Applications are open now. The deadline is November 12, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
The 2026-27 intake of the Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant opened on October 16, 2026. Applications for both streams must be in through Transfer Payment Ontario by 5:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, November 12.
That's under four weeks, and it's shorter than last year. The groups that get funded are almost always the ones who have their paperwork and a written quote ready early, so don't wait for the last week.
Run a church, mosque, synagogue, temple, cultural centre or community organization in Niagara, Hamilton or the GTA? This is the funding program worth knowing about. It pays for security cameras, alarms, better locks and the other work you've probably been putting off because the budget was never there.
Most articles about this grant just tell you it exists. This one covers the part nobody writes about: what you can actually buy with the money, what a grant-ready quote needs to include, and how to get your application in before the November 12 deadline.
What the Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant actually is
It's a provincial funding program that helps faith-based, cultural, 2SLGBTQQIA+, First Nations, Inuit, Métis and Indigenous organizations pay for security improvements to the spaces where their communities gather.
It's not small, and it's not new. According to the province, more than $110 million has gone to over 3,000 faith-based and cultural communities since 2021. The 2026-27 round puts in another $12.75 million.
This year the program has two streams. Stream 1: Security and Infrastructure is the one this article is about: a one-time grant for cameras, alarms, locks and other protection for your building. Stream 2: Special Projects is new. It's a one-time $100,000 grant for community-based anti-hate projects like education, prevention and well-being programs, with a full project proposal. You can apply to either stream or both.
Under Stream 1, priority organizations and organizations that haven't been funded in the last two rounds get a one-time grant set by their revenue:
Two changes this year matter. First, returning organizations outside the priority communities get half those amounts: $2,500, $3,750 or $5,000. The guide's priority communities are Jewish, Muslim, Black, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQQIA+, Sikh and Hindu communities. Second, the amount is based on your revenue for your fiscal period ending in 2024, not on what you ask for. Eligible non-registered chapters can get an additional grant equal to the parent organization's amount.
One thing worth understanding early. This is a grant, not a rebate. You're not fronting the money and getting paid back later. That changes how you should plan, because it means the quote you attach to your application effectively becomes your budget.
Who qualifies
The program is aimed at organizations that serve communities disproportionately affected by hate-motivated incidents. Based on the province's published eligibility list, that includes:
- Religious and spiritual organizations: mosques, synagogues, temples, churches and gurdwaras
- Cultural organizations and community centres
- 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations and community spaces
- First Nations, Inuit, Métis and Urban Indigenous organizations
- Faith-based and cultural private schools operating on a full-year basis
- Faith-based and cultural postsecondary institutions
- Children's and youth programming providers, and licensed child care programs
- Health care, youth care and social services providers
- Housing providers and long-term care facilities
- Arts organizations
On top of fitting one of those categories, there are three practical requirements that trip people up:
- You need to be a registered charity, a not-for-profit without share capital, or a First Nations council or authority, and be currently operating in the province.
- You need to hold gatherings of religious, spiritual or cultural significance at least once a month. 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations holding annual gatherings can also qualify.
- You need to own, lease, licence or rent a non-residential indoor or outdoor facility, or hold event permits for the space you use.
That second one catches groups that meet quarterly. That third one catches groups that gather in a member's home. If either sounds like you, read the guide carefully before you invest time in an application.
Always check the official source. Eligibility wording changes between rounds. The program page at ontario.ca and the application portal at Transfer Payment Ontario are the authorities here. We're a security installer, not the ministry.
What you can spend it on
This is where most write-ups stop at "security upgrades" and leave you guessing. The 2026-27 guide spells it out: security alarm systems, cameras and CCTV, lock systems, doors, windows and security film, lighting, intercoms, fences and gates, fire alarm systems, motion detectors, and the installation and labour that go with them, done by a qualified and licensed service provider. It also covers short-term licensed security guards, cybersecurity upgrades, professional security assessments, and training.
Monitoring isn't covered. The guide lists "recurring expenses for security monitoring" as ineligible. The grant pays for the equipment and the installation. The monthly monitoring is yours. HST isn't eligible either, and neither are hidden or dummy cameras or fingerprint readers. Plan your quote around that.
