SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND SECURE OVER $5.1 MILLION TO IMPROVE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS & ORGANIZATIONS IN-AND-AROUND NYC; GRANTS AWARDED TO 66 AT-RISK JEWISH SCHOOLS AND CONGREGATIONS

Schumer and Gillibrand Secured over 25% Of Total Funding For Organizations Based in New York – Out of the Total $20 Million Granted to Awardees Across the Country

The Awardees Include 66 Jewish Educational Institutions and Congregations; The Money Will Help These At-Risk Nonprofits For Security Preparedness

Schumer, Gillibrand: These Schools and Congregations are Vital Parts of our Community and Like Institutions Have Been Targeted Before; We Must Do All we can to Protect all At-Risk Institutions

U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced today that 66 New York Jewish organizations, including schools and congregations, and more have received a combined total of $5,172,143 for the 2016 fiscal year as Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) Awardees. The program, run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), awards federal funds to nonprofit organizations that are at a high risk of a national terrorist attack to encourage preparedness efforts.

 “Would-be evildoers have previously targeted schools and congregations for attacks and that’s why FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program is critical in making sure that high-risk organizations like Jewish schools and congregations are safe and protected from terrorist attacks,” said Senator Schumer. “It is especially important for organizations in and around New York City to receive this federal funding, which will go a long way to ensure that they are fully prepared for whatever may happen in the future.”

“New York is the number one terror target in the world, so we must continue to be vigilant, and I’ll continue to fight for every available federal resource to help keep us safe,” said Senator Gillibrand. “New York’s religious institutions and non-profit organizations, including Jewish schools and congregations, are the backbone of our communities. These federal funds through Homeland Security will provide the necessary resources to help keep our places of worship safe and secure.”

The Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) is run under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI). For the 2016 fiscal year, the UASI NSGP was budgeted $20 million. Only eligible nonprofit organizations, as described by the 501(c)(3) tax code of 1986, may apply for this grant. To be eligible, the nonprofit must be at high risk for an international terrorist attack and must be located in one of the designated urban areas throughout the country.

 The 66 Jewish organizations that received funding from the New York City-metro area are:

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