Ohio Security Grant Program for Churches: 2026 Ohio EMA Guide
Key Takeaways
- Ohio runs its own state-funded Ohio Security Grant, separate from federal NSGP, administered by Ohio EMA since Governor DeWine created the program in 2019.
- Recent rounds have capped requests at $125,000 in eligible security improvements per site, with $6 million total available statewide in the most recent cycle.
- It's a reimbursement grant, not an upfront payment — your congregation gets a 10% advance and covers the rest until it submits documentation and is repaid.
- Eligible categories have centered on physical hardening — fencing and lighting systems among them — rather than ongoing costs like guard salaries.
- Houses of worship, chartered non-public schools, licensed preschools, and nonprofits are all eligible applicant types.
In This Article
- What the Ohio Security Grant Actually Is
- How It Differs From Federal NSGP
- Who's Eligible
- What the Grant Actually Covers
- The Reimbursement Structure — And Why It Matters for Your Budget
- How Much Ohio Churches Can Receive
- The Ohio Security Grant Application Process
- Common Mistakes Ohio Applicants Make
- Frequently Asked Questions
Ohio is one of a smaller group of states that funds houses of worship security through its own state appropriation rather than relying solely on the federal government. Since 2019, when Governor Mike DeWine created the program, the Ohio Security Grant has distributed more than $42 million to houses of worship, non-public schools, preschools, and nonprofits across the state — money that comes from the Ohio budget, not from FEMA, and that's administered by the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (Ohio EMA), a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
That's a genuinely separate funding pool from the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) that most churches search for first. For background on how the federal program itself works — deadlines, the Investment Justification format, and funding tiers — see our 2026 NSGP complete guide and our NSGP eligible expenses breakdown. This guide is specifically about Ohio's own state program and how it works alongside that federal option.
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Check Your Grant Eligibility →What the Ohio Security Grant Actually Is
The Ohio Security Grant is a competitive, reimbursement-based grant funded through the state budget and administered by Ohio EMA. It is not a pass-through of federal NSGP dollars — Ohio appropriates its own money for this program on a recurring basis, and the application, scoring, and award process are entirely state-run, separate from the FEMA notice of funding opportunity that governs NSGP nationally.
The most recent funding round made $6 million available statewide, with Ohio EMA publishing a dedicated notice of funding opportunity (the state calls this an "NOFO," similar to the federal term) laying out that cycle's specific eligible categories, caps, and dates. Application windows have typically opened in spring and run for roughly five to six weeks — for example, one recent cycle opened April 6 and closed May 15. Treat that specific window as an illustration of Ohio's typical spring timing, not a date to plan around for a future cycle; always confirm the live window directly with Ohio EMA before you build an application timeline.
How It Differs From Federal NSGP
| Feature | Federal NSGP | State Ohio Security Grant |
|---|---|---|
| Funding source | U.S. Congress / DHS via FEMA | Ohio state budget appropriation |
| Administered by | Ohio EMA, as Ohio's State Administering Agency for FEMA funds | Ohio EMA directly, as the program owner |
| Payment structure | Reimbursement, tied to federal grant terms | Reimbursement, with a 10% advance at the start of the performance period |
| Recent per-site cap | Set annually in the federal NOFO | $125,000 per site (most recent round) |
| Can you apply to both? | Yes | Yes — as long as the same specific expense isn't funded twice |
Ohio EMA plays two distinct roles here, and it's worth keeping them separate in your head. As the state's SAA for the federal program, Ohio EMA reviews and forwards NSGP subapplications to FEMA — the same structural role every state's SAA plays. As the owner and administrator of the state program, Ohio EMA runs the entire Ohio Security Grant itself, from publishing the NOFO to scoring applications to disbursing reimbursements. A congregation working with Ohio EMA on one program isn't automatically enrolled in the other — they're two separate applications with two separate sets of paperwork, even though the same state office touches both.
Who's Eligible
Eligible applicant types have included houses of worship, chartered non-public schools, licensed preschools, and nonprofit organizations. A church applying as a house of worship doesn't need a separately chartered school or preschool operating on the same campus to qualify — those are simply additional categories other applicants might fall under, not a requirement layered on top of the houses-of-worship category.
