Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 16 October 2023

These updates are shared to help raise the situational awareness of Faith-Based organizations to best defend against and mitigate the impacts from all-hazards threats including physical security, cybersecurity, and natural disasters. 

FBI director warns of rise in terror threats against Americans, potential copy-cat attacks on US soil

“In this heightened environment, there’s no question we’re seeing an increase in reported threats, and we’ve got to be on the lookout, especially for lone actors who may take inspiration from recent events to commit violence of their own.”

Additional reporting on the FBI directors statement can be found at FBI director warns of increase in domestic threats related to Middle East conflict and Threats in U.S. rising after Hamas attack on Israel, says FBI Director Christopher Wray

Also, the New York Times reports that the F.B.I. Tracks Increased Threats to Jews and Muslims After Hamas Attack.

Analyst Comments:

In addition to government warnings, Faith-Based Organizations should also regularly monitor world, national, and local news to evaluate their own threat environment. As reported by The Guardian, many Jewish and Muslim Americans already fear a rise in hate crimes, without the benefit of the FBI director’s remarks.

FB-ISAO members also share information on threats and security activities in FB-ISAO Slack. Join here.

Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) FY2024 Winter Webinar Series + DHS Protecting Places of Worship Resources

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate (GPD) invites interested organizations to attend upcoming webinars regarding the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). The NSGP is a competitive grant awarded to nonprofit organizations at high risk of a terrorist or other extremist attack for the purposes of facility hardening and other security enhancements.

Please note that depending on the timing of a Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations bill, final FY 2024 information on the NSGP may not be available at the time of the webinars. Interested nonprofits should maintain communication with their State Administrative Agency (SAA) for all deadlines and application requirements.

Analyst Comments:

While there is a current heightened interest in securing houses of worship, Faith-Based Organizations (FBO) should consider long-term security needs. The above webinars will assist FBOs in securing grants to protect their facilities.

Suggestions for a Successful Grant Application

• FBOs should take advantage of all the grantor’s explanatory opportunities, such as the above webinars. The grant application process can be very complex, with very precise requirements. A better understanding of the process will improve a FBO’s chances of being awarded funds.
• Begin work on the grant application as soon as possible, to ensure meeting all deadlines. Most grant processes provide an opportunity to ask questions about the process. Starting the application as soon as possible will allow applicants to ask questions and fine tune their application. Also, most grantors discard late applications, so prompt submission is a must. Though there are changes in requirements from year to year, a good baseline application can be tweaked to meet newer requirements once those are announced.
• FBOs should ensure that their proposed use of the grant money is within the grant’s requirements, even if the applicant has a greater need in an area unrelated to the grant. No matter how worthy an organization’s need is, it will not be funded if it is outside the scope of the grant. 
• Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and register in the System for Award Management at sam.gov; your organization will be assigned a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) once registered. Learn how to get a Unique Entity ID without needing to complete an entity registration on SAM.gov.
• In addition to federal grants, be alert for grant opportunities from private organizations and local and state governments. Each of these entities usually have a grants office which FBOs can regularly monitor. There may also be an opportunity to be emailed alerts on future grants.