The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is administering a Community Safety Works grant opportunity for nonprofit facility improvements. Funding will encourage the implementation of crime prevention strategies through physical design improvements, operational activities, and through community vigilance and maintenance.
Eligible applicants include Maryland-based nonprofit organizations, including nonprofit faith-based organizations. These organizations may request a maximum grant of $25,000 for facility-related safety improvements that make nonprofit organizations’ facilities, including faith-based nonprofit organizations’ facilities, safer and more defensible.
To be eligible to apply, an applicant must meet all of the following criteria:
- A tax-exempt nonprofit organization, including faith-based nonprofit organizations
- Nonprofit organizations will be required to provide an IRS Determination Letter of tax-exempt status
- Houses of Worship will be required to provide one of the following: an IRS Determination Letter of tax-exempt status OR Articles of Organization if a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) OR Articles of Incorporation if a Corporation.
- Must be registered and in good standing with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT).
- Must be based in Maryland and serve Maryland communities and populations
Eligible requests will be for projects and activities that make nonprofit organization’s facilities, including houses of worship, safer and more defensible. These can include:
- Official surveillance tools such as lighting, cameras and technology that instills security/safety
- Auto and pedestrian circulation improvements to create natural and man-made environments via landscaping, fencing and other infrastructure to assist in controlling ingress and egress for both pedestrian and vehicular traffic
- Improving opportunities for “eyes on the street,” removing barriers to site lines, opening up closed off spaces, renovating public spaces/playgrounds to draw regular visitors and family activity. These are just a few examples of projects that bring more “sets of eyes” to a facility’s surrounding public spaces and contribute to community safety.
- Reinforcing community ownership, solidarity and pride, through clean and beautified streets, sidewalks, and signage. Removing blight and signals of blight (trash) and replacing them with well-maintained “markers” of community pride and ownership such as signs, gardens, plantings and upgraded public spaces.
The deadline for the Facility Improvement application is Monday, January 31, 2022 at 5:00 PM. However, the portal may be closed earlier if and when applications exceed the total funding available. Therefore, it is highly encouraged that interested applicants apply as early as possible.