MoCo announces $1.7M in security grants for nonprofits at risk of hate crimes
Funding includes $1.2M initial allocation, $500,000 supplemental appropriation for increased staffing amid Iran war
By
Ceoli JacobyApril 21, 2026 2:05 p.m.
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Make a ContributionMontgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) and County Council President Natali Fani-González (D-Dist. 6) on Monday announced the latest round of nonprofit security grant awards to 96 organizations across the county.
The Nonprofit Security Grant Program provides money to Montgomery County-based nonprofits, faith-based organizations and houses of worship at risk for hate bias incidents. The program was initially funded at $1.2 million this year.
Last month, Elrich and Fani-González said they would add another $500,000 in funding for program participants that needed to increase security staffing amid the U.S. war with Iran and other ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
The supplemental appropriation brought the total nonprofit security grant funding for this year to $1.7 million. The money will be distributed to 96 organizations in amounts ranging from $2,500 to $15,000.
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“We understand that having peace of mind in our communities is important,” Fani-González said during a Monday press conference at the Isiah “Ike” Leggett Executive Office Building in Rockville. “And when we say that we are a county that’s going to be defending you and protecting you, we need to put our money where our mouth is.”
This year, 103 organizations applied for awards under the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, according to Luke Hodgson, director of the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
Of the organizations that applied, 96 qualified for grant funding. Forty-nine of those received additional money under the supplemental appropriation for increased security staffing, Hodgson said.
When evaluating applications for nonprofit security grants, Hodgson said, the county prioritized organizations with limited or no existing security measures, those in “vulnerable locations” and those that already had experienced incidents of hate bias. The latter applied to nearly half of applicants.
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“That ranges from graffiti, vandalism, arson, to intimidation and threats aimed at parishioners or other members, online and phone threats, white supremacist materials distributed at or surrounding their facility, and individuals entering their facilities and threatening them directly,” Hodgson said.
Grant recipients
Ron Halber, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Washington, said during Monday’s press conference that the “No. 1 deterrence” against hate bias incidents is visible security personnel. The JCRC received $15,000 from this year’s nonprofit security grant cycle.
“It’s unfortunate that we need these resources, but we live in a world where hate towards others is on an upward trajectory,” Halber said. “This program must continue and be well-funded so long as it is necessary.”
In his remarks at the press conference, Elrich referenced the March 12 attack on a Michigan synagogue in which an armed man rammed his vehicle into the building and drove through a hallway before being shot dead by security guards.
“They were ready for a worst-case scenario,” Elrich said. “We want our local institutions to be ready as well.”
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Mariam Khan, a member of the board of directors for the Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring, said during Monday’s press conference the mosque hosts one of the largest congregational gatherings in the area for Friday prayer and holiday gatherings.
The Muslim Community Center received $15,000 each for security at its congregation and its attached medical clinic for a total of $30,000 this year.
“Unfortunately, like many faith-based institutions across the county and the country, we have faced security threats in the past,” Khan said. “This investment sends a powerful message that our community matters and that everyone deserves to feel safe in their place of worship.”
Other recipients of the county’s nonprofit security grants this cycle include:
- Idara-e-Jaferia, Inc. — $15,000
- Vien An Buddhist Association — $15,000
- Connelly School of the Holy Child — $15,000
- American Diversity Group — $15,000
- Bender JCC of Greater Washington — $15,000
- Shaare Tefila Congregation — $15,000
- Shady Grove Medical Center — $14,551
- The Upcounty Hub, Inc. — $9,994
- Germantown Cultural Arts Center ( BlackRock Center for the Arts) — $9,571
- Interfaith Families Project of Greater Washington — $6,400
- Transfiguration Parish — $3,552
- Unitarian Universalist Church of Silver Spring — $2,750
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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine