The $102 Million Most Churches Don't Know About: Security Grants Close December 12th, 2025
Your Church Needs Security Upgrades. The Government Will Pay for Them. But Only If You Apply by December 12th.
Let me tell you about the money sitting on the table that most faith leaders will never touch.
Right now, the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services is accepting applications for $76 million in state funding through the California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Add the $26.2 million in federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program funds, and you have $102.2 million available for churches, mosques, synagogues, and faith-based nonprofits to upgrade security.
The state deadline? December 12, 2025
Last year, 1,600 organizations applied, requesting $325 million in total. The state funded 347 of them with $76 million. That's a 22% approval rate. Those are better odds than most federal grants. Better odds than foundation grants. Better odds than just about any funding opportunity you'll find this year.
But only if you apply.
What the Shutdown Taught Us About Physical Preparedness
In my last article, we talked about what the 43-day government shutdown revealed: faith-based organizations are the infrastructure America depends on when systems fail. You showed up. You served. You fed families when SNAP benefits froze.
But here's the question nobody asked: How SAFE were your volunteers while they served? How secure was your facility while hundreds of people streamed through your doors?
Physical preparedness is not just about having food in the pantry. It's about protecting the people who show up to serve.
And right now, California and the federal government are offering to PAY for that protection through church security grants, faith-based security funding, and nonprofit security upgrades.
What These Grants Actually Cover
When pastors hear "security grants," they think of cameras. Yes, the cameras are covered. But that's just the beginning.
Physical Security Enhancements:
Reinforced doors, gates, and fencing
High-intensity lighting (interior and exterior)
Access control systems (key cards, electronic locks)
Shatter-resistant windows
Alarm systems and monitoring
Video surveillance systems
Security Planning & Training:
Development of security plans and protocols
Staff and volunteer training
Professional security assessments
This is comprehensive protection. Not a single camera at the front door. This is a full church safety upgrade and security infrastructure to protect worship, children’s programs, community outreach, and emergency response.
Who Is Eligible? (Probably You)
If you are in church, you are automatically considered tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) even if you never formally applied for that status with the IRS. You qualify for these grants.
You are eligible if your organization:
Serves communities targeted based on race, religious affiliation, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or immigration status
Has experienced threats, harassment, or past incidents
It is located in an area with documented hate crime activity
Provides services that make you a visible community hub
If you opened your doors during the shutdown to serve your community, you are exactly the kind of organization the California nonprofit security grants and federal NSGP funding 2025 were designed to protect.
How to Apply (Even If You've Never Done This Before)
Step 1: Attend a Webinar
California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) hosts free webinars through early December explaining the proposal requirements. Check the Cal OES website for the schedule: www.caloes.ca.gov
Step 2: Get a Security Assessment
Many local police departments offer free security assessments for houses of worship. You can also document vulnerabilities yourself: unlit parking areas, unsecured entry points, and a lack of surveillance.
Step 3: Complete the Application
The application asks you to explain who you serve, what risks your face, what security enhancements you need, and how they'll make your facility safer. If you can write a compelling story about why your ministry matters and needs protection, you can complete this application.
Step 4: Submit by Deadline
California State Program: December 12, 2025, 11:59 PM Pacific
Email to: [email protected]
Late submissions are NOT accepted. Incomplete submissions are NOT considered.
What Funders Are Looking For
Applications are scored on six criteria totaling 48 points. You need a minimum of 40 points to be considered.
Reviewers evaluate:
Who you are and where you're located
Your mission and who you serve
Why are you at risk (documented threats or vulnerabilities)
What specific improvements are you requesting
Your implementation plan and timeline
How will your organization and community be safer
The highest-scoring proposals are funded. This is merit-based on how well you demonstrate risk and explain your plan. A well-prepared application from a small church in a high-risk area will beat a sloppy application from a large organization every time.
Beyond California: The National Picture
If you're outside California, don't close this tab yet. The federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) is available nationwide through FEMA. In fiscal year 2025, FEMA is providing $274.5 million nationally for nonprofit security enhancements.
Check FEMA's website or your state's emergency management office: www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/nonprofit-security
In May 2025, 130 House members put forward the highest-ever funding request for nonprofit security in fiscal year 2026: $500 million. That's nearly double the current funding. This program is not going away. It's expanding.
What Happens If You Don't Apply
Let me paint two pictures.
Picture 1: Your church applies. You receive a $75,000 grant. You install cameras covering all entrances and parking areas. You upgrade to electronic access control. You install motion sensor lighting. Your volunteers feel protected. Your community knows you took their safety seriously.
Picture 2: Your church doesn't apply. December 12th passes. The money was awarded to 347 other organizations. Your facility remains under-secured. Parents ask questions about children's safety. When something happens, you have no footage, no protocols, or infrastructure.
Which picture do you want?
Your Next Steps
This Week:
Visit www.caloes.ca.gov and download the application
Register for a Cal OES webinar
Contact your local police for a security assessment
Next Week:
Complete the Vulnerability Assessment worksheet
Draft your application narrative
Gather supporting documents
Week of December 9th:
Finalize your application
Submit to [email protected]
Confirm receipt
This is achievable. And the return on investment is significant: tens of thousands of dollars in security infrastructure your ministry needs but cannot afford on its own.
If You Need Help, We're Here
The Faith and Funding Academy teaches how to assess risk, write compelling narratives, and manage grant compliance. Our graduates have accessed over $12 million in grants and contracts.
Visit Faith and Funding for step-by-step guidance.
The Government Shutdown Taught Us to Be Prepared. Security Grants Help Us Stay Protected.
The shutdown revealed that faith-based organizations are America's infrastructure when systems collapse. You showed up feeding families when SNAP benefits from freezing.
Now I'm asking: Who protects you while you serve?
The volunteers who spent hours in your parking lot at night. The staff who opened your facility at 6 AM. The families who walked through your doors were desperate for help. Were they safe?
Physical preparedness is not just about supplies. It's about protecting people who deliver those supplies and communities who receive them.
The money is available. The deadline is clear. The process is accessible.
What you do in the next 20 days will determine whether your ministry is safer in 2026 or exactly as vulnerable as it is today.
Need Help?
Join Faith and Funding!
