In a significant move to enhance the security of local Jewish institutions, the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago has made matching grants to area summer camps, community centers, congregations, social service agencies and day schools.

The one-year grants, which range from $7,000 to more than $36,000 per facility, will support projects at 21 locations. Reflecting a total project cost of approximately $920,000, the JUF program enables security enhancements ranging from surveillance systems, to facility access control, to security personnel, to other site improvements and measures.

Thus far this spring, the inaugural JUF Security Grant Program has allocated more than $422,000, and will continue to accept proposals through the end of June.

“JUF is committed to ensuring that every member of our Jewish family can fully, securely participate in Jewish life — from Jewish preschools to Jewish day camps and overnight camps, from Jewish day schools to attending synagogues and community gatherings. We have the entire Jewish community’s back,” said JUF President Dr. Steven B. Nasatir.

In March, more than 180 participants from over 70 area Jewish organizations participated in a day-long JUF Security Summit, which featured presentations about security issues and available services from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Chicago Police Department and JUF staff. Participants completed a security survey, which helped inform the design of the JUF Security Grant Program and dissemination of the request for proposals.

The program is the latest initiative in JUF’s wide-ranging and longstanding security-related roster of services to area institutions. It came in response to rising threats to Jews and Jewish institutions, which, according to FBI reports, are the single largest targets for religion-based hate crimes in the United States.

To deal with the threat, JUF, together with partner agencies, invests significantly in meeting security training and other needs and provides synagogues, agencies and day schools with extensive expertise and assistance in securing federal and state grants to make security improvements. In the past 10 cycles of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program, with JUF’s assistance, Chicago Jewish organizations have received nearly $10 million for security improvements.

Jewish organizations and facilities that meet the criteria of JUF’s Security Grant Program may submit a proposal online no later than June 30. The maximum available per site is $50,000. To inquire about the JUF Security Grant Program and the full range of JUF security services contact [email protected] .