Black Business Grants | Minority Small Business Grants (2023)

Last updated: 8/18/22

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

About this BIPOC Business Grant
The catalyst for our grants was seeing and hearing about the tremendous impact of COVID-19 on entrepreneurs who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color. We want to dedicate some of our knowledge and time to help. While this is a business website, we are trying to help other business owners with our grant program. In support of this goal, we have disabled our normal calls to action/contact forms on grant pages and replaced our normal header images. We do not want your money. We want to help you make more money.

Best,
/jovan

Jovan has worked to optimize websites for large companies such as Shutterfly, Uber, and Stitch Fix. He has worked on not fewer than 220 websites in +50 business and service verticals in 5 countries. LinkedIn.

Small Business Marketing Grant: Part 1

Does Google, Bing, and DuckDuckgo deliver free traffic to your website?

Driving organic traffic from search engines can be a meaningful way to support or grow your business because it can consistently deliver people interested in your products or services to your website…for free. There may be no better time to try and drive organic traffic than during this Covid-19 pandemic. We will help. This program aims to support Black-owned and minority-owned businesses by providing free SEO evaluations, advice, and planning.

There is currently no cap on the number of possible marketing grant recipients per month. Grantees will be selected on a rolling basis. There is no application deadline.

Update: Unfortunately there is no longer a cash component of this grant. Fortunately I have found a way to support more businesses with marketing support more quickly.

SEO Program Prerequisites

You:

• have a live website–social media accounts do not count
• are open to feedback and recommendations.
• can access to your website editor or CMS to make site revisions. You’ll need to make the changes to your site.
• have a Google account: you’ll request assistance via a Google Form.
• you have a verified Google Search Console (GSC) for your website. This will provide performance information to help create a plan and it will allow for tracking from the time changes are published. Watch this Youtube video for help setting up GSC.
  • Why Google Search Console (GSC)?
    GSC is a free diagnostic tool through which you can find out whether your pages are included in Google’s index, how they’re performing, and whether your site has errors.

Program Recommendation

• IF you don’t already have both Google Analytics installed on your site, please do so.
  • Why Google Analytics (GA)?
    GA is a free tool that provides details regarding user behavior across your website. It allows you to review things ranging from the source of your traffic by category (e.g. search engine, social media platform, or referral site) to which pages receive the most traffic to the cities where your visitors are searching.

SEO Program Terms and Conditions:

• Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee an increase in your website traffic, orders, or sales. We cannot guarantee any outcome.
• We reserve the right to modify or discontinue this program at any time at our sole discretion.
• Unfortunately, due to limited resources, we will not be able to assist everyone who applies.
• Accordingly, we reserve the right to select the recipients of these services at our sole discretion.
• We will NOT use your information to (try to) sell you anything.
• We will NOT use your contact information to add you to a mailing list.
• We will NOT share your information with any other entity.

***Apply for Grant***

Please complete this Google Form.

Application Deadline: Rolling for marketing consideration.
Winner: Marketing grant winner will be chosen based on whether and how much we think we can help.
Fee: No. Never.
Costs: None. Like none.

**Have a question about this grant?**

Email hello [ at ] @ annuityfreedom [ dot] net

BIPOC Grant Winner | Mar 2021

The ladies behind DÔNTLƏS COUTURE provide nighttime clothing for women of all ages and sizes. Have a look at dontlescouture.com.

BIPOC Grant Winner | Feb 2021

The team at Empty Space Project aims to leverage unused and underused property to provide space for artists to collaborate and create. Learn more at emptyspaceproject.com

2. Black Business Grants

GRANTS.gov

Search the US government’s database of grants. This may be the largest database of grants that can be found.

NAACP Grants

The NAACP shares a list of grants for black entrepreneurs that they provide or provide in partnership with other organizations.

SoGal Grant

Awards grants of $5-10k to Black women or Black nonbinary entrepreneurs.

Comcast Rise

Comcast RISE is committed to providing marketing strategy, media campaign, video production & design, and technology or internet services for small businesses owned by at least 51% Black, Indigenous or People of Color. Business must be located within the Comcast Business or Effectv service area footprint.

Grant Deadline: February 7, 2021

Coalition To Back Black Businesses Fund

Formed by American Express, Stanley Black & Decker, and the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the Coalition to Back Black Businesses is set to run through 2023 and provides Black business owners impacted by the coronavirus with free business grants for minorities. Grants are valued at $5,000 and will be distributed on a rolling basis to hundreds of eligible small businesses.

California Small Business Grants

Grants of $5k, $15k, and $25k to small businesses. Eligibility requirements include annual revenue between $1k-$2.5m. Applications must be submitted through a parter, which is organized based on location and also by language.
Grant Deadline: January 13, 2021 at 11:59 PM PST

Rural Relief Small Business Grants

Local Initiatives Support Corporation, in partnership and with financial support by Lowe’s, is providing 900 Grants and $18 million. Institutes of Health provides grants for domestic small businesses to engage in biomedical Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) that has the potential for commercialization.

