New York’s SCAHC Grant Is Live: 2026 Application Guide

The 2026 Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes (SCAHC) grant is open, and applications are due July 8, 2026 at 12:00 noon EST. Eligible New York nonprofits can request up to $250,000 per application to fund physical security upgrades, security training, or cybersecurity projects. This guide walks through what the program is, who qualifies, what it pays for, and what a strong application requires.

The SCAHC program is administered by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). The 2026 Request for Applications (RFA) makes up to $70 million available statewide and anticipates 140 to 280 awards. Worth noting: $35 million is funded from the FY 2026 Enacted Budget. The remaining amount is subject to appropriation in the FY 2027 Enacted Budget, so the final pool may be smaller than the ceiling.

If your synagogue, church, mosque, religious school, or faith-affiliated nonprofit has not applied before, this is a competitive but achievable opportunity. First-time applicants even get a small scoring bonus.

Key Dates for the 2026 SCAHC Cycle

• RFA released: April 15, 2026
• Application deadline: July 8, 2026 at 12:00 noon EST
• Notification of awards: September 2, 2026
• Anticipated contract start date: January 1, 2027
• Contract period: 24 months

The most important date for organizations that have not previously done business with New York State is hidden inside the eligibility rules, not the headline calendar: you must be prequalified in the New York Statewide Financial System (SFS) at the time of application. That process takes time. More on that below.

What Is the SCAHC Grant?

SCAHC stands for Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes. It is a New York State grant program that funds security improvements at nonprofit organizations that may be at risk of a hate crime or attack because of their ideology, beliefs, or mission.

The program has been administered at different points by both the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) and DCJS. For the 2026 cycle, it is run by DCJS through its Grants Management System (GMS).

SCAHC is a state-funded counterpart to the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). Many organizations apply to both. They are separate applications with separate rules.

Who Is Eligible to Apply

To apply for SCAHC in 2026, your organization must meet all of the following:

• Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. You can either show an IRS Recognition of Exempt Status Determination letter or self-certify by letter that you qualify under 26 USC §501(c)(3).
• Be at risk of a hate crime or attack due to your ideology, beliefs, or mission, as described in your application.
• Be registered with the NYS Attorney General’s Charities Bureau (or have a pending registration, or be exempt with a signed attestation explaining the basis for exemption).
• Be prequalified in the SFS at the time of application submission.

Organizations that have received prior DHSES or DCJS SCAHC funding can apply again, but only for projects that are distinct from previously funded work or that build upon and enhance prior projects.

A note on SFS prequalification

This is the single most common reason applications get disqualified before they are even read. SFS prequalification requires registering with the Statewide Financial System, completing online forms covering organizational capacity, compliance, integrity, and service descriptors, and uploading documents like your IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, IRS 990, audit, CHAR500, board profile, leadership resumes, and bylaws.

New York State reserves 5 to 10 business days to review a complete prequalification package, and longer if anything needs follow-up. Three documents — the IRS 990, financial statement, and Charities Bureau filing — expire annually and must be kept current.

If your organization is not already prequalified, start now. A great application means nothing if SFS is not finalized by July 8.

What SCAHC Will Fund (and What It Won’t)

SCAHC funds three project types: physical security, security training, and cybersecurity. You can apply for one, two, or all three.

Physical security equipment

Allowable equipment includes:

• Perimeter lighting
• Alarm systems
• Camera-based security systems
• Access control systems
• Perimeter fencing, barriers, and bollards
• Blast-resistant film and shatter-resistant windows
• Interior and exterior doors with hardened or locking mechanisms
• Panic button and lock-down systems
• Public address (PA) systems
• Impact protection

You can only do work at the specific facility identified in your application. Each facility requires its own Vulnerability Assessment.

Security training

You can fund registration fees, training materials, and travel for training that protects physical security or builds knowledge about hate crime activity, suspicious behavior, evacuation, and similar topics. All training requires DCJS approval, and most must occur within the United States, preferably within New York State.

Cybersecurity

You can fund cybersecurity planning, equipment (firewalls, antivirus, malware protection, network equipment, encryption software, intrusion detection, hardware), staff cyber awareness training, and exercises. Applications that include a cybersecurity project must also include a separate Cybersecurity Self-Assessment describing current capabilities and vulnerabilities.

What SCAHC will not fund

• Hiring security or safety personnel
• Overtime and backfill costs
• Indirect costs and general overhead
• Grant writing or pre-award costs
• Anticipated security costs for facilities not yet built
• Security work at facilities your organization does not occupy
• Projects already funded by SCAHC or another source, unless the new work is clearly distinct or builds upon completed prior work

SCAHC vs. NSGP: How They Compare

For organizations new to security grants, here is the short version. NSGP is a federal program funded through DHS/FEMA and administered in New York by DHSES. SCAHC is a New York State program funded by the state and administered by DCJS.

