Anne Arundel County offers houses of worship security grants of up to $10,000
The Maryland county opened a $150,000 pilot program on Oct. 9 for faith-based 501(c)(3) organizations at risk of hate crimes. Applications are due Nov. 6, and grantees that add cameras must share their video feeds with the county.
Annapolis. Anne Arundel County, Md., began taking applications on Oct. 9 for a new pilot program that gives faith-based nonprofits up to $10,000 each to guard their buildings against hate crimes and threats of violence.
The county set aside $150,000 for the program in its budget for fiscal 2027, which the County Council approved unanimously in June, the county executive's office said. Its Office of Emergency Management runs the program and takes applications until 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 6.
Who can apply
The announcement speaks of houses of worship and nonprofits, but the program's guidelines limit it to faith-based organizations that meet the requirements of section 501(c)(3). Secular nonprofits and businesses are not eligible. An applicant must be registered and in good standing with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, and must show that it, its building or its faith group nationally faces hate crimes, threats of violence or other known threats.
Each organization may receive one award, for its facilities in the county. Reviewers will weigh the risks, the project, its benefit to the community and the people the organization serves, including low-income residents, seniors, people with disabilities and households that speak English as a second language. The county makes the final decisions.
What the money pays for
Grants may pay for new or added security staff, including contracted guards, and for security cameras, fixed lighting, impact-resistant doors, barriers, card readers and other access controls. They do not cover costs incurred before the grant agreement is signed or the monitoring of cameras already in place.
An organization that uses the grant for cameras must join Connect Anne Arundel, a county program that brings private security camera feeds into the work of the Police Department. It must buy, install and register a device called fususCORE, pay a yearly subscription fee and sign an agreement to share its video feeds with the county, which says access is limited to feeds that help investigate crimes and other incidents.
The money is paid back after the work is done, against invoices and proof of payment, and projects must be finished within a year of the agreement, a period the county may extend by six months.
“I look forward to working directly with applicant organizations through this rollout to guide them through the process, provide expert safety technical assistance, and allocate these critical resources effectively.”
About this story
501c3.help wrote this story from the sources listed with it, not from material an organization sent. Our editors approved it on Oct. 11, 2026. Stories in The Nonprofit Herald are free, and nothing is asked in return. Editorial rules.
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