Gather Food Sovereignty Grant

First Nations, with support from Indigenous Peoples Fund at Tides Foundation, expects to award up to 13 grant awards of approximately $32,000 to support Native American-led food sovereignty work.
Grant Deadline: January 14, 2021

Covid-19 and Social Unrest Impact Grant

In partnership with the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO), Fiserv aims to support Black- and minority-owned businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19 and social unrest.
Award: up to $10,000
Application Fee? No
Annual Grant Deadline: January 29, 2021; February 16, 2021;
March 15, 2021

Open for Business Fund

The Open for Business Fund provides support for Community Development Financial Institutions and other nonprofit organizations that serve diverse small businesses, with a focus on Black, African American, Latino, Asian American, American Indian, and Alaska Native entrepreneurs.

Georgia Pacific Foundation Grants

Georgia Pacific Foundation grants are funding educational and business programs that focus on real-world business skills, as well as programs geared specifically towards small, minority and women-owned businesses.

FedEx Small Business Grant Contest

The FedEx Small Business Grant Contest is a grant program by FedEx to award U.S. based small businesses with grants to help them grow and scale their business. The contest has awarded many minority- and women-owned businesses since its launch. The contest will open up for the 2021 entries soon.

Jewelry Artist Grant

Annual award for emerging silver jewelry artists. $7,500 in start-up capital, $1,000 in merchandise, and jewelry industry recognition.
Grant Deadline: August 1, 2021

NIH Grants

National Institutes of Health provides grants for domestic small businesses to engage in biomedical Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) that has the potential for commercialization.

3. Minority Women Business Grants

First Women Grant Program

$10K grant plus a one-year IFundWomen Annual Coaching Membership. for a woman entrepreneur with at least a 51% ownership interest. Requirements include being 21 years or over, generating a minimum of $25K in annual revenue, and having a service or product in Entertainment & Film, Journalism, Sports or Hospitality.
Grant Deadline: June 2021

Asian Women Giving Circle

The AWGC provides minority small business grants to Asian American women-led organizations and individual artists in NYC who are using arts and culture to bring about progressive social transformation, raising awareness and action around issues that affect Asian American women, girls, and families.
Award: award information is normally released in January
Grant Deadline: normally in March

4. Location Based Grants

At Your Side Small Business Grant

.
Award: up to $5k-10k
Location: must be located in an Accredited or Affiliate Main Street America community or UrbanMain commercial corridor. Map available at website.
Grant Deadline: Thursday, January 28 at 7:59pm EST/ 6:59pm CST

Miami-Dade Mom & Pop Grant Program

Grant for Miami-based, small businesses that are not part of national chains, have a physical address, and seven or fewer employees.
Award: up to $5k
Location: Miami-Dade, District 4
Grant Deadline: 12p, Friday, February 19, 2021

5. Government Contracts for Minority Owned Businesses

8(a) Business Development program

The US government dedicates at least 5% of federal contracting dollars to socially disadvantaged people and entities.

A partial list of qualifications:

• at least 51 percent owned and controlled by U.S. citizens who are economically and socially disadvantaged
• Be owned by someone whose personal net worth is $750,000 or less
• Be owned by someone whose average adjusted gross income for three years is $350,000 or less
• Have all its principals demonstrate good character
• Show potential for success and be able to perform successfully on contracts

6. Minority Business Funding

Backstage Capital

Investment firm focused on providing business funding for founders who identify as a Woman, Person of Color, LGBTQ+, and other underestimated groups.
Deadline: Rolling

Collab Capital

Collab Capital is an investment fund leveraging financial, human, and social capital to help Black founders with early-stage startups by providing investment capital and connecting them to corporate and/or social influencers.

Founders First

Founders First Capital Partners Accelerator Programs guide minority small business owners through the process of achieving accelerated growth through curriculum, hands-on assignments, and expert coaching, as well as opportunities to compete for cash and service prizes.
Required Revenue: $50k-250k; $250k+; $1m-5m
Prize: $5k; 7.5k
Application Fee Required!: $500; $1k-2k

7. Loans for Black Business Owners

Jewish Free Loan Association

Interest free loans of up to $6k for gig workers, up to $6k for green technology, and up to $36k for to create or expand small businesses. Program relies on guarantors instead of collateral to secure your loan.
You must live LA or Ventura county in California.

Accion

Accion is a nonprofit lending network providing small business loans as low as $300. Accion issues loans to businesses that are African-American-owned, Hispanic-owned, Asian-owned, Native American-owned, and Other minority-owned.

8. Mentor Programs for Black Entrepreneurs

digitalundivided

Training, business incubator, and coaching program for Black and LatinX women.

SCORE

Partnered with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), SCORE provides free mentorship services through its network of more than 10,000 volunteer business experts. Do you have a business question? Go ahead and apply.

9. Black Business Directories

Black Owned Everything

Upcoming directory of black owned businesses. Created by Zerina Akers.

10. Business Education

QuickFrame

A guide to all things YouTube, from video specs and ad placements to storytelling and calls to action.

Tory Burch Foundation

Small business webinar recordings on topics ranging from email marketing and website creation to financial fitness.

Small-business Empowerment Program

Offering small-business workshops and a more intensive entrepreneurial training program, HOPE helps participants master business basics, create and maintain a strong small business plan, as well as gain access to funding and resources to grow their business.

Disclaimer: We do not control any resource or policies listed on 3rd party sites. We are unable to make any assurances about them. We provide these resource in case the information is relevant or helpful for anyone who visits this page. Inclusion of this information is not a recommendation for any program or advice to leverage that program. Please exercise sound judgment.