Here's what those categories look like in real equipment terms, based on the systems we install for community organizations across Niagara, Hamilton and the GTA.
| Eligible category | What that means in practice |
|---|---|
| Cameras | Exterior coverage on entrances, parking areas and donation or memorial spaces. Interior coverage on lobbies and corridors. Cameras with built-in lights, sirens and voice deterrence are worth asking about, since they intervene rather than just record. |
| Intrusion alarms | Door and window contacts, motion detection, glass-break sensors and the alarm panel. The grant covers the equipment and installation. 24/7 ULC-certified monitoring is a separate monthly cost, so an actual person responds overnight and on holidays. |
| Enhanced locks and access control | Access control on main and side entrances, fobs or codes instead of keys that walk away, and audit trails showing who entered and when. Fingerprint readers are on the province's ineligible list, so stick to fobs and codes. Often the highest-value item for a building with many volunteers. |
| Building upgrades | Exterior lighting on dark approaches, door and frame reinforcement, and intercom or video entry so staff can see and speak to someone before unlocking the door. |
| Security assessments | A professional walkthrough that documents the gaps in your building. Useful on its own, and useful as evidence inside your application. |
| Cybersecurity | Network and technology improvements. Relevant if your camera system, donor database or member records live on the same network. |
| Training and planning | Staff and volunteer training, emergency planning, and education on responding to hate-motivated incidents. |
| Repairs | Fixing property damaged in a hate-motivated incident. |
How to prioritize if you get $5,000 or less
Plenty of organizations get approved at the lowest tier and then try to spread it across everything at once. That usually produces a system that half works.
A better approach is to fix the weakest point in your building completely, rather than partially fixing five of them. For most community facilities that means one of two things.
Is your building empty overnight with nobody watching it? An intrusion alarm plus a couple of well-placed cameras on the main entrances buys you the most protection per dollar, as long as you budget for the monthly monitoring yourself. Busy building where anyone can walk in off the street? Access control on the entry doors does more.
Ask whoever quotes you which one applies to your building, and ask them to say why. If they can't explain the reasoning, get a second quote.
How to get your application in before November 12
This round runs October 16 to November 12, 2026. That's under four weeks, so work through this list now rather than in the last week. Here's the order we'd suggest.
Confirm your organization is eligible
Check your charitable or not-for-profit registration status today. Confirm your gatherings meet the monthly requirement, and confirm the facility you use fits the non-residential rule. If your registration has lapsed, fixing that takes time you won't have later.
Walk your building and write down the gaps
Do it at night, not on a Sunday morning. Which entrances are dark? Which doors don't lock properly? Who has keys, and do you actually know? Where would someone go if they wanted to damage the building without being seen?
Write it down. This list becomes the backbone of your application, and it tells any installer exactly what to quote.
Get a written quote this week
Every installer in the province gets busy while this grant is open. Book your site visit early and you'll get a considered quote instead of a rushed one. Quotes normally hold long enough to cover the application window, and a good installer will reissue at no charge if pricing shifts.
Get your supporting documents in one folder
Registration numbers, proof you occupy the facility, board or leadership contacts, banking details, and any documentation of past incidents. Scattered paperwork is the most common reason a ready organization still misses the deadline.
Decide who is actually submitting it
Name one person and give them the folder. Applications that belong to a committee tend to belong to nobody. Make sure that person has access to your Transfer Payment Ontario account, or can set one up, well before the deadline.
Submit before 5:00 p.m. on November 12
Applications close at 5:00 p.m. EST on November 12, 2026, through Transfer Payment Ontario. Aim to submit a few days early. Portals slow down on the last day, and a missed deadline means waiting another year. The full rules are on the program page.
What a grant-ready quote should include
A quote that's one line reading "security system" and a total doesn't help your application. Reviewers want to see that you know what you're buying and why. A quote you can attach with confidence should spell out:
- Every piece of equipment listed individually, with model numbers
- Where each item goes, so the quote maps to your building
- Installation and labour broken out from equipment
- Monitoring quoted separately from the equipment, since the grant doesn't cover recurring monitoring
- Warranty and service coverage
- A total before tax that fits your grant amount, since HST isn't an eligible expense
- Your organization's legal name, not the informal one people use day to day
That last one matters more than it sounds. If your quote says "St. Mark's" and your registration says something longer and more formal, make them match.
A note on timing your install. This grant is discretionary, so approval isn't guaranteed. Don't sign anything or start work on the assumption you've been approved. Get the quote, submit the application, and wait for the province to confirm. Approved expenses have to happen between September 1, 2026 and August 31, 2027, and you'll need the receipts for your final report. Any installer pressuring you to commit before that is doing you no favours.
