(DENVER)—Today the state Joint Budget Committee (JBC) approved an additional $1,000,000 in funding for the state’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). The state first passed the NSGP in 2022 as a result of the collective efforts of a broad coalition of organizations led by the Colorado Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of JEWISHcolorado. This grant program has distributed $500,000 per year over the past two years; however, this year, the governor’s office requested a one-time emergency supplemental allocation of an additional $1,000,000 in response to the rapid rise of hate crimes across the state, including a five-fold increase in antisemitic incidents. JCRC again led the charge for this emergency supplement, both before and during the vote.

“In the face of increased acts of antisemitism and Islamophobia that we are seeing across the country right now, as well as the increased threat of violence in the wake of targeting of the LGBTQIA+ community, immigrants, the homeless and many other groups, we thank the governor for his leadership and the JBC for recognizing that we face a crisis in security in our houses of worship, community centers, and neighborhood organizations,” said Dr. Dan Leshem, JCRC Director. “We would like to thank the JBC for their unanimous vote in favor of this emergency funding request. It is timely and necessary.”

For now, the basic criteria for who is eligible to apply and the period of performance remain the same as they have been in the past. They are:

• The Colorado grant opportunity is open to any non-profit in the state that has applied for and not received the federal grant in the past three years.
• All work on the grant must be billed by June 30, 2024.
• The maximum amount of any grant is $50,000.

JEWISHcolorado’s Regional Safety & Security Initiative and its officers are available to answer questions and assist any Colorado non-profit in preparing a security assessment as required by the grant. Contact Regional Security Advisor Kevin Farrington with questions.

To learn more about the JCRC, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn, visit www.jewishcolorado.org/program/jcrc/, or contact Dan Leshem.