5 Grants for Women-Owned Businesses and Where to Apply
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5 Grants for Women-Owned Businesses

Need money to grow your business? Learn about five available grants for funding women-owned businesses and where to apply.

Women-Owned Businesses
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The number of women-owned businesses is skyrocketing, and that number is expected to continue to grow. According to the 2019 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, in the period from 2014 to 2019, the number of women-owned businesses increased by 21% for a grand total of nearly 13 million women-owned businesses, with revenue also rising 21% and totaling $1.9 trillion. Perhaps even more significantly, that same source found that the annual growth rate in the number of women-owned firms was double that of all other businesses.

Like any startup, women-owned businesses need capital. You can go through traditional bank loans or other types of lending, but you also have another option: grants.

Why Are Grants Important?

The reality is that even the most innovative and well-thought-out business ideas won’t come to fruition without adequate financial backing. Lack of capital can tank a start-up or prevent a sophomore business from taking off and expanding. Unfortunately, data indicates that women entrepreneurs may have difficulty qualifying for traditional small business loans, and when they do, the funding may be less generous than that received by others: according to Biz2Credit’s 2019 Women-Owned Business Study, the average amount of funding provided to women entrepreneurs is 31% less than what their non-women-owned business counterparts receive.

This is where grants come in. Instead of a traditional loan, which you have to pay back with interest, grants are more like gifts. If you qualify, you get the money and you don’t have to pay it back. Grant funding can be a great opportunity for women who have challenges qualifying for traditional funding and equal opportunities to compete in the entrepreneurial playing field.

How Grants Work

Grants are obviously preferable to loans since they’re basically free money. Of course, it’s not as simple as asking and receiving. The application process can be long and intensive and often involves a significant waiting period. You’ll also have to meet specific requirements to qualify.

Grants exist in many forms, from federal grants to state grants to grants funded by private organizations, non-profits, or charitable foundations. The grantor (the entity dispersing the grant funds) will determine the qualifications and stipulations of the grantee (the person or organization receiving the money).

Many experts that advise women-owned businesses should start researching grants at the state level. The requirements for state grants may not be as stringent, and more options may exist than with federal funding. Each state will have a state website with a business section detailing available grants for women and minority businesses. Many states also have grant programs for women-owned businesses in traditionally male fields, like construction. So, start with your state’s website and check out what options are available.

Grants for Women-Owned Businesses

As we mentioned, there are lots of grants available at every level of government and in the private sector. In addition to checking out those options, make sure to take a look at these 5 grants. They’re some of the best available and if you qualify, they can make a huge difference in your business.

1.2020 FedEx Small Business Grant

FedEx awards grants of amounts of up to $50,000 to several winners of their annual contest. There are gold, silver, and bronze winners – who also receive various FedEx business products to supplement their prize winnings. Entry for the grant money requires a business plan, business description, and photos and video (optional) of your intended business goals.

To read about the 2019 Fed Ex Small Business Grant winners, visit here.

2.The Amber Grant Foundation

The Amber Grant Foundation started in 1998 to honor a young woman who died before she could make her mark on business. Today, the Amber Grant Foundation offers a $10,000 grant to one women-owned business each month. At the end of the year, one of the monthly grant awardees will receive a larger grant amount (to the tune of $25,000!) to fund her business.

The board selects the winners of the grant and reward those who demonstrate both strong entrepreneurial ideas and passion for their business ideas.

To read the profiles and vote on past recipients, visit here.

3. National Association for the Self-Employed Growth Grants

The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is a nonprofit organization focused on providing tools and resources to entrepreneurs looking for assistance with running businesses successfully. In addition to a wide variety of members-only resources, NASE offers business development grants, called Growth Grants, of up to $4,000.  These grants can be used for “marketing, advertising, hiring employees, expanding facilities and other specific business needs.”

In order to apply for a NASE growth grant, you must be a member in good standing, demonstrate that the grant could fulfill a business need, provide a detailed explanation of how you would use the grant funding and how it would increase your business success, and submit supporting documents (e.g., a business plan). To learn more about recent NASE grant recipients, visit here.

4. Grants.gov

Grants.gov is the best resource available to locate government grants. The grants available through this webpage span a variety of different agencies and offer numerous opportunities. However. small business grants may be more challenging to come by through the government. Still, it is worth browsing through the available offerings in order to determine if you might qualify (and to be sure you understand the guidelines and requirements of each).

5. Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)

It can be a little overwhelming to search through all the potential grants available to you, so the SBA has set up Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) all over the country to help you figure out what grants are available. While the SBDCs don’t actually offer grants, they do offer meetings with local advisors that have comprehensive knowledge of the grants in your area and nationally.

For more info and contact information of your local SDBC, visit this resource.

The Bottom Line

Loans are a classic way to fund your business, but why seek a loan when you can get a grant that you don’t have to repay? In addition, many women-owned businesses find that it’s harder for them to get traditional funding than for their male counterparts. So before you commit to a loan, consider checking out the grants available to you!

 

Thank you to the Coca-Cola Foundation for supporting Accion in expanding economic opportunity for women business owners.

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