Grants for Black Women: 10 Resources for 2027

Grants for Black women entrepreneurs offer valuable funding for your business that doesn’t have to be repaid. Private companies, foundations, and nonprofits fund these programs, each with their own eligibility rules.

The number of Black women-owned businesses in the US grew an estimated 12.9% from 2024 to 2025, the fastest growth rate among women business owners by race and ethnicity. According to the Federal Reserve’s 2025 Small Business Credit Survey, 36% of Black-owned employer firms that applied for a loan, line of credit, or merchant cash advance were denied, compared with 17% of white-owned firms.

This guide explains what a business grant is, shares four tips for finding and applying for grants, and lists 10 grants for Black women entrepreneurs to explore.

What is a business grant?

A business grant is funding or resources awarded to a business that the owner doesn’t have to repay. Many grants provide direct financial assistance, and some include professional development, networking, marketing promotion, or other non-monetary resources. Grants are a form of non-dilutive funding, meaning the funder doesn’t take an ownership stake in the business.

Many business grants are application-based and competitive, with recipients selected after a formal judging process. Applicants may need to provide written responses to questions alongside budgets and business plans, or submit media such as photos, videos, or recorded pitches.

Some grant programs are fellowships that pair funding with mentorship and networking opportunities, while others are pitch competitions where business owners present to judges for cash prizes.

Private companies, nonprofits, and government agencies can all award business grants. Many grants support business owners from underrepresented groups, or help small businesses reach specific milestones. These can include hiring, tech adoption, and professional development.

Some grants also target specific groups or situations, like grants for veterans or hardship grants. Grants may also target specific populations, like grants for Black women entrepreneurs or grants for LGBTQA businesses. Awarded grants may include restrictions on how funds can be spent, or may require recipients to join a program or platform connected with the granting organization.

Tips for finding and applying to small business grants

Applications for different grants can ask overlapping questions. Amber Grants for women in business, for example, judge submissions based on an applicant’s story, plans for the business, and plans for the grant money. The HerRise MicroGrants application asks what problem your business solves, and how the awarded money would be used. When working on a grant application, be sure to save your answers so you can adapt them for the next application.

Search widely, but strategically

Grants.gov lists federal grant opportunities, and each listing defines who can apply. Eligible applicants include governments, nonprofits, schools, small businesses that meet US Small Business Administration (SBA) size standards, and individuals, but most opportunities on Grants.gov are for organizations rather than individuals.

Be thoughtful about which grants and organizations are the right fit for your business. For example, the SBA doesn’t provide grants for starting or expanding a business. SBA grants go to nonprofits, resource partners, and educational organizations that run counseling and training programs.

Consider which programs can best support your brand. Small businesses that do scientific research and development can apply for federal grants through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Established small businesses that want to export products can apply for funding through their state’s State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) awardee.

If you’re interested in state-specific grants, see Shopify’s guides to grants in Texas or in Florida. Look for grants that focus on your business type, size, and location.

SBA Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) are another resource. WBCs provide free to low-cost counseling and training for women who want to start or grow their small business. SBA’s local assistance tool can help you find the nearest center by ZIP code.

Review the grant details

Read each grant’s guidelines carefully to make sure your business is eligible, especially for location, revenue, and business category. Grant listing sites can show outdated details, so confirm deadlines on the funder’s website. EmpowHer Grants opens applications on November 1 and May 1, for example, while Amber Grants applications close on the last day of every month. Consider signing up for funder newsletters or alerts to learn about new deadlines.

Tailor your written responses

Write your answers in your own voice. Whether you’re applying to grants for Black women specifically, or to more broad programs, be sure to review the funder’s mission and values. Use similar language in your pitch, and reference the organization’s mission directly.

AI tools can help you brainstorm ideas or refine a draft, as long as the final answers stay in your own voice and follow the funder’s rules. Boundless Futures Foundation, which awards EmpowHer Grants, says AI text needs the human touch to capture individual purpose and passion. They recommend editing AI-generated text so your voice and story is your own. Read each application’s guidelines for rules on AI use before you submit.

Use documents and media to your advantage

Some applications ask for documents or media alongside written answers. EmpowHer Grants application requirements include a business plan and a detailed budget, HerRise MicroGrants requires a headshot and a business logo, and the AT&T Small Business Contest asks for proof of small business registration. Gather these files before you start so you can upload them easily.

10 grants for Black women entrepreneurs

There’s a powerful legacy of Black women entrepreneurship in the US, from financier and abolitionist Mary Ellen Pleasant (1814–1904) to cosmetics magnate and activist Madam C. J. Walker (1867–1919). Today, many grant programs build on that history by helping business owners from minority groups overcome barriers to capital and grow their businesses.

Note that of the 10 grants listed below, only the Black Women Photographers x Nikon Grant Program is exclusively limited to Black women. The other nine are open to broader groups, like women-owned businesses, Black-owned businesses, women and minority business owners, or small businesses in general. Each entry lists who can apply.

A legal precedent makes it difficult for grants to narrow down their recipient eligibility too much. In 2023, the American Alliance for Equal Rights sued Fearless Fund, a venture capital firm, over its Strivers Grant Contest, which was open only to Black women entrepreneurs.

In June 2024, the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled that the contest likely violated a federal law that guarantees the right to make and enforce contracts regardless of race. Fearless Fund settled the lawsuit and permanently closed the contest.

Because program rules can change, confirm each grant’s current eligibility requirements before you apply.

1. Amber Grants for Women

WomensNet, an organization that supports female business leaders, awards three $15,000 Amber Grants every month. These include the Monthly Amber Grant for any business category, the Monthly Startup Grant for businesses in the idea phase or with under $10,000 in gross sales, and a Business Category Grant that rotates by month (for example, creative arts in October and STEM in November).

One application covers all three monthly grants, and winners are chosen on merit rather than a random drawing. Three of the 36 monthly winners each receive an additional $75,000 year-end grant, one from each grant type.

Program details:

• Amount: $15,000 monthly, $75,000 year-end
• Eligibility: Women-owned businesses (at least 50% women-owned) in the US and Canada, with owners age 18 or older
• Application details: Online application with a $15 nonrefundable fee; fee waivers available on request
• Deadline: 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on the last day of each month
• Status: Open

2. Wish Local Empowerment Program

Shopping app Wish created a $2 million fund for Black entrepreneurs with physical stores in the US through the Wish Local Empowerment Program. Applicants tell Wish about their store and why it qualifies. Grant recipients are required to join Wish Local, a partnership program that lets stores sell on Wish and act as pickup locations.

Program details:

• Amount: $500–$2,000
• Eligibility: Black-owned brick-and-mortar businesses in the US with fewer than 20 employees and annual revenue under $1 million
• Application details: Online application about your store and why it qualifies
• Deadline: Rolling
• Status: Open

3. HerRise MicroGrants

Community and resources hub HerSuiteSpot awards monthly HerRise MicroGrants to under-resourced women entrepreneurs, including women of color.

Past recipients have used the funds for computers, equipment, marketing materials, software, and website creation. Nonprofits, franchises, direct sellers, authorized resellers, and independent consultants aren’t eligible, and HerSuiteSpot notifies only the winners.

Program details:

• Amount: $1,000 monthly
• Eligibility: Women-owned businesses (51% owned by women) registered in the US with gross revenue under $1 million
• Application details: Written answers about your business and use of funds, a headshot, and a business logo required plus a $15 nonrefundable fee
• Deadline: 11:59 p.m. on the last day of each month
• Status: Open

4. EmpowHer Grants

The Boundless Futures Foundation’s EmpowHer Grants go to female founders whose businesses address poverty, hunger, or humanitarian aid, or sustainability and the environment.

Applicants must show a clear social impact and can request up to $50,000, which the foundation pays as reimbursement after the founder submits proof of payment for business expenses. Grantees also get access to the foundation’s Advisory Circle of finance, marketing, leadership, and sector professionals.