How Force Security helps
We're a family-owned security company in Niagara Falls, and we've been installing and monitoring systems since 1988. We work with churches, cultural centres and community organizations across Niagara, Hamilton and the GTA.
For organizations applying to this grant, here's what we do:
- A free site walkthrough. We come out, look at the building the way someone with bad intentions would, and tell you where the real gaps are.
- An itemized written quote built to attach directly to your application, with equipment, placement and labour broken out, and monitoring quoted separately.
- Honest scoping to your amount. If you're likely to land at $2,500 or $5,000, we'll tell you what actually fits rather than quoting you a system you can't fund.
- 24/7 ULC-certified Canadian monitoring, so when the alarm goes at 2am on a holiday weekend, a real person responds.
- No lock-in contracts. We'd rather earn next year than trap you in this one.
We're not grant consultants and we won't pretend to be. We don't fill out the application for you and we can't influence whether you're approved. What we can do is make sure the security half of your submission is solid, specific and ready to go before November 12.
Applications close November 12. Book your walkthrough now.
Free site assessment and an itemized, grant-ready quote for your church, mosque, synagogue, cultural centre or community organization. No cost and no obligation.
Call (844) 360-1234Frequently asked questions
When is the 2026-27 Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant deadline?
Applications opened October 16, 2026 and close at 5:00 p.m. EST on November 12, 2026, for both streams. The last two rounds ran October 31 to December 2, 2024 and November 13 to December 11, 2025, so this year's window is the shortest yet. Apply through Transfer Payment Ontario, and check the official program page at ontario.ca for the full guide.
How much money can my organization get?
Under Stream 1, priority organizations and organizations that weren't funded in the last two rounds get $5,000, $7,500 or $10,000, based on revenue for the fiscal period ending in 2024. Returning organizations outside the priority communities get half: $2,500, $3,750 or $5,000. Eligible non-registered chapters can get an additional grant equal to the parent organization's. The new Stream 2 is a one-time $100,000 grant for anti-hate community projects, not security equipment.
Can the grant pay for security cameras, alarms and monitoring?
Cameras and alarms, yes. Monitoring, no. The 2026-27 guide lists security alarm systems, cameras and CCTV, lock systems, lighting, intercoms, doors, fences and gates as eligible, along with installation by a qualified and licensed provider. In practice that covers camera systems, intrusion alarms, access control, exterior lighting and video entry systems. But it lists "recurring expenses for security monitoring" as ineligible, so the monthly monitoring isn't covered. HST, hidden or dummy cameras and fingerprint readers aren't either.
Do I need a quote from a security company to apply?
Check the current application guide for the exact document requirements, since they can change between rounds. Regardless of what's strictly required, a detailed written quote makes your application far stronger. It shows you've costed the work properly rather than estimating, and it gives reviewers something concrete to assess. It also means that if you're approved, you can move immediately instead of starting the quoting process from scratch.
Is my church, mosque or synagogue automatically eligible?
Not automatically. Beyond being a religious, spiritual or cultural organization, you generally need to be a registered charity, a not-for-profit without share capital, or a First Nations council or authority, currently operating in the province. You also need to hold gatherings at least once a month and to own, lease, licence or rent a non-residential indoor or outdoor facility. Groups that meet quarterly, or that gather in a member's home, are the ones most often caught out.
Can I apply if my organization received the grant in a previous year?
Yes. Organizations that applied in any round from 2021-22 to 2025-26 can apply again for 2026-27. If you're outside the priority communities and were funded in 2024-25 or 2025-26, your Stream 1 amount is half what new applicants get. Have your previous grant details and reporting handy, and check the 2026-27 eligibility rules, since the province asks returning applicants to confirm they still qualify.
What's the difference between this and the federal security grant?
They're separate programs with separate applications. The Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant is provincial, run through Transfer Payment Ontario. The federal government runs its own funding for communities at risk of hate-motivated crime through Public Safety Canada, with different amounts, timelines and criteria. Some organizations apply to both. If you're considering that, check each program's rules on stacking funding for the same expense.
How long does it take to install a system once we're approved?
For most community facilities, a camera and alarm install is a one or two day job once equipment is on hand. Access control on multiple doors can take longer, and older buildings sometimes need extra work to route cable cleanly. The bigger variable is scheduling. Approvals tend to land around the same time for everyone, so installers get busy in the same few weeks. Booking your walkthrough early puts you nearer the front of that queue.
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Force Security serves Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, and surrounding areas. View all service areas.
