How TO Get Amber grants for women Owned Small Business – Business grants for women help to grow or scale their businesses for free unlike small business loans that are required to be paid back. One such grant program for women business owners is Amber Grants. These grants are funded by the Amber Foundation which was started in 1998 to support women in the entrepreneurial community.
The foundation was established to honor the memory of a young businesswoman named Amber who died at only 19 years of age. The foundation assists women with Amber grants to help their businesses grow and thrive. This guide will throw light on how Amber Grants for women-owned small businesses can help you in your business and what other alternatives you can consider.
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Highlights of this Post
What Are Amber Grants For Women-Owned Small Businesses?
Woman’s Net award Amber Grant worth $10,000 to women-owned businesses in a particular rotating category. The organization awards a second monthly grant of $10,000 to women-owned startups and businesses including a quarterly $10,000 grant to a nonprofit and startup. Two of the 12 general grant winners and one of the industry-specific grant winners get an additional award of $25,000 each at the end of every year.
The funding grants are small however it helps to start a business. The best thing about applying for Amber Grants for women-owned businesses is that you need not go through stringent eligibility criteria or repay the funds. Women entrepreneurs can apply for this grant at any time by narrating a compelling story.
You need not fulfill the complicated forms like other small business grants. At the end of every month, judges will pick an eligible recipient and provide them with the grant award. Judges look for the following qualities among women entrepreneurs to provide them with the grant: passion, vision and business savvy attitude.
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What Are The Eligibility Criteria And Application Procedure For Amber Grants?
The eligibility criterion and application procedure for the Amber Grant is relatively simple. Applicants should be women-owned businesses or female entrepreneurs to qualify and must share their business idea or business model including their plan to use the grant money for business purposes.
Besides, applicants are required to pay an application fee worth $15. The Advisory Board of the foundation will choose a winner with a compassionate and compelling story.
The criteria requires women-owned businesses to operate in Canada or the United States only. There is no time in business requirement however companies who are looking for startup grants for women-owned businesses will be prioritized by Amber Grant.
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What Are The Different Types Of Grants Provided By Amber Foundation?
As per the Federal Reserve’s 2021 Small Business Credit Survey, only 12% of business entrepreneurs receive full financing amount from lenders in comparison to 14% of men-owned businesses.
Fortunately, the Amber Grant program by Amber Foundation offers generous grants to women-owned businesses so that they can succeed and thrive.
Each year Woman’s Net provides women’s business grants worth $450,000 including the Amber grant. Let’s take a look at the following grant programs that can help women each year in their entrepreneurial journey.
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Monthly Amber Grant
Every month a grant prize winner receives financial assistance of up to $10,000 while four finalists receive grant awards worth $1000 each.
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Annual Amber Grant
Woman’s Net provides an additional grant award of $25,000 at the end of each year to one of the monthly Amber grant winners.
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The Marketing Grant
Every year two eligible women entrepreneurs receive marketing grants to cover their marketing costs or get hands-on marketing help.
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Mini-Grants
The Advisory Board of the organization awards many grants over $2000 throughout the year. For instance, in the year 2022, the Advisory Board members provided the Mini Grants award of $40,000 to eligible women-owned entrepreneurs.
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Business Category Grant
The organization selects a business category every month and an entrepreneur with a business in that particular category gets an opportunity to win $10,000. At the end of every year, one of the monthly winners receives an additional business category grant award of $25,000.
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Nonprofit Grant
Every year the Woman’s Net awards an organization or nonprofit business worth a $10,000 grant. Applicants just need to fill out an application form and submit it to Women’s Net. In case you do not win a particular grant you can keep applying each month to secure a chance.
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Amber grant Application Fee
The application fee to apply for a grant is $15. This fee covers the cost of their annual report and will provide you with an opportunity to remain updated on all of the events that are going on with their organization, such as their annual fundraiser.
The one-time application cost must be paid via the safe checkout system. In addition, the application process will take up to four weeks for them to review the documents after it has been received.
How To Apply For Amber Grant?
It is not difficult to apply for the Amber Grant. There are no lengthy or difficult forms to fill out. The applicant must be a citizen of the United States and be at least 18 years old. The following is the list of the other most important points to keep in mind:
- Business entrepreneurs who have attributes such as passion, vision, and business acumen are selected. Women who are passionate about their work and have a way of inspiring others are selected.
- Make preparations to expand or launch your own small business. There is no need to submit a formal business plan at this time. Simply an overview of the ways in which you can be successful in business.
