New Federal Grant Funding Available to Enhance Security at Houses of Worship

As security concerns for faith communities remain elevated nationwide, a new federal funding opportunity is designed to help houses of worship and other faith-based organizations respond. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has opened the FY 2026 Enhancing Security Measures for Houses of Worship Program, making this an important time for churches, synagogues, mosques, and other faith-based organizations to evaluate whether the opportunity fits their security needs and timeline.

What the program is designed to do

The grant opportunity—formally issued as a “notice of funding opportunity” or “NOFO”—was posted on July 22, 2026, and is intended to help eligible faith-based nonprofits improve their ability to prevent, deter, and respond to bias-motivated crimes. Funding may support security improvements and related law-enforcement coordination, but the program is broader than physical security enhancements alone. BJA identifies several core objectives: strengthening partnerships between religious communities and local law enforcement, implementing evidence-based security measures, improving incident reporting, and building the organizational capacity needed to assist in criminal investigations. Opportunity ID O-BJA-2026-172658.

Two categories, two very different applicant pools

The NOFO creates two distinct funding tracks, each with its own eligible applicants, permissible uses, and award structure.

Category 1: Faith-Based Institution Security Camera and Evidence. Faith-based organizations including houses of worship may apply directly for this funding to acquire and install professional-grade security camera systems and related evidence infrastructure. Eligible projects may include surveillance cameras, recording and storage systems, monitoring equipment, and associated signage intended to maximize deterrence. The purpose of this category is to help prevent and respond to bias-motivated crimes by enhancing physical security, strengthening partnerships with local law enforcement, and generating reliable video evidence to support criminal investigations and prosecutions. The maximum award is $200,000 with a 24-month period of performance. BJA anticipates making approximately 20 awards under this category, with approximately $4 million available nationwide.

Category 2: House of Worship Law Enforcement Protection. This category is restricted to government entities—state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, federally recognized and non-federally-recognized Native American tribal governments, and other units of local government. However, these funds are intended for overtime costs for state and local law enforcement officers to provide a visible, uniformed security presence at houses of worship during services, events, and high-risk periods, and may also support private uniformed security acting at the direction of local law enforcement. The maximum award is $150,000, with a 36-month performance period. BJA expects to make roughly 24 awards under this category, with about $3,739,863 in total funding available. 

For a congregation weighing which path fits, the practical distinction is this: if you want to apply on your own for cameras and physical security infrastructure, Category 1 is your lane. If what you’re after is a police presence during services, you'll need to coordinate with your local law enforcement agency or municipality, since they are the ones who must submit the application.

Key dates to have on your calendar

The application process runs on two parallel federal systems, and the deadlines are tight relative to today's date:

SAM.gov registration, which is the process of registering an organization in the federal government’s System for Award Management (SAM) so that it can apply for and receive federal grants, contracts, and other federal financial assistance, deserves particular attention. Organizations that have never registered, or whose registration has lapsed, should not wait—SAM.gov registration and renewal can take longer than expected, and BJA’s own guidance says to begin that process by today, August 3, 2026, and no later than August 19, 2026, well ahead of the Grants.gov deadline. 

Why this funding exists

This funding is part of a broader federal effort to protect houses of worship that have increasingly been targeted by bias-motivated crimes. The Department of Justice created this program to help faith-based organizations deter criminal conduct, improve coordination with law enforcement, and capture reliable evidence that can be used in criminal investigations and prosecutions. The program complements other federal security initiatives, including FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program, but focuses specifically on security camera and evidence-gathering capabilities.

What to do now

Given the deadlines, congregations interested in Category 1 funding should start now: confirm your SAM.gov registration status, begin gathering documentation on your proposed security camera project, and plan for the two-step submission process across Grants.gov and JustGrants. Congregations more interested in a law enforcement presence under Category 2 should reach out to their local police department or municipality promptly, since that conversation — and the decision on whether the local government will act as applicant — needs to happen well before the September deadlines. Note that this summary reflects the published guidance as of this writing; congregations should review the full NOFO document and confirm current requirements directly with BJA before applying. (See BJA FY 2026 Enhancing Security Measures for Houses of Worship).