Florida Nonprofit Security Grant Program for Churches: FDEM Guide
Key Takeaways
- Florida's state security grant, created by Chapter 2023-180 and codified at Fla. Stat. § 252.3712, is administered by the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), not the federal NSGP's SAA function.
- Awards range statutorily from $10,000 to $150,000 per site, with FDEM authorized to retain up to 3% of the appropriated pool for administration.
- The program was built specifically to fund nonprofits that applied for the federal NSGP, were found eligible, and still didn't get an award — it's a backfill, not a substitute.
- The most recently documented application round is closed, and FDEM isn't currently showing an open 2026 window. The statute sunsets January 1, 2028 unless the Legislature renews it.
- Houses of worship and facilities used daily by children get statutory priority, which is a meaningful edge for most churches with a school, daycare, or preschool on site.
In This Article
Florida is one of a small number of states that funds a security grant specifically for organizations the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) turned down — not organizations that skipped the federal program, ones that applied, were found eligible, and still came up short because the federal pool ran out before reaching them. That distinction shapes almost everything about how a Florida congregation should sequence its applications, and it's the part most general guides skip.
The program is authorized by Chapter 2023-180, Laws of Florida, and codified at Florida Statutes § 252.3712. It's administered by the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) through its DEMES grant management system — a separate office and portal from the federal NSGP process, even though the two programs are meant to work in sequence rather than compete for the same dollars.
Not Sure Where Your Church Fits in Florida's Two Programs?
Tell us where you are in the federal NSGP process and we'll map out whether the state backfill applies to you yet, and what to prepare while you wait for the next round.
Check Your Grant Eligibility →What the Florida Program Actually Is
Most states that run a parallel security grant alongside the federal NSGP built theirs as an independent, simultaneous track — apply to both at once, get money from whichever comes through. Florida did something different. Fla. Stat. § 252.3712 directs FDEM to prioritize nonprofit organizations that were deemed eligible for, but did not receive funding from, the federal NSGP. That single design choice makes Florida's program function less like a second lottery ticket and more like a safety net stretched under the federal process.
For a congregation, that means the state program isn't really a parallel option you apply to in the same season as your federal NSGP subapplication. It's closer to a second chance triggered by a specific outcome — an eligible-but-unfunded federal application. See our NSGP 2026 complete guide for the federal process this program sits downstream of.
The Backfill Design — Why This Matters
| Track | Funding Source | Administered By | Who It's Built For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal NSGP | U.S. Congress / DHS via FEMA | Florida's SAA (FDEM's federal preparedness grants function) | Any eligible nonprofit statewide |
| State FL Nonprofit Security Grant | Florida state appropriation | FDEM (Fla. Stat. § 252.3712) | Nonprofits eligible for NSGP who weren't funded by it |
The practical upshot: if your church hasn't yet applied for the federal NSGP, that's the application to prioritize first — not because the state program is inferior, but because the statute is written around the federal outcome. An organization that never applied federally has a harder time demonstrating it fits the state program's priority language than one holding a federal eligibility determination letter showing it simply wasn't funded that cycle.
This is a genuinely unusual structure among the state programs we've reviewed. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Ohio all run independent, simultaneous state tracks — see our New Jersey guide and Pennsylvania guide for contrast. Florida's sequential design is the exception, not the rule, and treating it like a simultaneous-track state will lead you to apply in the wrong order.
Funding Amounts and Statutory Caps
The statute sets a funding band, not a fixed award: a minimum grant of $10,000 and a maximum grant of $150,000 per site. FDEM is authorized to retain up to 3% of the total appropriated funds for administrative costs, which is a program-level deduction and doesn't reduce individual award amounts within that range. Where a specific applicant lands within the $10,000–$150,000 band depends on the scope of the requested security project and the funds available in that appropriation cycle — we weren't able to confirm actual disbursed amounts from the most recently completed round, so treat the statutory range as the ceiling and floor, not a guarantee of any particular figure.