Program details:

• Amount: Up to $50,000, paid as reimbursement
• Eligibility: Female founders age 22 or older with registered for-profit businesses in the US that earn revenue, are no more than five years old, and make a social impact
• Application details: Business plan and detailed budget required; self-reported credit score and third-party background check required to receive funding
• Deadline: Application windows open November 1 and May 1
• Status: Not open now; the next window opens November 1, 2026

5. NAACP Powershift Entrepreneur Grant Program

The NAACP runs the NAACP Powershift Entrepreneur Grant with Medium Rare and The Shark Group in connection with Black Entrepreneurs Day. Businesses selected receive a $25,000 grant plus resources, and the 2023 recipients also received mentorship from Daymond John of Shark Tank.

Program details:

• Amount: $25,000 plus resources
• Eligibility: Rising and established Black entrepreneurs
• Application details: Released when applications open
• Deadline: Varies
• Status: Not currently open

6. Galaxy Grants

Galaxy of Stars and its nonprofit parent organization, Hidden Star, have awarded more than $420,000 in Galaxy Grants to women and minority business owners since 2016. The grants are open to entrepreneurs at any stage, whether you’re thinking about starting a business or have years of experience. The current grant is $2,500, and past winners received amounts from $750 to $25,000.

Program details:

• Amount: $2,500 for the current grant
• Eligibility: Women and minority business owners nationwide, at any business stage
• Application details: 30-second online form with name, email, ZIP code, gender, ethnicity, and business status; no fee
• Deadline: October 31, 2026; winners announced the following week
• Status: Open

7. Black Women Photographers x Nikon Grant Program

Black Women Photographers partners with Nikon on the Black Women Photographers x Nikon Grant Program, a year-long program of grants for Black women in photography with four quarterly rounds in 2026. Each recipient receives a $2,500 cash grant and a Nikon Z6III 24-70 mm f/4 lens kit.

Andriana Ortiz, a 2024 recipient, says the Clinton Foundation hired her through the Black Women Photographers database months after she received the grant, to photograph the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting.

Program details:

• Amount: $2,500 and a Nikon Z6III 24-70 mm f/4 lens kit
• Eligibility: Black women photographers worldwide
• Application details: Online application through the Black Women Photographers website
• Deadline: Quarterly
• Status: Open for the fourth quarter grant

8. Fund Her Future Grant

H&R Block awards the Fund Her Future Grant to woman-owned small businesses, and 2026 is the program’s third annual round. Four recipients each receive $45,000, and all recipients get a year of Block Advisors small business services valued at $5,000, including tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll, and a business structure analysis. New for 2026, every applicant receives year-long community programming.

Program details:

• Amount: $45,000 and a year of Block Advisors services
• Eligibility: Woman-owned small businesses in the US with at least $20,000 in 2025 revenue, owned by applicants age 18 or older (19 in Alabama and Nebraska), excluding nonprofits
• Application details: Online application; selected applicants interview with H&R Block
• Deadline: The 2026 application closed September 22, 2026
• Status: Closed for 2026; keep an eye out for 2027

9. AT&T Small Business Contest

The AT&T Small Business Contest gives one grand prize winner $50,000, a phone or tablet with a year of AT&T Business service, mentorship, and a feature in an episode of She’s Connected by AT&T. Four runners-up each receive $5,000. AT&T received more than 8,250 entries in 2026.

Program details:

• Amount: $5,000–$50,000 ($50,000 grand prize; four $5,000 runner-up prizes)
• Eligibility: Sole or majority owners of small businesses in the US with 99 or fewer employees and one to five locations
• Application details: Two essays of up to 750 words each and proof of small business registration
• Deadline: Annual; the 2026 entry period ran May 1 to July 31
• Status: Closed for 2026

10. NAACP Backing the B.A.R. Grants

The NAACP and spirits company BACARDI award Backing the B.A.R. grants to Black-owned bars, restaurants, nightclubs, lounges, liquor stores, and small businesses in the process of applying for a liquor license.

The NAACP says the program has awarded more than $350,000 in grants, education, and entrepreneurship solutions. Each grantee receives $10,000. Applicants who need financial, educational, or mentorship support apply through Hello Alice.

Program details:

• Amount: $10,000 per grant
• Eligibility: Black-owned businesses (51% or more) with a liquor license or in the process of getting one
• Application details: Online application hosted by Hello Alice
• Deadline: Next application dates not announced
• Status: Closed for this season