Harrisburg, PA – The Shapiro-Davis Administration’s 2026-27 budget invests $10 million to help nonprofit and faith-based organizations strengthen security and prevent hate crimes through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s (PCCD) Nonprofit Security Grant Fund Program.
Since taking office, the Shapiro-Davis Administration has secured $35 million for the program to support planning, training, equipment, and technology upgrades at places of worship, community centers, and other nonprofit institutions across the Commonwealth that primarily serve people or groups who may be targeted by hate crimes.
PCCD’s latest Nonprofit Security Grant Fund Program solicitation was awarded in March and invested over $10 million across 191 nonprofit organizations in 28 Pennsylvania counties. Based on the reported number of people who visit grant-funded facilities, it is estimated that approximately seven million people across the Commonwealth have been impacted by this funding to date.
See below for testimonials on how this funding has helped entities across Pennsylvania:
Cathedral
Philadelphia County
“This funding proved invaluable during a serious incident involving an active gunman, which occurred during a baptism service. Parishioners were able to barricade themselves and use the grant-funded security monitoring system to observe exterior activity.”
Reproductive Health Center
Allegheny County
"The grant-funded projects have resulted in measurable improvements to the organization’s physical and cybersecurity resilience by identifying vulnerabilities before exploitation, strengthening regulatory compliance, improving emergency preparedness infrastructure, and reducing the likelihood of security incidents impacting staff, patients, volunteers, or organizational operations.”
Islamic School
Cumberland County
“We previously received PCCD Nonprofit Security Grant funding, which significantly enhanced the safety and security of the school community. The school experienced instances of intimidation in the form of shouting and unfriendly gestures from individuals passing by the property, and the visible presence of trained security personnel helped discourage further incidents while reassuring families and staff.”
Jewish Summer Camp
Wayne County
“Previous PCCD Nonprofit Security Grant funding has strengthened the overall security and target hardening of our camp facilities. The security enhancements purchased through prior grants have improved our ability to deter, detect, and respond to potential threats, including acts of terrorism and hate crimes. These measures have made the camp a more difficult and less attractive target for individuals seeking to carry out malicious acts. As a result, the safety and security of our campers, staff, volunteers, and visitors have been significantly enhanced.”
Islamic Center
Allegheny County
"On multiple occasions, the local police department contacted us regarding suspicious individuals or activity in the surrounding area. In these instances, the existing camera systems were used to review footage and assist law enforcement, supporting situational awareness and investigative follow-up. While not all concerns resulted in formal incident reports, the ability to provide timely visual information demonstrated the practical value of the previously funded security infrastructure. Overall, these measures improved deterrence, early detection, coordination with law enforcement, and staff confidence. They also helped identify remaining gaps in coverage and access control, which we’re working to address to further strengthen the Center’s security posture.”
Since taking office in 2023, Governor Josh Shapiro and Lt. Governor Davis have made it a priority to ensure that Pennsylvanians across the Commonwealth — in urban, suburban, and rural areas — can feel safe in their homes, schools, and communities. Since that time, PCCD has provided more than $1 billion in funding through approximately 6,700 grants across Pennsylvania to address and prevent violence in our communities. The 2026-27 budget includes new and continued funding to make Pennsylvania’s communities safer, including:
- More than $50 million for the Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) program, which drives dollars out to community-based organizations to reduce gun violence;
- $11.5 million for the Building Opportunities through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) initiative to keep kids safe, supported, and engaged in afterschool and summer programming;
- $16.2 million in funding to train four additional Pennsylvania State Police cadet classes;
- More than $100 million in school safety and mental health funding for K–12 schools and $20 million for nonpublic schools, municipalities, law enforcement agencies, and approved school security personnel providers to improve security;
- $7.5 million for indigent defense to ensure public defenders have the resources they need to provide legal representation to defendants who cannot pay for it on their own;
- $2.5 million to establish a new VICTIM Act grant program supporting law enforcement agencies with the tools and resources they need to improve clearance rates for homicides and other violent crimes;
- $4.5 million to support victims and survivors in the aftermath of crime through the Victims Compensation Assistance Program (VCAP); and
- A $12 million increase for rape crisis centers across the Commonwealth — the largest increase in history and nearly doubling their overall support. The Governor visited a rape crisis center to talk about the investment.