Eligibility and Priority Categories
Eligibility criteria are written to align with the federal NSGP's standards, which keeps the two programs' applicant pools consistent. Two additional details are specific to Florida's statute and worth knowing before you assume your church qualifies:
- Minimum operational history. Applicants generally need at least six months of operational history, or documented evidence of an elevated threat level as an alternative basis for eligibility. A newly planted congregation without either may not yet qualify.
- Statutory priority for houses of worship and child-serving facilities. The statute explicitly directs priority toward houses of worship and facilities used daily by children or students. A church running an attached preschool, daycare, or K-12 program has a real statutory edge here — worth stating plainly in your application rather than assuming it's implied.
If your congregation runs a school alongside worship services, review our grants for Christian schools guide — the priority language in Florida's statute is one of the more concrete state-level advantages a church school we've found in any state's program.
What the Money Can Fund
Florida's allowable use list runs broader than the federal NSGP's in one specific way: it explicitly funds both security infrastructure and the staffing side of security, without the same 50%-of-award personnel cap the federal program applies.
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Physical hardening | Security lighting, door and window hardening, fencing, vehicle barriers |
| Surveillance | Security cameras, monitoring systems |
| Glazing protection | Blast-resistant film, shatter-resistant glass |
| Personnel | Hiring of security personnel |
| Training | Staff threat-awareness training, emergency procedure training, first aid training |
That's a meaningfully different profile than the federal program, which caps personnel spending and doesn't fund general staff training the way Florida's statute contemplates. A church weighing whether to lead its budget request with cameras and fencing or with a part-time security coordinator's salary has more flexibility under Florida's state program than under NSGP alone. For the federal side's exact cap structure, see our NSGP eligible expenses breakdown.
Current Application Status
There's also a sunset clause built into the authorizing statute: it's repealed on January 1, 2028 unless the Legislature reviews and renews it, and FDEM is required to report to legislative leadership annually by June 1. That gives the program a defined shelf life as currently written — worth watching in Florida legislative sessions between now and then, since a lapse would remove the state backfill even as the federal NSGP continues.
How to Position Your Church Now
- Apply for the federal NSGP first if you haven't already. An eligible-but-unfunded outcome is the foundation the state program is built to catch — see our NSGP application guide for the full federal process.
- Keep your federal eligibility determination on file. If a future Florida round opens, documentation that you were found eligible federally — even without an award — is the strongest evidence you fit the statute's priority language.
- Document any child-serving programs your facility runs. Daycare, preschool, or school operations are a named statutory priority — have enrollment or licensing documentation ready.
- Email FLNSGP@em.myflorida.com now to ask about the status of the next round rather than waiting to discover a short application window after it's already open.
- Register for DEMES access early. FDEM's grant management portal requires account setup before you can submit — don't leave that step for the final week of an open window.
Get Help Sequencing Florida's Two Programs
We'll review where your church stands with the federal NSGP and help you prepare for Florida's state backfill before the next round opens.
Start the Free Eligibility Review →Mistakes Florida Applicants Make
- Applying to the state program instead of the federal one. Because Florida's grant is designed around eligible-but-unfunded federal applicants, skipping NSGP removes your clearest path to the state priority.
- Assuming a round is open without checking. FDEM's program page doesn't currently show an active window — proceeding as if one exists wastes preparation time.
- Leaving out child-serving program documentation. The statutory priority for facilities used daily by children is specific — don't assume reviewers will infer it from a general description of your ministry.
- Requesting only equipment when personnel funding is available. Florida's broader use case for security staffing and training is a real point of difference from the federal program — factor it into your budget planning.
- Ignoring the 2028 sunset clause. If your security plan depends on multiple future rounds of this specific program, watch Florida legislative sessions for renewal action.
Security funding is one piece of a broader picture for most Florida congregations — see our church security grants guide for the national landscape and our 50-state security grants breakdown for how Florida compares to other states running their own programs.