Get Government Grants For Women

If you are a woman who runs an established business or you are new to this whole idea but want to start your own business, you will probably need funding and may be looking for a grant to help you on your way. Grants, in general, are available from both Government and private sources. Grants are preferable to loans as they do not need repaying, but calling them ‘free money’ can make them seem free and easy, which they are not. The money issued in relation to a grant must be used only for the specific purpose of the grant and the Government or private foundation will probably expect something in return for the money it has parted with. This may be indirect through improvements in regional economies or direct through the use of the technologies developed. Government business grants also impose strict reporting requirements so if you are a lucky recipient you must keep detailed records in case of an audit. So “Where can I get small business grants for women?” you will no doubt be asking yourself.

Womens business grants from Government

This is not going to be the answer your want to hear but you cannot get Government grants for women for starting a business or to cover operating expenses. They also do not provide special grants for women. Unfortunately there are many people trying to sell you something that will tell you that such grants do exist. Just hang onto your money though as they are scamming you. To obtain funding for these needs, you will need a small business loan.

The Federal Government does of course issue grants but these are generally only made to non profit organizations, educational institutions and state and local Government agencies. For profit businesses do get a look in occasionally but the majority are large companies and they never receive grant funding for starting their business or for day to day expenses.  Only if you are a small, high tech, innovative business do you stand any chance of receiving grant funding through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program.  With these programs you can win a grant to undertake scientific research as part of the Federal Government’s R&D efforts.

Whilst the Federal Government does not provide small businesses with grants, you may have more luck with state economic development agencies who want to encourage and assist entrepreneurs. Federal Government gives grants to state and local Governments to assist them with economic development, the monies from which are then passed onto small businesses in some cases. Depending on the state you live in you may come across some business grants being offered through state and local programs, although these are generally given to projects involved in community support. These can include grants for expanding child care centers; creating energy efficient technology; and developing marketing campaigns for tourism. Again these are unlikely to be free money as you may have to match the funds awarded or take out a loan to combine with the grant.

Womens small business grants from private foundations

Foundations typically fund non profit charitable, educational, scientific, religious, literary, or cultural organisations. On the most part they do not make grants for women in small businesses that are profit seeking enterprises, however if your for-profit business encompasses a strong social mission you may find access to low-interest loans offered by a few foundations.

Where to find women’s business grants

The best resource to use when looking for a grant is the Small Business Loans & Grants Search Tool which helps you find financing for your small business in the form of loans and grants from both Government and private sector bodies. It asks you a series of questions about your business and its needs and then provides you with a list of financing options that may be suitable.

States allocate a part of their budget to economic development. Grants covered by these budget allocations are usually listed on their respective websites. The websites for each state can be found here.

Grants may be even more geographically specific, such as those issued by your local city or county. Check their respective websites to see if any are available in your area.

A complete resource of privately funded grants for business is impossible to find. As such you will need some guideance as to where on earth to start looking for this elusive funding. Here are some tips:

• Try your local Small Business Association (SBA) office. They do not offer grants but may know of smaller grants that are not advertised on the internet as well as industry specific business grants.
• Other grants can be found by trawling the internet, although this can be difficult due to the number of spam sites that promise a lot and achieve nothing other than relieving you of some money. If you do try some online searching put your search terms in quotes and try and be more specific by including your state, city or business type as well as ‘small business grants’. We came up with the following grants from a brief search of this type:

1. American Association of University Women – This foundation offers private funding for graduate women.
2. The Amber Grant - The Amber Foundation Grants helps women entrepreneurs find money to start a small business that is usually home based or online. Grants of $500-$1000 are issued to be used to upgrade equipment or pay for a website or similar small but essential expenses. The grants are not repayable although recipients are encouraged to pay it forward and help others they meet in the future.
3. Idea Cafe’s Small Business Grants – The Idea Café is keen to help small businesses so they make grant awards to deserving entrepreneurs. Their application process is quick and easy so it is worth a shot. They are currently offering $1,000 to the most deserving small business owner, who is willing to take their business to the next level.
4. FundsNetServices – A resource of many grants for women’s programs.

• Read your local business newspapers and magazines. Do not expect to find grants advertised but you may glean the information from interviews with local businessmen or gossip columns.
• Talk to your bank manager as he may know if his other customers have secured grant monies.
• Ask your accountant for the same reasons as your bank manager.
• Join a local business group if you are not a member already. Sometimes these groups offer their own grants or just networking with other members may elicit some valuable information.
• Do not dismiss grants that have expired as many are awarded annually so sit tight and wait until the new grant is issued. It may also be worth contacting the grantor to see if they have any other grants that you may be eligible for.
• Consider your business association if your industry has one as they sometimes issue their own grants.
• Talk to friends and family – they may have useful knowledge you would not expect.

Grants for small businesses are probably not going to be easy to find, but with some research and perseverance you could be lucky and pull it off.

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