Grants for Women Owned Businesses

If you are female or identify as a female and own a business, several grants for women-owned businesses are available. Grants are a great way to help fund your business as they don’t need to be repaid. Grants are available from many places, including governments, agencies, nonprofits, and private organizations.

The grants outlined below have different applications requirements and deadlines; however, they are all applicable to women-owned businesses. Some grant deadlines for 2022 have not been announced, so check the organizations’ websites regularly for updates. If you have a grant you’d like to add to this list, please email customerservice@coastalbank.com.

Amber Grant Foundation

For women entrepreneurs striving to make their mark in business, the Amber Grant Foundation is an organization created by womensnet.com in 1988 after Amber Wigdahl, 19, a woman who died before achieving her dreams of entrepreneurialism. The foundation’s $10K monthly grant award helps support women with unique and inspiring stories. At the end of each year, one of the monthly winners is awarded an additional $25k. Apply all year. The deadline for each month is the end of the month.

Cartier Women’s Initiative Award

The Cartier Women’s Initiative award is designed for female entrepreneurs whose businesses are in their first one to three years of development. The applying business must be generating revenue but not necessarily profitable. Seven finalists will receive $100,000 and professional mentoring sessions while 14 applicants earn $30K each. Applications will open May 16, 2022, and close July 15, 2022.

Dream Big Awards

The Dream Big Awards, sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, recognizes the best U.S. small businesses in 8 award categories, including Woman-Owned Business. The top prize is $25,000.

Eligibility requirements:

• For-profit business
• Operating at least one year
• Business is primarily in the United States
• Have less than 250 employees or less than $20 million in gross revenues per year

Eileen Fisher Women-Owned Business Grant Program

The Eileen Fisher Foundation is an organization that gives away $100,000 in grants each year to 10 women business owners who use their small businesses for good. Business owners are selected if they’ve made a measurable impact on society and the environment.

Eligibility requirements:

• Business must be three or more years in operation
• The business earns less than $1 million in gross revenue annually
• Ownership and leadership by women must be at least 51%
• Businesses focused on social or environmental change

Girlboss Foundation Grant

The Girlboss grant is awarded two times per year to female-identifying and female entrepreneurs in creative fields. The grant is awarded explicitly to women in the music, design, fashion, and music industries. Recipients receive $15,000 of project funds as well as digital exposure on the Girlboss website and other media channels. This grant may be on hold, as the last award was in 2019. Check their site regularly for updates.

Halstead Grant

The Halstead Grant supports U.S. female entrepreneurs in the jewelry industry. Winners receive a $7,500 cash grant and $1,000 to use to purchase Halstead jewelry materials and publicity opportunities within the jewelry industry. Applicants’ businesses must be less than three years old.

IFundWomen Universal Grant Program

The IFundWomen Grant Program connects women-owned small businesses with grants, investor opportunities, and coaches. The program offers various grants, including crowdfunding grants and corporate partners grants.

SoGal Startup Grant

The SoGal Foundation provides Black Founder Startup Grants of $5,000 and $10,000 to Black women or Black nonbinary entrepreneurs.

Eligibility requirements include:

• Self identifies as a Black woman or Black non-binary business owner
• Legally registered business
• Plans to seek or use investor financing to scale
• Have a scalable business idea with plans to be a $1 billion-plus company

Stacy’s Rise Project

Created by Stacy’s Pita Chips, the Stacy’s Rise Project is a mentorship and grant program for female-founded businesses in the food industry. Annually, ten finalists receive business mentorships and a $10,000 grant.

Eligibility requirements include:

• Have annual sales greater than $25,000 less than $1 million
• Participation in a virtual mentorship program
• Not be active in a separate accelerator program at the time of entry

Tory Burch Foundation

The Tory Burch Foundation provides a $5,000 grant for women-owned small businesses, including a yearlong fellowship.

Eligibility requirements include:

• Majority women-owned business
• For-profit business
• Annual revenue greater than $75,000
• S. based business

Women Founders Network

The Women Founders Network sponsors an annual Fast Pitch Competition. The competition provides an opportunity for female entrepreneurs to pitch ideas to investors for the opportunity to win cash prizes and mentoring. Finalists receive $40k in grants, access to a personal pitch coach, financial mentor, personal meeting to pitch to a potential investor, and feedback on their business.

Women Who Tech

Women Who Tech Startup Grants Program awards grants up to $20k to women-led tech startups. The application process is open to women-owner tech startups that are North America-based.

GrantsforWomen.org

The database by GrantsforWomen.org identifies resources and grants for women; some are business-related. Review each opportunity and requirement carefully.

Ms. Foundation Grants

Ms. Foundation Grants are explicitly focused on women-led organizations that successfully address reproductive health issues, including affordable child care with living-wage jobs and fighting gender-based violence.

More small business grants for women-owned businesses are becoming available every year. The options listed above should give you a place to start. Before applying, research the eligibility requirements, and submit your application on time. If grants don’t work out or you need additional funding, explore your other funding options like a small business loan.