Through the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), the Arizona Department of Homeland Security (ADHS) recently awarded nearly $500,000 to five Southern Arizona Jewish organizations for security infrastructure upgrades.
The five organization awardees are Congregation Chofetz Chayim, Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging, Hillel Foundation at University of Arizona, the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center, and the Tucson Jewish Community Center.
The amount awarded totals $497,915.
From their website, the NSGP is a unique initiative designed to provide support for target hardening and other physical security enhancements and activities, including planning and training, to nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of terrorist attack. The intent of these funds is to integrate nonprofit preparedness activities with broader state and local preparedness efforts. It is also designed to promote coordination and collaboration in emergency preparedness activities among public and private community representatives, as well as state and local government agencies.
Spearheaded by Jewish Community Security Directors, Paul Patterson and Chelsea Gutierrez, Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona (JPSA) worked closely with area synagogues and agencies to secure funding, while providing ongoing advisory services for the implementation of approved upgrades.
“Through incredible teamwork and collaboration, our community has now brought in almost $1,000,000 for target-hardening security measures over two grant cycles,” said Emily Richman, Interim CEO of JPSA. “The awarded agencies have put in countless hours, and our entire community will benefit from that hard work.”
Nationally, just over half of the applications submitted for funding in 2022 received approval from the NSGP.
“In the end there are a lot of people who worked really hard on these programs,” said Patterson. “It is truly a team effort, which is why we often say not one of us is as strong as all of us.”
