In the wake of the June 1st attack near the Boulder Courthouse, Governor Jared Polis has taken decisive action to bolster the safety of Colorado's religious and nonprofit organizations, which have seen an unsettling uptick in threats. As reported by the Colorado Governor's Office, an additional $250,000 is being injected into the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to urgently fortify these vulnerable groups.
"Sadly, as antisemitism and other forms of hate and instances of violence are on the rise, we know that our places of worship, religious schools, and other places of gathering in communities face increased risk," said Governor Polis, as per Colorado Governor's Office, highlighting a disturbing trend that necessitates better security measures. This new initiative will help to make critical safety upgrades more attainable for the at-risk entities.
The Colorado Nonprofit Security Grant Program, backed by HB22-1077, already earmarks $1 million annually for security-related expenses like equipment, planning, training, and personnel for nonprofits. However, previously, to be eligible for state funds, organizations had to apply and be denied federal grant funding. The new $250,000, pulled from the state's emergent needs budget, a leftover from COVID-19 recovery efforts, changes the game by offering financial support without the prerequisite of a federal application denial.
