The world today is more complicated than it has ever been – and in truth, more dangerous. Acts of public violence have become so common the news can’t even keep up with the reports. Churches, mosques, temples, all of our public spaces have their safety eroded by the constant unseen fear that any one of them could be next. These sacred spots are meant to bring us together in peace, contemplation, and gratitude. Carolina Outdoor Lighting wants to lend our skills to the endeavor of protecting this sense of calm and safety and highlight these meeting points for our community. Luckily, the government has routes to aid that mission, if you have the perseverance to apply for it. 

The US government is currently accepting applications for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) – a program that offers money to non-profit groups such as houses of worship to make improvements to their property and organization to increase the security of their environment. As this website details, amongst other steps we can take to protect these spaces, the NSGP offers money to pay for the installation of exterior lighting. We feel like this is the perfect opportunity to work with the homes of worship in our area to both create safe exterior spaces and highlight the spirit that glows from within these temples to the sacred. 

If you operate a non-profit religious organization, consider reading the rest of this guide on how to apply for funding through the NSGP. Our design team can meet with you to help create a lighting plan for your space, and create an estimate and budget that can be provided in the application process. Even if you simply worship with your community, you may reach out to your leaders and church-heads to see if they are aware of this grant program. It’s a great time to make an investment in these types of community properties, and there is $350 million  just sitting in the government bank to help you do it. 

Let’s Talk How

After you review the website linked in the previous section for information about how to protect your gathering spaces and the options available through the NSGP, we can start the process of actually asking for the assistance. The FEMA website lays out step-by-step how to complete the application here, but it may be worth having an additional voice guiding you.

The first step outlined by FEMA is to contact the appropriate State Administration Agency(SAA), who will act as the liaison – or pass-through – for the application. For North Carolina, your SAA will be the Department of Public Safety or for South Carolina, you will apply through the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Each state has its own deadlines for application that may be different than the federal one, so the first step will be to contact this agency to learn more about their specific deadlines and requirements for this program. For North Carolina, you will contact Derek Dorazio at derek.dorazio@ncdps.gov  and for South Carolina you will contact Robert Connel at rconnell@sled.sc.gov  These are the respective contacts for each state’s SAA.

We would personally recommend having your ducks in a row – at least roughly – before reaching out to begin the application, so let’s look at what else you will need to receive this assistance. 

If your organization has applied for assistance before, this next step will be pretty easy, but if this is the first time your place of worship has applied for grants, there  will be a little paperwork to obtain the appropriate identification number. You will use your organizations EIN (Employee Identification Number) to register with the System for Award Management  who will then assign you a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Once you have completed this step, you can move on to part three. (If you have already applied for assistance in the past, you can check what your UEI is on the System for Award Management Website.) If you get tripped up at any point, the FEMA site has a video on this process.

The guide provided by FEMA here clarifies the process of working with your SAA to present your application. You will need a basic rundown of your organization’s mission statement and, in their words, the “who, what, and why” of the nonprofit, written up on official letterhead. You will also need to create a description of the current state of the property and the threats or vulnerabilities it faces. If you decide to use this grant to help pay for exterior lighting, this would be the time to highlight the unsafe nature of the dark grounds surrounding your place of worship at night. This will be formatted into the “Investment Justification” that will be submitted to FEMA.

Once you have these materials all put together – in addition to any other requirements your point of contact at your SAA may ask for – you are ready to pass off your application package to the respective SAA who handle the final stages of delivery to FEMA.

The Unexpected Benefits of Peace

In addition to any other steps you may choose to take with this grant to protect your point of gathering, we do recommend taking advantage of this moment to get assistance lighting the exterior of your place of worship. In addition to helping prevent more major catastrophes, it can also help prevent smaller acts of vandalism or trespassing and offer safety to your community when coming and going at night or in early mornings. With our well-trained design team, Carolina Outdoor Lighting would be proud to create an aura of sanctuary around your community’s grove. We can create a synergy between safety and beauty that leaves your church or temple as a beacon for the neighborhood.. No glaring flood lights that flash on unexpectedly with a passing squirrel, instead we want to create a steady, welcoming environment that matches the love your community finds within the walls. 

If you or members of your worship community have more questions about this process or are interested in bringing light to your center, feel free to reach out to us to get a complimentary estimate and meet with our team!

Call or email we’ll be happy to discuss this opportunity further.

maja@carolinaoutdoorlighting.com
828.777.4194
or
jason@carolinaoutdoorlighting.com
828.280.7047