In Pittsburgh, in Poway, in Monsey, and as recently as Colleyville, Texas – violent antisemitism has rocked our Jewish communal institutions. But in every instance, the survivors of these attacks stated they would not have made it out alive without the security measures that their institutions implemented. As one survivor of the deadly Tree of Life shooting said: “I would have been the 12th casualty that day had I not had the training.”
of religiously motivated crimes were directed at the Jewish community*
increase in religiously motivated crimes against Jews from the year before*
increase in assaults against Jews in the last two years*
*FBI Hate Crime Statistics Database, 2021
The Jewish Federations of North America have launched LiveSecure, an unprecedented $62 million security campaign and initiative to ensure the security and resiliency of our communities. With LiveSecure grant funding, local Federations have been able to provide the training, tools, and resources needed to protect those inside our Jewish Community Centers, synagogues, schools, senior centers, summer camps, and other centers of Jewish life.
Nationally, we have collaborated with the Secure Community Network (SCN), and through its role as the official liaison with the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation, we have been able to keep our communities safe.
LiveSecure Resources (additional resources available on the LiveSecure platform)
Community Security Standards Overview
Community Security Standards Summary
Example of Fundraising Materials
LiveSecure is a comprehensive initiative created by the Jewish Federations of North America, in partnership with the Secure Community Network, to create a system of safety and security for all communities served by our Jewish Federation system. LiveSecure builds on the extraordinary efforts the Secure Community Network (SCN), created in 2004 by the Jewish Federations of North America to support local community security and to serve as liaison between our communities and the federal law enforcement agencies.
The goal of LiveSecure is to strengthen and enhance community security initiatives already in existence and to ensure that every community has such an initiative within three years.
LiveSecure consists of two phases. The first phase was a system-wide campaign to raise a fund of $54M to support and incentivize the local security efforts and to enable the Secure Community Network to provide the necessary support to every community. We are proud to report that this campaign, launched in the Spring of 2021, exceeded the goal, generating a total of $62M in commitments over the three-year implementation period. Twenty million dollars of the national fund will be provided to the Secure Community Network over the three-year implementation period to enable it to support and serve this expanded local network, while the remainder will go to provide local incentives to raise the necessary funds in every community.
Through LiveSecure, we will:
a. Ensure that every Jewish community has a quality, best-practice local community security initiative in place within three years, including:
b. Leverage JFNA’s advocacy for increased public resources and help our communities access them.
c. Provide local community security initiatives with the support of the Secure Community Network (SCN) to help develop, implement, and maintain their initiatives at the highest level through established standards; and
d. Grow a culture of giving to security to maintain long-term support in our communities.
LiveSecure is a matching grant program between the Jewish Federations of North America and its member Federations. Federations that choose to participate will develop, in consultation with SCN, a plan to launch a new community security initiative or to enhance an existing community security initiative. Once a plan is developed, LiveSecure will offer the local Federation a grant for up to three years to support the plan. Local Federations will be required to secure new and increased funds, at the rate of $2 raised locally for every $1 from LiveSecure, for the three-years.
Launch grants are designed to help a community launch its community security plan and hire a unique or shared professional Community Security Director or Regional Security Advisor to oversee and support these efforts. Launch grants can be awarded to a community that plans to establish its own program or participate in the creation of a regional partnership with other adjacent Federations.
Enhancement grants are intended for communities that already have a professionally led community security initiative. These grants will enable communities to expand the geographical range of the initiative’s coverage area, grow the security services they currently provide to the community, and/or make other meaningful enhancements identified by the Community Security Assessment.
Both Launch and Enhancement grants will support Community Security Initiatives that are managed locally or that are managed and supervised directly by SCN. Communities may elect their preferred structure.
LiveSecure grants will range in size depending on the security needs of a community. In most cases, Large Federations and Large Intermediate Federations will be applying for Enhancement Grants since most already have professionally led security initiatives in place; while most Intermediate and Small Federations will be applying for Launch Grants. The suggested amounts are as follows:
Enhancement Grants may be up to $250,000 per year for three years (based on $500,000 per year being raised locally by the Federation).
