Grants & Funding · Michigan

Nonprofit Security Grant Program in Michigan: How to Prepare for 2027

The federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program pays up to $200,000 per site for cameras, access control, barriers, training and security staff. Here is who qualifies, what it covers, and what to do now for the next round.

Updated November 2026 · 7 minute read

The 2026 round of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) closed in July. Michigan’s state deadline was July 8, 2026, just two weeks after FEMA released the funding notice. Organizations that win this grant usually start preparing months before the notice comes out. If your nonprofit wants funding in 2027, the work starts this fall and winter.

What is the Nonprofit Security Grant Program?

NSGP is a competitive FEMA grant that helps nonprofits at risk of a terrorist or other extremist attack harden their facilities. In Michigan it is run by the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (MSP/EMHSD). Nonprofits apply to the state, not to FEMA directly.

For fiscal year 2026, FEMA made $300 million available nationwide, split evenly between two funding streams. Applicants could request up to $200,000 per site, for up to three sites per funding stream, and no cost share was required.

Who can apply?

Organizations recognized as 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofits
That can show they are at high risk of a terrorist or other extremist attack
Examples include houses of worship, private and faith-based schools, museums, community centers, senior centers and day camps

Public school districts are not 501(c)(3) organizations, so they generally fund security through state and federal school safety programs instead. Our Project Planner School Funding Calculator covers those.

Which funding stream applies to you?

Where your building sits decides which pool you compete in, and you must apply under the right one.

NSGP Urban Area (NSGP-UA): for sites inside a FEMA-designated high-risk urban area. For 2026 in Michigan, that meant Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne counties, including Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti.
NSGP State (NSGP-S): for sites everywhere else in Michigan, including Lenawee County (Adrian), Jackson County and Lansing.

Urban area designations can change from year to year, so confirm yours when the 2027 notice is released.

What the grant pays for

Most funded projects are physical security equipment, but planning, training and contracted security also qualify.

Equipment: security cameras, access control systems and card readers, fencing, gates and vehicle barriers, and other target-hardening upgrades
Contracted security: private security officers, including off-duty law enforcement working as contract security
Training and exercises: active shooter training, staff security training and response drills
Planning: security plans and emergency and evacuation plans

Not allowed: hiring public safety personnel, operational overtime and backfill, general-use items, and the cost of preparing your application or the vulnerability assessment that supports it.

What Michigan asked for in 2026

Michigan’s 2026 application had to be submitted online through MSP/EMHSD, and email submissions were not accepted. It included:

The Investment Justification on FEMA’s current template, unmodified. Altered or outdated forms made an application ineligible.
A contact information sheet
Your organization’s mission statement
A vulnerability or risk assessment of the site
A short bio and resume for each leader and board member

Federally, you also need a Unique Entity ID (UEI) and an active SAM.gov registration that stays current for the life of the grant. SAM registration can take several weeks, which is a common reason organizations miss the window.

A timeline for the 2027 round

FEMA has not announced the 2027 schedule. If it follows the 2026 pattern, expect the funding notice in late June 2027 and a Michigan deadline in early July. Plan backward from that.

Now through January: confirm your 501(c)(3) status, get your UEI, and register or renew in SAM.gov. Gather your mission statement and board bios.
Winter: complete a documented vulnerability assessment of each site, and collect records of any threats or incidents, such as police reports.
Early spring: rank your security priorities and get written quotes, so every dollar you request is backed by a real price.
Spring: draft the Investment Justification narrative, tying each item to a specific threat and vulnerability.
June: watch for the FY2027 notice from MSP/EMHSD and submit well before the state deadline.

What makes an application stronger

Connect every request to a finding. “Unmonitored rear entrance used after hours” supports access control and a camera. A list of equipment with no reason behind it does not.
Show real risk. Document threats, vandalism or incidents at your site or against organizations like yours.
Use real quotes. Reviewers look for costs that are specific and reasonable.
Plan what you will actually build. Changing a project’s scope after an award can mean losing funds.

How OMNI Integrations helps

OMNI is a veteran-owned security technology integrator based in Ann Arbor. We help nonprofits get ready for NSGP with the technical side of the application:

A free on-site security assessment that documents what we find at each site and what we recommend
Written, itemized quotes for cameras, access control, panic alerts, barriers and sensors, matched to those findings
Vendor-neutral recommendations that fit your building and budget, and installation once funds are awarded

Your organization submits the application itself, and FEMA requires a staff member to be its authorized representative. Starting early is the biggest advantage you can give yourself.

Request a Free Security Assessment Explore other funding options

Sources

This article is general information, not legal or grant-writing advice. Program details are based on the FY2026 notice of funding opportunity and Michigan’s FY2026 application announcement. Rules, amounts and dates can change each year, so confirm current requirements with MSP/EMHSD.