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This guide reviews how to start your grant search, lists some popular small business grants for women business owners, and provides tips on how to apply for a grant once you’ve tracked one down.
Where to look for grants
Whether you’re looking for public or private funding sources, these are some good places to start your search for grant opportunities:
Grants.gov
This is the biggest database of U.S. government grants on the internet. (Last we checked, there were over 2,300 active grants available to apply for on the site.) If you intend on applying for a federal grant, start your search here.
Keep in mind that to apply for the grants on grants.gov, you’ll have to obtain a D-U-N-S Number, supply your EIN or SSN and register for an account on the System for Award Management (SAM) here.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
The SBA is an agency of the U.S. federal government whose purpose is to help entrepreneurs and small business owners in the United States succeed. One of the primary ways that the SBA helps small businesses is by improving their access to funding—including low-interest small business loans and grants.
Be sure to check out the SBA’s grants page for information about any grants your business might be eligible for.
Your local Women’s Business Center
One specific way that the SBA supports women small business owners is through its support of a national center of women’s business centers, which offer businesses mentoring and networking opportunities, business development training, business plan development, and access to funding.
Use the SBA’s lookup tool to find an SBA-supported Women’s Business Center (WBC) near you.
Challenge.gov
Maintained by the U.S. General Services Administration, Challenge.gov is where federal agencies ask individuals and small businesses for help in solving big public problems. These “challenges” work a lot like grants, and often involve a lengthy application process, but the rewards can be great.
Check out this list of expired challenges to get a better sense of the types of competitions run by challenge.gov. And check out challenge.gov for a list of active challenges.
SBIR.gov
If your business involves technology in some way, it might be worth checking out the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, which offers grants for small businesses pursuing valuable research and development. Check out the Solicitations Listing page for a list of current funding opportunities.
GrantsforWomen.org
This site keeps an up-to-date list of small business grants for women that is definitely worth checking out.
The Open Society Foundations
Founded by philanthropist George Soros, the Open Society Foundations fund groups working for “justice, democratic governance, and human rights.” Check the Foundations’ grant page for an up-to-date list of active grants.
Specific grants to look out for
Although some of these are also aimed at nonprofit organizations, most of these grants are aimed specifically at for-profit businesses owned and run by women.
The Eileen Fisher Women in Environmental Justice Grants
Funded by the popular women’s clothing retailer, this grant is aimed at initiatives specifically addressing environmental justice in some way. Grant amounts vary from $10,000-$40,000. Note that this program has been temporarily suspended, so check back periodically for updates.
The Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards
Awarded to “women entrepreneurs heading businesses with the potential to grow significantly in the years to come,” this super-competitive program awards seven grants of $100,000 each, and another 14 grants of $30,000 each.
The Tory Burch Foundation’s Fellows Program
This program awards 50 grants of $5,000 each to women entrepreneurs, who also receive a five day trip to the Tory Burch offices in New York City, NY for community building and networking.
The Amber Grant for Women
These $10,000 grants are awarded once a month by WomensNet, and each winner becomes eligible for an additional $25,000 awarded at the end of the year. The organization recently added Marketing Grants and Business Category grants, as well.
The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio Grants
This organization distributes grants to organizations that are creating social change for women and girls. Fill out this form to receive information about future funding opportunities.
The Boston Women’s Fund Grants
These grants support “start-up and on-going grassroots efforts led by women+, girls+ or anyone who identifies as such, that address racial, social economic, and gender injustice.” The organization offers grants through different partners for amounts ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. You can apply through their partners here.
The Chicago Foundation for Women Grants
The Chicago Foundation for Women funds programs and organizations that work in three areas: economic security, freedom from violence, and access to health. Grant amounts range from $15,000 to $150,000. Learn more and apply here.
Ms. Foundation Grants
These grants are targeted specifically at “game changing organizations that are successfully addressing pivotal issues of reproductive health; affordable child care with living wage jobs; and fighting gender-based violence.” Visit the Ms. Foundation website to apply.
Women Founders Network
Every year, the Women Founders Network, hosts a Fast Pitch Competition. Female entrepreneurs can apply for the opportunity to pitch investors for the opportunity to win cash prizes. Finalists will still get access to a pitch coach, financial mentor, a connection to a potential investor, and feedback on their business. Applications for 2022 will open in April.
Grant application tips
Want to maximize your chance of getting a grant? Consider doing the following.
Don’t waste your time on the wrong grants
Take the time to understand which grants you’re a great fit for, and throw your energy into making those applications great. If you have a feeling your business isn’t really a fit for a grant, you’ll sink hours and hours into an application that will just get tossed anyway.
Put together a business plan
Most of the grants we go over here require some kind of business plan, particularly if you’re applying for a business that doesn’t exist yet. If you’re not sure where to start, try outlining your business’ goals, how you plan to make money, how you plan to grow, and what financial resources you plan to draw upon.
Consider hiring a grant writer
If you’re busy and don’t think you’ll be able to devote the time and effort required for the grant application process, you might still be able to apply! Grant writers can be one way to get around this. For a fee and/or a percentage of the grant money, they’ll take care of the entire grant application process.
