U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Announces Security Investments for Wisconsin Faith-Based Nonprofits

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that four of Wisconsin’s Jewish nonprofits were awarded $358,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to invest in security enhancements. As part of the Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations Bill, Senator Baldwin created the new FEMA program—called the Nonprofit Security Grant Program - State (NSGP-S)—that provided this funding. Prior to Senator Baldwin’s efforts, nonprofits in Wisconsin were ineligible for this type of grant funding.

“We must ensure that Wisconsin’s nonprofits, including Jewish organizations and schools, have the tools necessary to protect their community members and facilities,” said Senator Baldwin. “I am proud to have created this new program to guarantee that our community centers and nonprofits can invest in security enhancements that will help safeguard the public and build safer, stronger Wisconsin neighborhoods.”

The following Wisconsin nonprofits received NSGP-S grants:

• $100,000 for Harry & Rose Samson Jewish Community Center in Whitefish Bay;
• $58,000 for Yeshiva Elementary School in Milwaukee;
• $100,000 for the Milwaukee Jewish Federation; and
• $100,000 for the Milwaukee Jewish Day School.

“We are blessed to be leaders in a community that Senator Baldwin advocates for on a daily basis, and who shares our commitment to ensuring that everyone has access to safe, inclusive spaces for gathering and growing. Because of Senator Baldwin’s efforts to create this grant program, we are able to implement improvements that keep our facility safe and secure for the entire community,” said Mark Shapiro, President and CEO of the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin.

FEMA’s NSGP-S program is a terrorism prevention and preparedness initiative, providing funding for physical security enhancements and other security activities to nonprofit organizations. Grants can be used for safety upgrades, including video surveillance systems, blast resistant glass, and building access controls.

During last year’s bomb threats against JCC Milwaukee and Jewish community centers across the country, Senator Baldwin called for action to combat and prevent hate crimes, including pushing Congress to create the NSGP-S program. She also cosponsored similar legislation to ensure the Department of Homeland Security provides state and local law enforcement with adequate resources to protect faith-based community centers across the United States.