SMALL BUSINESS FINANCING
Welcome to our business financing resources page. Our goal is to share the most reputable sources where business owners like yourself can learn how to apply for grants, business credit, loans and more. While these are largely reputable entities, we still encourage you to do your own due diligence. Best of luck in your pursuit!
SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS:
ROLLING APPLICATIONS
Our goal is to share the most reputable sources where business owners like yourself can apply for grants. Please note that CBN has no affiliation with these organizations. While these are largely reputable entities, we still encourage you to do your own due diligence. Best of luck in your pursuit!
Amber Grant for Women Business Owners
Amber Grants began in 1998 to honor the memory of a young entrepreneurial woman — Amber Wigdahl — who died in 1981 at the age of 19. The purpose of the Amber Grant is to help other women achieve the dreams that Amber could not in her short time with us. Each month, we award a $10,000 Amber Grant. At the end of each year, we award a larger Amber Grant to one of the monthly recipients. Currently, that year-end amount is $25,000. In addition, grant finalists/ recipients are featured on our website, Facebook and email list. It’s our hope that those who receive funding pass on kindness and knowledge by helping other women along the way.
Awesome Foundation
Monthly Grant Opportunity! Created in the long hot summer days of 2009 in Boston, the Foundation distributes $1,000 grants, no strings attached, to projects and their creators. At each fully autonomous chapter, the money is pooled together from the coffers of ten or so self-organizing “micro-trustees” and given up front in cash, check, or gold doubloons.
Emma Johnson Single Mother Grant
Every month, Johnson gives out $500 cash to one single mom, no strings attached. The 2021 Kickass Single Mom Stimulus Grant has one goal: Give a hand to single moms struggling with money, health, stress, child care, illness and loneliness. Qualifications are simple: 1. You’re a single mom. 2. You need the money right now
Founders First Grants
Regional Grant Requirements: Current staff of 2 - 20 employees. Ability to add 1 - 2+ net new premium wage jobs in the next 12 months. Must be a for-profit company with annual revenues between $100K and $3 million. Founder identifies as one of the following: BIPOC, Female, LGBTQIA+, Military Veteran, or located in a low-to-moderate income area. National Grant Requirements Vary.
Freed Fellowship Grant Program
The Freed Fellowship Grant program is a monthly small business grant program designed to support underrepresented and overlooked small business owners.
Merchant Maverick Opportunity Grant
This grant is open to for-profit businesses that are majority-owned by a Black woman (cisgender or transgender) or a Black femme-identified individual. The program will award four grants of $10,000 each.
NASE Growth Grants
You could receive up to $4,000 for your small business through the NASE Growth Grants program. NASE membership required.
IFund Women Grants
IFundWomen has secured more than $8M in corporate grants to pay forward to its members. Grant amounts vary and
their application should take no more than 20 minutes to fill out. Pro Tip: Have your business pitch written out in advance so you can simply copy and paste it in. The rest of the questions are basic and easy.
New Voices Fund
New Voices Fund is a $100 Million Fund created to empower women of color entrepreneurs to reach their full potential. This groundbreaking initiative, designed to level the playing field, provides women of color entrepreneurs with unprecedented access, capital, and expertise they need to excel. This fund supports start-ups, established businesses, and community-based enterprises. The goal is to deliver unprecedented impact to communities by ensuring New Voices of entrepreneurship learn, grow, and thrive for generations to come. New Voices Fund was founded by family-run conglomerate Sundial Brands, owner of best-selling brands SheaMoisture and Nubian Heritage.
NJEDA Small Business Improvement Grant
This grant supports businesses and nonprofits by reimbursement of costs associated with capital improvements or purchasing and/or installation of new furniture, fixtures, and equipment. Project costs must be at least $5,000, and incurred on or after March 9, 2020, but no more than 2 years prior to the application date. The maximum grant award is not to exceed $50,000. Total project costs that exceed $50,000 will be subject to Green Building Standards for lighting and/or mechanical work, and applicants that use more than 4 contractors may be subject to Affirmative Action requirements. Applicants are limited to one application per federal Employer Identification Number (EIN).
Verizon Small Business Grants
Owners of small businesses. Non-profit business owners are not eligible. Applicants may apply for one business only and must be over the age of 18.
Walmart Foundation
Walmart’s signature programs include the National Giving Program, the Community Grant Program and the Northwest Arkansas Giving Program. In addition, they offer funding to support promising Canadian programs that have the potential to significantly reduce food waste and loss – with the ultimate goals of preventing loss, maximizing donations of usable food, and minimizing food waste that ends up in landfills.
DEADLINE-BASED GRANTS
Want to learn more about grant opportunities? Join our Membership Biz Lounge for unlimited access today!
The Fifteen Percent Pledge Achievement Award
For the third year in a row, Fifteen Percent Pledge is partnering with Shop with Google to provide $250,000 in grant funding to unlock the next horizon of growth for three Black-owned businesses. The winner of the Achievement Award will also receive mentoring and pro-bono consulting services from industry leaders. All awardees will receive complimentary tickets to their 2025 Gala.
2025 Fifteen Percent Pledge Achievement Award Grants:
Winner will receive $200,000, in addition to mentorship and pro-bono consulting services
1st Runner Up will receive $35,000
2nd Runner Up will receive $15,000
Deadline: October 20, 2024
The Fifteen Percent Pledge Sephora Grant
The Fifteen Percent Pledge and Sephora are back for the second year in a row to provide $100,000 in grant funding to unlock the next horizon of growth for select Black-owned beauty businesses. The application consists of these primary components:
Applicant Information
Written Application Questions, Elevator Pitch Video and Pitch Deck Upload
Financial Performance and P&L Upload
Before you get started on your application, review this resource document in order to submit your strongest application: Application tips and resources. You can also find frequently asked questions here: FAQs.
***Award winner will receive tickets to ‘25 Gala on February 1st***
Deadline: November 15th at 11:59PM ET.
GETTING A VC INVESTOR OR LOAN
Are you a creative Caribbean brand? WANT TO LEARN HOW TO GET GET A MAJOR INVESTOR FROM THE CARIBBEAN?
C15 Studios Ltd. is a Caribbean cash flow solutions company specializing in the creative sector.
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS FOR NYC BUSINESSES
The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) APEX Accelerator (NYC SBS APEX Accelerator) offers one-on-one assistance and training to help businesses in Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island, and Rockland, Suffolk, and Nassau counties that are interested in local, state, and federal government contracting.
The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) can help you with any government contracting-related matter including, but not limited to:
An Introduction to Government Contracting: A general overview of how the government buys goods and services.
Navigating the System for Award Management (SAM): Learn how to register and use SAM. An active registration and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number are required to do business with the federal government.
Certifications and Contracting Assistance Programs: Learn about the benefits for small businesses and how to apply for the following:
Doing Business with General Services Administration (GSA): If you want to sell to the government, securing a contract with the GSA — the government agency that connects government buyers with contractors — is a great way to start. Securing a contract with the GSA is also called "getting onto a GSA Schedule" which means you've been approved to do business with the government.
OBTAINING BUSINESS CREDIT
WANT TO LEARN HOW TO GET $100K+ BUSINESS CREDIT TO SCALE/GROW YOUR BUSINESS?
We are an Official Partner of Infinite Wealth Strategies. Contact us for a referral HERE.
INTERESTED IN EVEN MORE FUNDING OPPORTUNTIES?
JOIN THE CBN MEMBERSHIP LOUNGE FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDING:
WOMAN-FOCUSED GRANTS
BUSINESS PITCH COMPETITIONS
ACCELERATOR PROGRAMS + MORE!