State and local grants help harden faith and nonprofit sites; demand far outstrips funds

Officials from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPS), Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP), and JCC Greater Boston briefed the Special Commission on Antisemitism on nonprofit security grants, how recipients use the money, and remaining unmet needs.

Kevin Stanton, executive director of the EOPS Office of Grants and Research, said the Commonwealth’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program has grown since its 2018 launch and in fiscal year 2025 the program budget reached nearly $4.5 million. He said OGR received 162 applications for the state programs this year and awarded grants to 102 organizations based on available funding. Since 2018 the office has distributed more than $15 million in state funds to more than 300 nonprofits; Stanton said federal awards to Massachusetts nonprofits total about $22 million to roughly 200 organizations, which he said yields a combined total of more than $37 million benefiting more than 500 organizations.

Stanton described eligible uses (physical‑security enhancements and contracted security personnel) and said applicants document risk through prior threats, incidents, or credible indicators for similar institutions. He said FEMA’s 2024 Nonprofit Security Grant Program supplemental awards are pending federal approval and that states were led to expect in‑year allocations; he estimated Massachusetts might receive a roughly $4 million federal supplemental allocation but said the state was waiting on FEMA final approval before awarding the funds.

Jeremy Yamin of Combined Jewish Philanthropies described CJP’s Communal Security Initiative, which provides assessments, grant‑writing support, training and limited direct grants to Jewish institutions. He said CJP has helped roughly 375 Jewish institutions in Eastern New England and has assisted applicants in obtaining nearly $5 million in Commonwealth grants since 2018. Yamin summarized typical investments funded by grants — cameras, access control, intercoms, bollards, window film, fencing, and training — and said personnel costs remain a major ongoing pressure for nonprofits.

Lily Rabinoff Goldman, president and CEO of JCC Greater Boston, said the JCC uses grants for access control, monitoring and communications and noted that recurring personnel costs for security personnel are particularly difficult for nonprofits to absorb within thin operating budgets. Panelists and commissioners agreed unmet need remains large; Stanton and Yamin urged continued funding, technical assistance and outreach to smaller and rural institutions to improve access to grants.