Many faith institutions apply to both in the same year. Each application has its own narrative and evidence base, but the same Vulnerability Assessment can typically be used for both. For a fuller breakdown of NSGP, see SGA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program guide or our NSGP program page.

What a Strong SCAHC Application Requires

To pass the initial review and earn a competitive score, your submission needs:

1. Narrative answers to every question in the GMS Questions tab, with a Word or PDF copy attached.
2. A Vulnerability Assessment for each facility, completed using the DCJS Vulnerability Self-Assessment Tool. An existing assessment from the past year may be used if it reflects current vulnerabilities. For more on what a strong VA looks like, see SGA’s Vulnerability Assessment guide.
3. A Cybersecurity Self-Assessment, if applying for cyber.
4. A color, ground-level photo of the front façade of each facility, plus photos of every interior or exterior location where work is proposed (each labeled clearly).
5. A detailed budget with line items, supporting cost basis, and justifications. Consultant rates are capped at $650 per 8-hour day without prior written approval.
6. A Standardized Project Work Plan, copied from the appendix in the RFA. Alternative work plans will not be accepted. A Gender-Based Violence Workplace Attestation.

How SCAHC Applications Are Scored

DCJS uses a three-tier review.

• Tier I (pass/fail): Eligibility, completeness, attachments, deadlines.
• Tier II (up to 100 points): A scored review of the narrative.

• • Vulnerability Assessment: 30 points. Threats (10 points), vulnerabilities (10 points), and how they connect (10 points).

• • Risk Assessment (Questions 7-11): 40 points.

• • Other narrative questions account for the remaining points.

• • First-time SCAHC applicants receive a 5-point bonus.

• Tier III: Executive staff review for funding decisions, factoring in scoring, strategic priorities, overall risk score, and available funding.

Tiebreakers are decided first by the VA score, then by the Risk Assessment, then by Question 9 specifically. The VA is the single most weighted scored element in the application. It is where applications are won or lost.

Common Reasons SCAHC Applications Lose Points

The most frequent score-killers are predictable:

• The Vulnerability Assessment lists generic concerns instead of facility-specific ones, and never connects threats to vulnerabilities.
• Requested equipment does not clearly tie back to a vulnerability identified in the VA.
• Photos are missing, mislabeled, or do not show the actual location where work will be performed.
• The risk narrative is vague about the organization’s mission, community served, or symbolic profile.
• The applicant did not finish SFS prequalification before the deadline.
• The application includes items already funded by another grant.

None of these are technical mistakes. They are narrative and preparation problems, and they are fixable with enough lead time.

What This Means for Your Organization

If you lead a faith institution or nonprofit in New York and you have not applied for SCAHC before, the 2026 cycle is worth taking seriously. The award ceiling is meaningful, the program is sized to fund a wide field, and first-time applicants get a small scoring bump.

Three practical steps to take this week:

1. Confirm SFS status. If your organization is not prequalified, start the process today. Do not wait.
2. Identify your project. What facility, what specific vulnerabilities, and what equipment or training would address them? The VA drives the score, so the VA is where the work begins.
3. Calendar the milestones. Question deadline May 6. Application deadline July 8 at noon. Award notification September 2.

The 24-month contract period starting January 1, 2027 gives you time to execute. Getting in the door this summer is the hard part.

Not sure where SCAHC fits for your organization? SGA helps houses of worship, religious schools, and nonprofits across New York think through whether to apply, what to ask for, and how to build a competitive application. Learn more about how SGA supports SCAHC applicants, or book a free consultation with our team here.

Not in New York? State Security Grant Programs in Other States

New York’s SCAHC is one of more than a dozen state-level security grant programs that run alongside the federal NSGP. If your organization is based in one of the states below, a comparable program may be available to you:

• • California: State Nonprofit Security Grant Program (CSNSGP)

• • Illinois: Not-for-Profit Security Grant Program (NSGP-IL)

• • New Jersey: Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NJ NSGP)

• • Connecticut: Nonprofit Security Grant Program (CT-NSGP)

• • Pennsylvania: Nonprofit Security Grant Fund Program (NSGFP)

• • Massachusetts: Commonwealth Nonprofit Security Grant Program (CNSGP)

• • Arizona: State Nonprofit Security Grant Program (AZ-NSGP)

• • Colorado: Nonprofit Security Grant Program (CO NSGP)

• • Ohio: State of Ohio Security Grant (OSG)

• • Maryland: Protecting Against Hate Crimes Grant Program (PAHC)

• • Tennessee: House of Worship Security Personnel Grant Program (HOW)

• • Washington: Nonprofit and Religious Organizations Security Grant Program (NROSGP)

Don’t see your state? The federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program is available to eligible nonprofits in all 50 states.