Launch Grants may be up to $100,000 per year for three years (based on $200,000 per year being raised locally).
However, we recognize that there may be exceptions to these guidelines, and we look forward to consulting with Federations that may need more or less based on the security plans for their community.
As stated above, the goal of LiveSecure is to ensure that every Jewish Federation community has a quality, best practice community security initiative in place within three years. To that end, LiveSecure funds may be used to support all agreed elements of such a plan.
Therefore, allowable costs may include,but are not limited to, the following:
Training fees and related program costs.
Threat, Vulnerability, and Risk Assessments (TVRA) and related expanded program costs. This will also aid those interested in applying for the NSGP.
Physical security technology and equipment (when deployed to support a community-wide program i.e., mass notification systems, federated camera systems, SMART technology integrations, etc.).
Enhanced information sharing and intelligence (such as subscriptions and related costs).
Hiring a Deputy Director to geographically enhance your CSI.
Communities will be encouraged to apply for all eligible government funds and supported in this effort to ensure that LiveSecure funds are supplemental to publicly available resources.
Eligible expenses will be formally determined as part of the planning process and will be detailed in the final grant agreement.
LiveSecure seeks to maximize the community’s use of the United States government’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). Communities that have local professionally led security programs have historically had more success at accessing government grants than those that do not have such programs. In 2021 there was $180m available from the NSGP, of which $110m was accessed by the Jewish community. Through LiveSecure and JFNA’s Public Affairs efforts, we will continue to support Federations’ work to advocate for, access, and utilize these public funds.
Federations will indicate their intent to apply by completing a simple Letter of Interest (LOI) on the JFNA website. This will be followed up by a consultation that will provide guidance to the community on next steps, including assistance in advancing the planning process. Once a launch or enhancement plan is developed, together with appropriate budget and fundraising parameters, it will be reviewed by JFNA’s LiveSecure committee. Plans will be considered for approval on a rolling basis when they are ready, with the goal of funding all local efforts within three years.
All member Federations of the Jewish Federations of North America are eligible to apply for a LiveSecure grant. In addition, we will consider communities from the Network of Independent Communities on a case-by-case basis based on need and capacity.
The goal of the matching grant is to help Federations raise new and increased dollars for its security efforts. Eligible gifts should constitute a donor’s increased commitment to security, either over and above their previous gift towards security or over and above their other support to the Federation. Gifts that meet these criteria may be eligible for any or all three years of this grant program.
Gifts at any amount from donors that have not made a gift to the Federation since 2020 (in the form of either a pledge or payment) will be considered new gifts for the purpose of this match.
New and increased dollars raised in 2021 by a Jewish Federation specifically for local community security efforts but not yet spent will count towards the match.
Through LiveSecure, participating Federations will be asked to verify that the amount raised for security increases the total Federation’s investment in security, over and above prior years.
LiveSecure funds from JFNA and the match that you raise are intended to be used over the next three-years to launch or enhance the plans that are approved for support and are therefore not eligible for building or growing endowments.
JFNA will provide all local Federations with:
Support in working with the Secure Community Network to develop an appropriate launch or enhancement plan, including creating partnerships among two or more Federations;
Support in creating and implementing a fundraising plan to meet the local match requirements;
Support in applying for NSGP grants; and
Partnership and support throughout the LiveSecure application and implementation process.
SCN will provide all local Federations with:
Performing a Community Security Assessment;
Developing a Strategic Security Plan;
Support for developing ongoing relationships with local law enforcement and community partners;
Help creating an itemized security budget;
Ongoing resources and support from SCN’s JSOCC (Jewish Security Operations Command Center) and Duty Desk;
Consultative support in applying for NSGP grants; and
Training and ongoing development for current and new Community Security Directors and Regional Security Advisors.
Please fill out the letter of interest to begin the grant application process for your Federation. If you have any questions, please visit our FAQ or contact Debra Barton Grant.