations must work with local law enforcement to secure a Security Assessment, which details the organization’s vulnerabilities and needs. Although FEMA took the positive step of releasing the Notification of Funding Opportunity for the FY2025 funding for the NSGP on July 28, organizations have limited time to complete their applications. With the announcement of the awards of the National Security Supplemental delayed until June and awardees unaware if they are recipients of this supplemental funding, non-profit organizations, especially faith-based organizations, face tremendous levels of anxiety and uncertainty. This is compounded by FEMA’s failure to notify congressional offices of the recipients in our respective districts. Following the deadly attacks in Washington, D.C., and Boulder, CO, Jewish institutions are notably anxiously awaiting these grants. Now these organizations are in limbo as they have no way to plan to effectuate the security upgrades they need or know what to apply for before the application deadline, leaving their security posture exposed and vulnerable. 

We ask that you work with Congress and immediately share the list of awardees from June, as has been the normal course of business for FEMA, so that these non-profits at risk of attack can submit an accurate application before the deadline. As we wrote to FEMA back in March, the NSGP is one of the most effective and critical programs for protecting all faith-based communities from attack. There are numerous examples available that demonstrate the direct return on investment for communities under threat. It is no wonder that in FY2023, for the first time in the history of the program, all fifty-five eligible states and territories applied.

The Administration has made clear its goal to protect Americans from terrorist threats as well as to respond to the rise in hate crimes. Therefore, it is imperative that eligible nonprofit organizations, including Jewish faith-based organizations, have the information they need to submit the best and most accurate application before the deadline. This requires cooperation to ensure that awardees are notified of their intent to receive funding from FEMA following the June announcement. 

In our continued support of the NSGP, we request a response including the full list of awardees no later than August 8, 2025.

Thank you for your attention to this pressing issue.

Sincerely,

MEMBER OF CONGRESS

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