What is the difference between the federal NSGP and a state NSGP program?

The federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program splits into two tracks. NSGP-Urban Area covers sites inside FEMA-designated UASI regions and is administered federally. NSGP-State (NSGP-S) covers sites outside those regions and is passed through each state's administrative agency, so it is "state-administered" but still federal money on federal rules. Separately, some states appropriate their own dollars for standalone programs like California's CSNSGP, New York's SCAHC, and New Jersey's NJ-NSGP. Those are state money on state rules, run by the state, and they frequently stack with a federal NSGP award in the same year.

Can a nonprofit stack a state grant with the federal NSGP?

Often yes, with care. A state-funded program like CSNSGP or SCAHC is a separate appropriation from the federal NSGP, so an organization can pursue both. The constraint is that the same dollar of cost cannot be reimbursed twice. The practical play is to scope the full target-hardening plan once, then split line items across the two awards so no item is double-claimed. One Tec-Tel site assessment can support both applications because both ask the same underlying question: what are you protecting, and which gaps does each requested item close. Read each program's supplanting and duplication-of-benefits language before submitting.

Which security equipment do state NSGP programs actually fund?

The allowable categories track closely across programs: IP cameras and video management, access control (card readers, electronic locks, keypad entry), alarm and intrusion detection, reinforced doors and windows, fencing, and exterior lighting. CSNSGP also allows construction or renovation up to $100,000 and contracted security personnel up to 50% of the request. NJ-NSGP separates equipment ($100,000 cap) from a smaller personnel track ($20,000 cap). Year-one monitoring sometimes qualifies as a contracted-services line where the application documents it up front; ongoing monitoring usually comes out of operating budget. Confirm against the live RFP, because caps and category definitions shift each cycle.

Do state programs require NDAA Section 889-compliant cameras?

The federal NSGP-S pass-through is federal money, so it falls under NDAA Section 889 - no Hikvision, Dahua, Hytera, Huawei, or ZTE equipment, including OEM gear rebranded under another label. State-funded programs set their own procurement terms, and several mirror the federal restriction or require equipment from approved manufacturers. Treat 889 compliance as the default for any security-grant install. Tec-Tel scopes every grant project to NDAA-compliant gear and attaches each manufacturer's self-certification to the bill of materials, so a later switch to a federal funding source does not force a redesign.

How are state grant cycles different from the federal timeline?

Each state program runs on its own calendar. CSNSGP's 2025-26 round closed in December with a performance period running into late 2027. SCAHC's 2026 round closed in early July. NJ-NSGP runs an annual cycle that moves year to year. The federal NSGP NOFO typically publishes in the first part of the year with applications closing in the spring, though the FY2026 federal cycle had not opened as of mid-2026. Because the windows do not align, a nonprofit denied on one track can frequently still apply on another later the same fiscal year. Verify every deadline on the agency's own page before committing to a build, since third-party grant feeds carry stale dates.

What does Tec-Tel do on a state grant application versus what the nonprofit does?

Tec-Tel produces the security-side documentation: a walking site assessment, a threat-aligned technology recommendation tied to each allowable-cost category, an NDAA-compliant bill of materials, and a signed vendor letter with held pricing through the review cycle. The nonprofit writes the grant narrative, signs as the applicant, and works with any grant-writing consultant on the funding side. Keeping the voices distinct reads stronger to an evaluator than an application written entirely by the install vendor. Tec-Tel's job is to make the security scope defensible and the pricing reliable so the awarded amount matches the install cost when funds release.

Our nonprofit operates in multiple states. Can one design cover several programs?

Yes, with per-site applications. Each location files against its own threat profile and vulnerability assessment under whichever program fits its state and region. The efficiency comes from standardizing on one video management system, one access platform, and one monitoring approach across all sites. That cuts per-site cost, simplifies reimbursement paperwork, and lets a multi-state organization layer CSNSGP, SCAHC, NJ-NSGP, and the federal NSGP-S across locations from a single technology standard. Tec-Tel operates nationwide and can hold that standard across every site.

State NSGP programs: CSNSGP, NJ-NSGP, SCAHC and per-state security grants

1. Two kinds of "state" security grant

The phrase "state NSGP" covers two different funding sources, and keeping them straight saves a wasted application. The first is the State component of the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program, NSGP-S. That is federal money on federal rules, passed through each state's administrative agency to nonprofits outside FEMA-designated urban areas. For fiscal year 2025, the federal program carried roughly $274.5 million split evenly between the Urban Area and State components, about $137.25 million each.

