Schumer, Gillibrand Secure Over $2.1 Million To Improve Emergency Preparedness For Religious Institutions & Organizations In-And-Around NYC; Grants Awarded To 30 At-Risk Jewish Schools & Congregations

Schumer and Gillibrand Secured Funding For Organizations Based in New York – Out of the Total $13 Million Granted to Awardees Across the Country
U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that 30 New York Jewish organizations, including schools and congregations, and more have received a combined total of $2,188,517 for the 2014 fiscal year as Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) Awardees. The program, run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), awards federal funds to nonprofit organizations that are at a high risk of a national terrorist attack to encourage preparedness efforts.

“Religious schools and congregations have been previously targeted for attacks and that’s why FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program is critical in making sure that high-risk organizations are safe and protected from terrorist attacks,” said Schumer. “It is especially important for organizations in and around New York City to receive this federal funding, which will go a long way to ensure that they are fully prepared for whatever may happen in the future.”

“These federal dollars will arm our non-profits with the resources they need to guard us from attacks and keep us safe,” Gillibrand said. “No New Yorker, or American, should ever have to live and worship in fear of being targeted because of who they are or what they believe. Federal funding will help equip New York City’s places of worship, schools, and community gatherings with the tools needed to protect New York families.”

The Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) is run under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI). Only eligible nonprofit organizations, as described by the 501(c)(3) tax code of 1986, may apply for this grant. To be eligible, the nonprofit must be at high risk for an international terrorist attack and must be located in one of the designated urban areas throughout the country.

The 30 Jewish organizations that received funding from the New York City area are: the Hebrew Institute of University Heights DBA Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, Park East Synagogue, Chabad Lubavitch of the Upper East Side, Shaare Zion Congregation Inc, Bet Am Shalom Synagogue, Mesivta Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin, Khal Ichud Chasidim, Bnos Square of Williamsburg, Solomon Schechter School of Westchester, Young Israel of White Plains, Trustees of the Congregation Shearith Israel, Rabbinical Academy Mesivta Rabbi Chaim Berlin, The Center for Jewish Life, Yeshiva of Brooklyn , Jewish Community Center of Staten Island, Congregation Machna Shalva, Gan Yisroel, Riverdale Jewish Center, Sephardic Community Center, Yeshivat Darche Eres, Young Israel of Lawrence Cedarhurst, Temple Beth El, Yeshiva Ahavas Torah, Congregation B’nai Israel, Congregation Ohel Chabad Lubavitch, Reform Temple of Forest Hills, Be’er HaGolah Institutes, Westchester Day School, Ach Tov V’Chesed, and Phelps Memorial Hospital Center.

In New York, Nonprofit Security Grant Program application packages are due by midnight, Friday, May 9th.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What do I have to do? Use JCRC’s Checklist (download here) to double check yourself.  Remember, there are three separate sets of submissions:
  • Grants Gateway. Your document must be approved and your status report reflecting your approval must be downloaded.
  • Investment Justification. The Excel spreadsheet that is the critical part of the application. (When you open the spreadsheet remember to pay attention to the yellow bars at the top of the page, clicking on “Enable Editing” and “Enable Content”. MAC users, we don’t have a good answer on how to make this work on a MAC. Our advice: borrow a PC.
  • E-Grants. The administrative software used to upload your information and documents into the system.
• Why should I use the Scoring Worksheet? This is a transparent process. This is the form that the judges use to score your application. There are 40 possible points (plus a bonus for organizations that have never received a grant) and the trick is to “thoroughly” answer every question.
• You’ve seen a lot of submissions, what do people miss or get wrong?
  • Risk. The section has three elements, each worth 4 of the 40 point total. Many applicants smoosh them together. Threat includes the generalized threats to Jewish institutions (relating that to your institution); incidents, including plots, graffiti, bomb threats, letters, to your institution; and any conclusion from your risk assessment (e.g., This building is determined to be at high risk of a terrorist attack due …). Vulnerability includes the laundry list of shortcomings that need improvement. These can be physical, procedural or training gaps, e.g., ill-fitting doors and windows, lack of an access control policy. Consequences covers both destruction of your facility and/or the injury or death of your people. There are direct and indirect consequences. Think this through for a thorough answer.
  • Target hardening. The question has three parts. For every activity (e.g., installation of new doors, training) you have to describe the activity, how the activity will mitigate a specific vulnerability listed in the Risk section, the Authorized Equipment List code for the activity, and the basic cost of the activity. Make sure that you tell the judges how the activity will prevent or protect against a terrorist attack.
• Milestones. If you do everything right you probably won’t be able to start until January 1, 2015, because you need to have a signed contract. Most people have projects that require multiple activities. For example, doors and windows are usually special order items, which may take months to fabricate. You can’t complete the installation of an alarm system until the doors and windows are installed. Your milestones should reflect the differences between different activities and how they interrelate. Also, make this your own. For example, you should be giving progress reports to your board. Include that as a milestone.
• Project Management. People spend a lot of time on the qualifications of their staff, but they miss the governance element. How will your board supervise this major project? For example, you should have a building or security committee, what is their role? Are you using DHSES, police, JCRC or others as subject matter experts? How will do you relate with DHSES?
• Impact. Much is the answer is a rerun of the Target Hardening section, but make sure to relate it to the Coal Core Capabilities. See our post here.
• Bonus. If you’ve never received a grant, make sure that you fill in this section for a bonus point.
• Attachments. People have pressed “submit” in E-grants without attaching the required documents: Mission Statement, Vendor Responsibility Form, Investment Justification, Grants Gateway Status Report, and Risk/Vulnerability Assessment. This might disqualify your submission. Use the checklist.