Dear Recipient's Title and Name:

2018 was the deadliest year for anti-Semitic violence in 24 years. The domestic terrorist attack on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was the third mass shooting at a house of worship in the past three years and the deadliest against the Jewish community in the United States. Tragically, these attacks underscore that places of worship are often deemed as soft targets for terrorism and other violent attacks. Less than a month into 2019, that threat level has not abated.

In light of these grave and continuing threats, I urge you to fund the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) at $60 million for Fiscal Year 2019. That was the amount approved by the House Appropriations Committee in the Fiscal Year Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act, and the amount appropriated in Fiscal Year 2018. These grants make a difference to the vulnerable nonprofit community, including houses of worship, and allow them to increase the security of their physical structures.  Unfortunately, the NSGP is in jeopardy of a 42% cut in funding this year.  

The Department of Homeland Security has further assessed:  

“Most religious facilities are nonprofit. Many have very small budgets that are used to pay for the basic operation of the facility and to provide services to the congregation and surrounding communities.  Many do not have the financial resources to implement extensive security measures, especially physical security equipment.” (Source:  DHS, Houses of Worship Security Practices Guide, May 2013)

The DHS’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) is one tool that Jewish and other religious and nonprofit organizations use to make their houses of worships and buildings more secure. Funded at $60 million in FY 2018, the NSGP provides grants to at-risk nonprofit organizations, including houses of worship, to bolster the security in their physical structures. The NSGP has been used by synagogues and schools in my community to acquire and install necessary fencing and lighting, video surveillance and X-ray and metal detectors, and reinforced doors, locks, and windows. Such protective measures make our nonprofit organizations—and the populations they serve—safer and better able to withstand potential terrorist threats.  

At a time when credible threats against religious and cultural institutions are increasing, Congress should ensure that eligible nonprofit organizations receive support to help implement security enhancements that will protect against terrorist attacks.  

Sincerely,
Your Full Name

,