Maryland Nonprofit Security Grant Program for Churches: MEMA + PAHC Guide

Search "Maryland nonprofit security grant" and you'll find a program most guides don't distinguish clearly from the federal NSGP. Maryland actually runs two separate tracks through two separate state offices. The Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is the state's Administrative Agency for the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) — the same structural role every state's SAA plays, reviewing subapplications and forwarding a prioritized list to FEMA. Completely separately, the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy (GOCPP) administers Protecting Against Hate Crimes (PAHC), a grant funded entirely by the Maryland state budget rather than federal appropriations.

That two-office structure is the single most important thing to understand before you start. Unlike New Jersey, where one agency runs both the federal and state tracks, Maryland congregations are managing two different portals, two different contacts, and two different sets of guidance documents. For the federal program's mechanics, timeline, and required forms, see our 2026 NSGP complete guide and our NSGP eligible expenses breakdown.

Two Agencies, Two Grant Tracks

A congregation that only contacts MEMA, assuming it handles "the state grant," will miss PAHC entirely — and the reverse is true for a congregation that only finds GOCPP's page. Bookmark both agencies' grant pages, because neither office is going to route you to the other automatically.

What PAHC Actually Covers

PAHC exists specifically to fund security enhancements at nonprofit and faith-based organizations that face elevated risk of being targeted for a hate crime because of their religion, ethnicity, or other protected characteristic — a standard that most houses of worship in Maryland meet without difficulty. According to guidance published by the governor's office, eligible uses include security guards, access control systems, surveillance cameras, facility hardening, emergency communication systems, and staff security training.

That list is meaningfully broader than the federal NSGP's traditional target-hardening focus, which leans heavily toward physical equipment and caps personnel costs at half the award. A Maryland congregation whose biggest gap is staffing — hiring a part-time security coordinator, or funding ongoing guard coverage rather than a one-time camera purchase — may find PAHC a better structural fit than NSGP, even before comparing award size.

How Much Maryland Has Been Awarding

Governor Wes Moore's administration committed $10 million to PAHC for SFY2027, holding funding at the doubled level it reached the prior year in response to a rise in reported hate incidents. The governor's office has described individual awards as scaling with an applicant's annual operating budget, with the ceiling described publicly as up to $200,000 for larger, better-resourced organizations. In the FY2027 award round, more than 100 nonprofits, houses of worship, and community centers across 16 counties and Baltimore City received funding.

Two things worth internalizing from that pattern: first, $200,000 is a ceiling for large institutions, not a typical award for a modest congregation — most awards land well under that figure. Second, the fact that funding doubled and then held at the higher level for a second year suggests Maryland treats PAHC as an ongoing commitment rather than a one-time appropriation, which is a reasonable basis for planning a multi-year security budget around it, though nothing in state budgeting is ever guaranteed year over year.

The Federal NSGP Track Through MEMA

Maryland nonprofits — including churches, synagogues, and mosques — cannot apply to FEMA directly. MEMA reviews subapplications, scores them, and forwards a prioritized list to FEMA, exactly as every state's SAA does. Congregations inside the Baltimore-Washington urban area typically fall under NSGP's Urban Area track (NSGP-UA); those outside it apply under the State track (NSGP-S). Confirm which track applies to your specific address directly with MEMA, since award ceilings and competition levels differ meaningfully between the two.

Don't Skip Your County's Own Program

Most statewide grant guides stop at the state and federal level, which leaves out a real funding source for congregations in Maryland's larger counties. Montgomery County has run its own Nonprofit Security Grant Program for years, awarding more than a million dollars in recent fiscal years to nonprofit and religious organizations — and increasing funding mid-year when hate-crime concerns spiked. Anne Arundel and Howard counties run comparable programs. None of these county grants replace PAHC or NSGP; they stack on top, funded from entirely separate local budgets.

If your church sits in one of these jurisdictions, check the county's own department of public safety or county executive's grants page in the same research pass where you check GOCPP and MEMA. It's an easy step to skip simply because it isn't part of either statewide program's own materials.

Who's Eligible

PAHC's eligibility standard covers nonprofit organizations, including faith-based organizations, whose facilities or membership could be targeted for a hate crime. NSGP's federal standard requires 501(c)(3) status and documented elevated risk of a terrorist attack tied to ideology, beliefs, or mission. In practice, most Maryland churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples meet both standards, though the specific documentation each program wants — a hate-crime risk narrative for PAHC versus a security vulnerability assessment for NSGP — differs enough that you shouldn't assume one application's materials transfer directly to the other.

Congregations still working through formal tax-exempt recognition should review our 501(c)(3) grants for churches guide before applying to the federal track specifically — PAHC's faith-based language is somewhat more forgiving than NSGP's strict 501(c)(3) requirement, but a clean determination letter still smooths review on both applications.

Registrations You'll Need

• SAM.gov registration and a Unique Entity ID (UEI) — required for the federal NSGP track only, since that funding flows through FEMA. Not required for PAHC on its own.
• GOCPP's Grant Management System (GMS) account — required to apply for PAHC; request access before the application window opens, since account setup isn't instant.
• A documented risk or vulnerability narrative — expected in some form by both programs, though NSGP wants a formal security vulnerability assessment while PAHC's narrative can be less formal, describing your organization's specific exposure to hate-motivated targeting.

SAM.gov takes longer than most applicants expect. Our SAM.gov and Grants.gov registration guide walks through a realistic timeline — worth starting even if PAHC is your first priority, since many congregations eventually pursue the federal track too.

How to Apply

1. Check GOCPP's PAHC page for the current state fiscal year's Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), which typically releases in the spring with an April deadline.
2. Request GMS access early if you intend to apply for PAHC — don't wait until the week the window opens.
3. Separately, contact MEMA to confirm your NSGP-UA or NSGP-S track and register in SAM.gov if you haven't already.
4. Check your county's own grants page if you're in Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Howard, or another county that has historically run a local security grant.
5. Build separate budgets for each application before submitting anything, so you know in advance which expenses go to which program.

Common Mistakes Maryland Applicants Make

• Assuming one agency handles everything. MEMA and GOCPP don't share an application, a portal, or in most cases a point of contact. Treat them as two separate relationships to build.
• Skipping the county layer entirely. Congregations in Montgomery, Anne Arundel, and Howard counties leave real money on the table by only checking the state and federal levels.
• Budgeting around the $200,000 PAHC ceiling. That figure applies to larger, better-resourced organizations. A small congregation's realistic award is typically well below it.
• Requesting the same specific expense from two programs. Fine to apply to both PAHC and NSGP — not fine to fund the identical camera system or guard's hours from both.
• Waiting until the NOFA drops to request GMS access. Account setup delays have cost applicants real time during a short application window.

Security funding often overlaps with other needs a Maryland congregation may already be pursuing — see our church security grants guide for the broader federal and state landscape, and our 50-state security grants breakdown for how Maryland compares to neighboring states.

Frequently Asked Questions