A bipartisan group of more than 70 House lawmakers pressed the Trump administration last week about the supplemental round of Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding awarded to more than 500 Jewish groups in June, saying that the administration is withholding information from Congress about which institutions are receiving funding.

Some nonprofits that applied for grants have not, themselves, been told whether their applications have been accepted either, two sources familiar with the situation told Jewish Insider, complicating their efforts to submit complete and accurate applications for 2025 funding. 

The lawmakers said they have “sincere concern” that they have not been provided with the list of institutions receiving funding under the $94 million funding round, as has been standard practice. They added that the absence of that information could impact institutions’ ability to apply for funding from the 2025 NSGP allocation.

“As members of Congress working diligently to ensure there are resources available to faith-based institutions to secure themselves against attack, it is extremely concerning that FEMA’s reason for not providing Congress with this information is because of a perceived ‘security concern,’” the lawmakers said in a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency Acting Administrator David Richardson sent Aug. 7. “FEMA has not informed Congress of the nature of this threat. This is not the normal course of business”

A Senate aide told Jewish Insider that at least some lawmakers in the upper chamber have similarly been left in the dark about the grant awards.

The lawmakers noted the NSGP has faced other delays this year, including a monthslong freeze on reimbursements for already awarded NSGP funds from previous years’ grants. NSGP applications for 2025 opened last month, months later than usual, with a condensed timeline for organizations to apply for the funding.

“As you are aware, the process to apply for the NSGP is long and arduous,” the letter continued, raising further concerns about the abbreviated timeline for organizations to apply for grants for 2025.

“With the announcement of the awards of the National Security Supplemental delayed until June and awardees unaware if they are recipients of this supplemental funding, non-profit organizations, especially faith-based organizations, face tremendous levels of anxiety and uncertainty,” the lawmakers said. “This is compounded by FEMA’s failure to notify congressional offices of the recipients in our respective districts.”

Nonprofits, the lawmakers said, “are in limbo as they have no way to plan to effectuate the security upgrades they need or know what to apply for before the application deadline, leaving their security posture exposed and vulnerable.”

They called on the administration to “immediately share” the list of funding recipients from the June funding round “as has been the normal course of business for FEMA, so that these non-profits at risk of attack can submit an accurate application before the deadline.”

They said that it is “imperative” for nonprofits, including Jewish organizations, to “have the information they need to submit the best and most accurate application before the deadline.”

The lawmakers provided an Aug. 8 deadline for FEMA to provide the requested information, but it’s not clear if that deadline was met.

The letter was led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) and Mike Lawler (R-NY).

“While the release of the FY2025 funding notice is a welcome development, the condensed application timeline presents real challenges. Timely and transparent communication is key to helping communities navigate the process effectively and maintain a proactive security posture,” Michael Masters, the CEO of the Secure Community Network, said in a statement.

“We thank Congressman Gottheimer for leading this bipartisan effort urging FEMA to share the list of awardees with Congress. Transparency and timely information are essential for nonprofits to plan the security upgrades they need to keep their communities safe,” Lauren Wolman, the senior director of government relations and strategy for the Anti-Defamation League, said in a statement.