Nonprofit status should be current and verifiable. Churches that have never formalized 501(c)(3) recognition with the IRS should review our 501(c)(3) grants for churches guide first — while many congregations qualify for tax-exempt treatment automatically under IRS rules without filing for a determination letter, having clean documentation on record still removes friction during Ohio EMA's review.
What the Grant Actually Covers
Recent notices of funding opportunity have organized eligible costs around complete, functional security "systems" rather than individual gadgets purchased in isolation. Two categories that have appeared consistently:
- Exterior perimeter fencing systems. Fencing designed to restrict unauthorized access, including gates, posts, and the other components needed for a complete installation — not just the fence panels themselves.
- Lighting systems. Exterior and interior lighting that improves visibility along building perimeters, parking areas, and surveillance zones, and in interior sections used to deter and detect unauthorized activity.
The specific list of eligible categories is set fresh in each cycle's NOFO and has expanded over the program's history — cameras, access control, and structural hardening measures have been included in various rounds as well. Don't assume last cycle's category list carries forward unchanged; pull the current NOFO from Ohio EMA before you commit to a specific vendor quote.
The Reimbursement Structure — And Why It Matters for Your Budget
This is the detail that catches the most first-time Ohio applicants off guard: the Ohio Security Grant is a reimbursement grant. Your congregation receives a 10% advance disbursement at the start of the performance period, but the remaining 90% is paid out only after you've incurred the eligible expense, documented it, and submitted that documentation to Ohio EMA for review.
In practical terms, that means a congregation approved for a $125,000 fencing and lighting project needs to be able to pay contractors and vendors out of its own funds — or a short-term loan or line of credit — well before the bulk of the state reimbursement arrives. Congregations with thin reserves should plan the project in phases sized to what they can front, rather than committing to a full-scope project that assumes the entire award will land before invoices are due.
How Much Ohio Churches Can Receive
The most recent statewide round made $6 million available, with a maximum request of $125,000 in eligible security improvements per site for an eligible organization. Since the program's 2019 creation, Ohio has distributed more than $42 million across all cycles combined — a meaningful, sustained commitment rather than a one-time appropriation that might not return.
The Ohio Security Grant Application Process
- Watch for the current cycle's notice of funding opportunity on Ohio EMA's preparedness grants page — recent cycles have opened in spring, but confirm the current year's specific window rather than assuming it repeats exactly.
- Confirm your organization type fits an eligible category — house of worship, chartered non-public school, licensed preschool, or nonprofit.
- Document the specific security gap your requested system addresses, ideally with input from a security consultant or local law enforcement liaison, since a generic request scores worse than one tied to a documented vulnerability at your site.
- Get vendor quotes for the complete system — fencing with gates and posts, or lighting covering the specific zones you're addressing — not just a single component.
- Submit through Ohio EMA's application process by the cycle's deadline, and budget for the reimbursement timeline once awarded.
- Track and document every eligible expense as it's incurred, since reimbursement depends on that documentation matching what was approved.
Get Help With Your Ohio Application
We'll review your congregation's site count, current security posture, and documentation gaps and map out exactly what Ohio EMA's state and federal tracks each need from you.
Start the Free Eligibility Review →Common Mistakes Ohio Applicants Make
- Assuming the award covers costs upfront. Beyond the 10% advance, this is reimbursement funding — plan your cash flow around fronting the expense, not around receiving the full award before you pay a contractor.
- Requesting a personnel or staffing cost. The program has centered on physical security systems, not ongoing salaries — a request that reads more like a staffing budget than a hardening project is a mismatch for this fund.
- Quoting a partial system. A fence quote without gates and posts, or a lighting quote that only covers one entrance, reads as incomplete against the "complete, functional installation" standard reviewers apply.
- Missing the application window. Ohio's cycles haven't run on a fixed calendar date every year — check Ohio EMA's page regularly rather than assuming last year's exact dates will repeat.
- Treating this as the same program as federal NSGP. They're separate applications with separate paperwork, even though the same state office administers both — don't assume paperwork from one carries over to the other.
Security funding often overlaps with other priorities a growing Ohio congregation is weighing — see our church security grants guide for the broader landscape, and our 50-state security grants breakdown for how Ohio compares to neighboring states.