The second is a standalone, state-appropriated program. California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and others fund their own grants with their own dollars, deadlines, and rules. These are not pass-throughs. They exist because state legislatures decided the federal pool was not enough for the at-risk nonprofits and faith communities in their borders. The most important practical consequence: a state-funded program and a federal NSGP award are separate appropriations, so an organization can often pursue both in the same year.

Source: FEMA Nonprofit Security Grant Program (federal NSGP-S figures, FY2025). State-program figures are attributed in each section below.

2. The major state-funded programs

Three state programs stand out for the size of their per-applicant awards and the breadth of security they fund. Each runs on its own cycle, administered by its own agency, with its own application packet.

California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program (CSNSGP)

Administering agency. California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).

Who is eligible. California 501(c)(3) nonprofits at high risk of violent attack or hate crime.

Funding and match. Up to $250,000 per location, and up to $500,000 across two locations. The 2025-26 cycle carried roughly $76 million statewide.

What it funds. Surveillance cameras, access control (card readers, electronic locks, keypad entry), alarm and intrusion systems, reinforced doors, and exterior lighting. Construction or renovation is allowable up to $100,000; contracted security personnel are limited to 50% of the request; administrative costs cap at 5%.

Cycle. The 2025-26 RFP closed December 12, 2025, with a performance period running March 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027. The 2026-27 RFP had not been announced as of mid-2026. Confirm the live RFP at caloes.ca.gov.

Source: Cal OES California Grants Portal, 2025-26 CSNSGP RFP.

New Jersey Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NJ-NSGP)

Administering agency. New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP).

Who is eligible. New Jersey 501(c)(3) nonprofits at the greatest risk of a terrorist or hate-motivated attack.

Funding and match. Two tracks. Target Hardening Equipment (NJ NSGP-THE) awards up to $100,000 per applicant. Security Personnel (NJ NSGP-SP) awards up to $20,000 per applicant. An organization may apply for both but may be awarded only one state program per fiscal year.

What it funds. Target-hardening equipment: cameras, access control, alarm and intrusion detection, reinforced doors and windows, fencing, and lighting. The separate personnel track funds contracted security staffing rather than equipment.

Cycle. The state program runs on an annual cycle administered by NJOHSP, separate from the federal NSGP-S pass-through that NJOHSP also manages. Cycle dates move year to year; confirm the live window at nj.gov/njohsp before building a budget. (A widely-republished autumn 2026 date circulating in third-party grant feeds is a stale artifact from a prior cycle and should not be relied on.)

Source: New Jersey OHSP, State Nonprofit Security Grant Program.

Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes (SCAHC)

Administering agency. New York Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).

Who is eligible. New York 501(c)(3) nonprofits at risk of hate crimes; applicants must be prequalified in the Statewide Financial System and registered with (or exempt from) the Attorney General's Charities Bureau.

Funding and match. Up to $250,000 per organization, the largest per-applicant amount in the program's history. The 2026 round made between $35 million and $70 million available, funding roughly 140 to 280 projects statewide.

What it funds. Camera-based security systems, access control and door hardware, alarm systems, lighting, and other physical-security enhancements, plus cybersecurity improvements. Multiple enhancement types can be combined in one application up to the $250,000 cap.

Cycle. The 2026 Request for Applications opened with a July 8, 2026 close. Each organization submits one application covering one or more physical-security or cybersecurity enhancements. Confirm the live RFA at criminaljustice.ny.gov.

Source: NY DCJS Office of Program Development and Funding, 2026 SCAHC RFA.

3. State programs stack with the federal NSGP

The single most useful thing to understand about state security grants is that they are designed to layer with the federal program, not replace it. A state-funded award like CSNSGP or SCAHC draws on state dollars; a federal NSGP or NSGP-S award draws on federal dollars. They are different appropriations, which is why an organization can hold both in the same fiscal year.

The rule that governs the stack is duplication of benefits: the same dollar of cost cannot be reimbursed by two grants. So the work is in the scoping. Build the full target-hardening plan once, then divide line items so each award funds a distinct set. Cameras and access control under the state grant, fencing and lighting under the federal award, or whatever split the threat narrative and the two programs' caps support. One site assessment carries both applications, because both answer the same underlying question about what gets protected and why.

Each program publishes its own supplanting and duplication-of-benefits language. Read it before submitting, and document the split clearly so neither reimbursement file looks like it overlaps the other. For the full menu of programs Tec-Tel designs to, see the security grants hub.

