As an entrepreneur, one of your primary responsibilities is to raise capital. Unfortunately, capital can be difficult to come by for female entrepreneurs. However, several grants are available for this reason.
A grant is different than a business loan or credit card, in that you’re not expected to pay it back. Of course, this means that they can be very hard to get. In this article, we’ll point out 13 of the best options for small business grants for female entrepreneurs.
Grants.gov
This is the best place to start for anyone who is looking for grants to grow their small business, especially female business owners.
National Association for the Self-Employed Growth Grants
To qualify for these, must be a member of the NASE and demonstrate that you need the money.
Amber Grant
This grant was created by Womensnet.com for female business owners in honor of Amber, a young woman who was unable to fulfill her dreams.
IdeaCafe Grant
This is a micro-grant available for women who own their own business or are planning to start one.
Cartier Women’s Initiative Award
This program offers 21 grants to female business owners around the world who are in the early stages of business (1 to 3 years).
GrantsforWomen.org
This is a database with a variety of opportunities for capital for female business owners.
FedEx Small Business Grant
This program offers 12 grants to female entrepreneurs for their business growth, as well as business services, including printing through FedEx sites.
The Halstead Grant
This grant is specifically for women who are in the jewelry industry and is mostly geared toward businesses less than five years old.
Open Meadows Foundation
This organization offers grants to projects backed by women promoting economic, gender, and racial justice.
37 Angels
This is not a traditional grant program, but an angel investment group seeking to close the gender gap in startup investing.
Visa Everywhere Initiative
This is a competition for both male- & female-led businesses and provides two winners with capital.
Small Business Innovation Research Program
The SBIR, or Small Business Innovation Research Program, offers funding for small businesses in the area of research/development.
State/Local Small Business Grants for Female Entrepreneurs
The grants mentioned above are nationwide, and even worldwide. There may be some local options you might want to look into as well. If you are unable to obtain a grant, consider an SBA loan to help get you up and running.
Bottom Line
If you need help finding funding for a woman-owned business, please give us a call. We will be more than happy to help!