- Your remarks should be written in a manner that makes it clear how you will improve the lives of others. A well-written essay will make it easier to decide whether you are an exemplary candidate for their awards.
- Write a resume that describes your employment history, education level, and other accomplishments. Other items of importance include your age and marital status. Also, list any professional certifications.
Are Amber Grants Legitimate?
In short, yes. They are a company that has been in business for more than 15 years. They work with women entrepreneurs who are interested in starting or growing their businesses.
The grants that they offer range in size from between $500 and $100,000. They do not require any money upfront on your part. In addition, they do not ask for any financial information or collateral. Please go to their website or call them at 1-844-307-9173 to learn more about their process.
What Are The Benefits Of Applying For Amber Grants?
Amber grants are awarded to eligible women-owned business entrepreneurs with Amber Foundation owned by Woman’s Net an online network to serve and support women in their business endeavors. The benefit of applying for these Amber Grants is that you need not go through a strict eligibility criteria, complex paperwork and a long procedure.
The grant award can be used for purchasing office equipment, covering the expense of starting a new business or for website design. Grants are provided every quarter by the foundation to eligible recipients without the need to repay back.
Women entrepreneurs are encouraged to start a home-based online business by playing for grant money from this foundation. In addition, the organization also offers other resources to women to find information about how to write a grant proposal, and suitable business grants in online blogs where women can share their ideas and information about owning and operating small businesses.
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Alternative Women Business Grants To Consider
If you are a female small business entrepreneur then you can use a lot of funding opportunities from public and private sources besides Amber Grants to grow and expand your company. Take a look at the following best business grants for women.
Federal Business Grants For Women entrepreneurs
The first and foremost resource that you must check out while looking for grants for women entrepreneurs is Grants.gov.
This website comprises a list of grants that are sponsored by the federal government for business owners. You can use the search feature of the database and look for funding opportunities designed particularly for women business owners.
Grants are distributed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) through programs known as Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR), both of which aim to encourage technical innovation in small enterprises. These programs have a special focus on women and minorities.
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program awards government contracts to help small startup companies fund research and development projects that have the potential to greatly impact the country’s economy.
The Program For Investors In Micro Entrepreneurs was established in 1989 by Congress to fund community-based organizations that work to assist small businesses, especially some destitute and disadvantaged communities.
PRIME grants do not provide assistance to small businesses directly however they help organizations for instance tribal nations and small business assistance centers to invest in low-income communities. To access the grant funding you need to contact one of the organizations or centers that receive the grant.
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State And Local Resources For Women Entrepreneurs
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Small Business Development Center Grant
The SBDC was launched in 1972 and has helped over 80,000 entrepreneurs achieve the goals for their business plans. The SBDC gives out small grants to entrepreneurs looking to start up new ventures or expand their existing ones.
The Minority Business Development Agency centers operate a network of a lot of business centers in the United States of America that are designed to assist minority business owners in securing contracts, access capital and develop economic strategies. The Enterprising Women Of Color Initiative run by MBDA supports minority women in their entrepreneurial journey.
Every city and state in the United States of America has Economic Development Resources that work to promote robust local economies. You can contact your state economic development administration to learn about the potential financial opportunities available.
For instance, the state of New York has the Lake Champlain Lake Georgia Regional Planning Board that assists local businesses in securing federal and state funding.
Private Small Business Grants For Women Entrepreneurs
A program known as Sogal Startup Grant supports black women entrepreneurs who are unable to secure venture capital funding from other sources. The winner of the grant receives cash assistance of $5000 or $10,000 to start a company.
They also get professional guidance and suggestions to go through the fundraising process. Black women founders can grow or scale their businesses by applying for this grant. You need to identify yourself as a nonbinary entrepreneur or black woman and must run a legally registered business.
National Association for Self-Employed organization gives the proprietor of a small firm a growth incentive of up to $4,000 each month, in addition to providing grants for higher education to the proprietor’s immediate family members.
The Women’s Business Development Center offer grants and resources that can be used to help women start businesses and get them off the ground.
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Tory Burch Foundation
The Tory Burch Foundation is a nonprofit that helps women entrepreneurs by offering awards for women who have impacted the design industry and those who are helping to promote the cause of women in business.
Through a partnership with Bank of America’s Capital Program, the foundation helps women business owners access loans at more manageable interest rates.
This online directory provides information on where businesses can find assistance and training to help them start or improve their small firms, including providing them with business counseling and financial aid.
