In the wake of horrific attacks against American Jews, the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center — the public policy arm of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America — is calling on Congress to significantly increase funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), stating that a House Subcommittee’s proposal of $305 million for FY2026 is “a far cry from what is needed in the face of exploding antisemitism.”

“The pro-Hamas calls to ‘globalize the Intifada’ have arrived in America,” said Nathan Diament, Executive Director of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center. “Jewish communities are facing a real crisis with a real set of threats, and Congress must respond with real action.”

The Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process for the Department of Homeland Security, which administers the NSGP, kicks off in earnest later today with the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security marking up their initial version of the DHS funding bill for FY2026. The Subcommittee’s draft text proposes $305 million for NSGP.

But OU Advocacy views the NSGP as severely underfunded, despite skyrocketing antisemitism. In 2023, the program received 5,257 applications for $679 million in funding, but only 42% were approved. In 2024, more than 7,500 organizations applied for nearly $1 billion in grants, but less than half, $454.5 million, was distributed.

“Every synagogue, school, and community center denied funding is left vulnerable,” said Diament. “Thoughts and prayers are not going to protect us. It’s time for Congress to step up with the resources needed to keep our communities safe.”

The OU Advocacy is urging Congress to appropriate $500 million for the NSGP in FY2026 — a bipartisan recommendation already endorsed by more than 130 House members and 33 U.S. Senators. The organization is also calling for additional DOJ funding to bolster local police patrols at faith-based institutions and the immediate passage of the Antisemitism Awareness Act.