4. Other states that administer security grants

Beyond the three largest programs, most states administer the federal NSGP-S pass-through, and a growing number fund their own supplements. NSGP and the related per-state programs are, by design, run state by state. Cycle dates and state-funded supplements update annually, so verify each on the agency's own page before building a budget.

Texas. The Office of the Governor, Public Safety Office administers Texas's NSGP pass-through, awarding up to $200,000 per site under the federal program. Texas runs the application through its eGrants portal on the state's own deadline inside the federal window.
Illinois. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency runs both the federal NSGP-S pass-through and a separate state-funded Not-for-Profit Security Grant Program (NSGP-IL) that mirrors the federal allowable-cost categories for at-risk nonprofits.
Maryland. The Maryland Department of Emergency Management administers the NSGP-S allocation. Maryland has separately funded its own state nonprofit and hate-crime protection grants in recent cycles, which run on their own calendars.
Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency administers the federal pass-through, and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency has funded targeted school-safety and nonpublic-school security grants on separate state cycles.
Colorado. The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management runs the NSGP-S pass-through for nonprofits outside the Denver urban area, with state guidance layered on top of the federal forms.

This list is not exhaustive. Many states open a state-funded nonprofit or hate-crime protection grant in the late-winter to early-spring window, separate from the federal NSGP timeline. If your state is not named here, the starting question is simple: does your state homeland-security or emergency-management agency run a nonprofit security grant this cycle, and is there a separate state-funded program on top of the federal pass-through.

5. How Tec-Tel designs to grant scope

State grant applications are scored on whether the requested security maps cleanly to a documented risk and to the program's allowable-cost categories. Tec-Tel produces the security-side documentation that makes that mapping defensible.

Site assessment. A walking assessment with your security committee and facilities lead. We document existing camera and access posture, mark gaps against the program's allowable categories, and produce a written assessment with a floor plan, photographs, and a vulnerability matrix the application can cite directly.
Scope built to the program's caps. CSNSGP caps construction at $100,000 and personnel at 50% of the request; NJ-NSGP separates a $100,000 equipment track from a $20,000 personnel track; SCAHC runs to $250,000 across combined enhancements. We build the bill of materials to fit the specific program's structure rather than a generic wish list.
NDAA-compliant equipment by default. Every grant project is scoped to NDAA Section 889-compliant cameras, access, and intrusion gear, with each manufacturer's self-certification attached. That protects a project that draws on the federal NSGP-S pass-through and keeps a state-funded install future-proof if a federal source enters later.
Signed vendor letter with held pricing. A letter on Tec-Tel letterhead confirming pricing validity through the review cycle, the install timeline, and NDAA compliance. Pricing holds so the awarded amount matches the install cost when funds release.

6. How Tec-Tel supports the application

Tec-Tel supports the security side of the application; the nonprofit owns the funding side. We do not write the grant narrative, we do not sign as the applicant, and we do not replace a grant-writing consultant. Our deliverables sit alongside the nonprofit's own narrative and feed it the technical detail it needs: which item closes which gap, why each piece of equipment is in scope, and what the install will actually cost and take.

For a multi-state nonprofit, Tec-Tel holds one technology standard across every site so CSNSGP, SCAHC, NJ-NSGP, and the federal NSGP-S can be layered across locations without redesigning each one. We operate nationwide, which means one integrator carries the standard rather than a different local vendor per state.

The honest caveat on timing: government grant cycles are slow, and most state windows in mid-2026 were between cycles. The organizations that win are usually the ones already assessment-ready when a Request for Applications drops. Getting the security-side documentation done before the window opens is the strongest position to apply from.

Last updated: 2026-06-05. We refresh this page when a state administering agency publishes a new RFP or RFA, when funding caps change, or when the federal NSGP NOFO publishes. Verify every deadline and dollar figure on the administering agency's own page before submitting, since third-party grant feeds carry stale dates.

State NSGP programs: CSNSGP, NJ-NSGP, SCAHC, and the per-state security grants

1. Two kinds of "state" security grant

2. The major state-funded programs

California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program (CSNSGP)

New Jersey Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NJ-NSGP)

Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes (SCAHC)

3. State programs stack with the federal NSGP

4. Other states that administer security grants

5. How Tec-Tel designs to grant scope

6. How Tec-Tel supports the application

Frequent buyer questions

Security grants hub

NSGP (Nonprofit Security Grant Program)

NSGP install playbook

NDAA Section 889 explainer

Houses of worship security

A quick call with our team. State-grant specific.

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