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FedEx Small Business Grant Contest
The Fedex small business grant is a great way to get a small business started. Under this contest, they will award small amounts of money to people who are trying to build their own businesses. However, you could win up to $25,000 just for submitting an application for this contest and having it selected as the winner by FedEx.
An annual program was designed by the Cartier Women Initiative in 2006 to empower female small business entrepreneurs. The women-led or woman-owned businesses that can apply for the program are the Science and Technology Pioneer Award and Diversity Equity and Inclusion Award.
The eligibility criteria require applicants to demonstrate their business is women-run or women-owned and has a mission to make a sustainable and meaningful impact on the environment or society.
A women’s clothing brand known as Eileen Fisher Organization supports women-owned businesses and awards grant funding worth $200,000 every year. The individual grant may range between $10,000 to $40,000. To be eligible you need to show you’re running a nonprofit organization and providing direct services to customers.
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Men and women silver jewelry artists can apply for the Halstead Grant. The program provides an opportunity to help business entrepreneurs get startup grants worth $7500 including many other perks that can grow and scale their business.
The semifinalist gets a small cash grant of $250 or $500 including help with the promotion of their business. The application procedure requires applicants to answer 15 business-associated questions and send the application and design portfolio images within the deadline.
A lot of grant opportunities are available to creative women entrepreneurs through the Girl Boss Foundation. You can be eligible for a semi-annual grant from the foundation by proving you are running a woman-owned business in the field of design, art, fashion and music industry.
Winners of the program receive funding of $15,000 for their respective projects. The foundation awards grants to innovative women business owners twice a year and has given $130,000 in grant funding since 2014.
An excellent starting point for female entrepreneurs seeking funding opportunities to grow their business is GrantsForWomen.org. The website has a list of grants and programs curated meticulously for women entrepreneurs.
The website also provides details about federal, private and corporate funding sources. Even though not all grants are designed for entrepreneurs this platform offers a wide array of funding opportunities to women belonging to different industries..
Hawaii based female entrepreneurs can apply for the FoundHer Accelerator Program to receive $20,000 grants for six months including a $4000 care stipend to cover monthly learning and networking retries and weekly educational workshops.
You need to prove your business is in the early stage and a minimum of 50% Native Hawaiian or American Pacific Islander owned to qualify for assistance.
The StartHer grant is offered by the Texas Women’s University Center for Women Entrepreneurs. The grant offers assistance of up to $5000 to 25 Texas entrepreneurs. Eligible businesses should be at least 51% women-led or women-owned to be eligible.
Formerly known as Incfile Fresh Start Business Grant the Bizee Fresh Start Business Grant is open to those business owners who are about to start their business.
To be eligible you need to be a resident of the United States and be at least 21 years in eight. The grants are provided three times every year to eligible entrepreneurs. A winner receives a grant award worth $2500 each cycle.
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The Kitty Fund Mother led business grant was established in 2020 to provide a grant award of $1000 to businesses run by mothers.
If you are a mother running a business based in the United States and have less than 50 employees with an annual revenue of less than $5 million then you can receive funding through this grant program.
A grant marketplace known as IFundWoman specializes in providing funding opportunities and coaching to female entrepreneurs. You need to submit an application and the marketplace will help you find funding opportunities based on your grant criteria and application.
Once your business matches the criteria of a program you’ll get a notification and invitation to apply. The objective of this grant is to support women-owned businesses and help them expand or grow their business.
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Conclusion
Women entrepreneurs often struggle to secure business investments and financing compared with their male counterparts. The ability to get funding opportunities that are not required to repay back appeals to a lot of business owners. Amber Grant is a remarkable initiative of Women’s Net that offers promising financial opportunities to women entrepreneurs. The program is even more appealing as it is open to businesses running in Canada and the United States. It is an ideal option for businesses particularly startups, and those looking for financial assistance to expand and launch their business since there is no stringent criteria to fulfill. You can also apply for the other alternative programs mentioned above to scale your business.
You can learn more about government grants and programs for low-income families at Get Government Grants’ blog section today. Our resources will help you to attain self-sufficiency.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the eligibility requirements to apply for an Amber Grant?
Amber Grants are open to any woman starting a business in the United States, over the age of 18, who is not currently receiving support from an incubator or private investor. The program provides over $10,000 in grant money every month to a variety of winners.
Are nonprofits eligible For Amber Grants for Women Owned Business?
Non-profit organizations and other private entities may apply for the Amber Grant so long as they abide by all requirements. However, applicants must meet all goal criteria to obtain funding from the Amber Grant.