Her Agenda Breakthrough Grant Volume III
$5,000
Closes September 18, 2026
- Applicant must have a currently operating business
- businesses in any industry or stage may apply. An active Her Agenda newsletter subscription is required
Home / Grant Directory / Grants for Women Founders
Grants for Women Founders
Dozens of grant programs target women-owned businesses, but many 2026 cycles have already closed — and some lists never say so. Below are only programs we could verify on an official page, with application fees disclosed wherever they exist. Always confirm eligibility with the grantor before applying.
Showing 18 open or rolling programs · 1 past rounds · all last verified September 16, 2026
Open now
H&R Block Fund Her Future Grant 2026
$50,000 package per recipient ($45,000 cash plus $5,000 in H&R Block services); up to four women-owned businesses selected
Closes September 22, 2026 (Applications close September 22, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. ET)
- Main executive must be age 18+ (19+ in Alabama and Nebraska)
- for-profit business located and registered in the U.S., D.C., or a U.S. territory. Presented by H&R Block in partnership with Hello Alice
Texas Woman's University CWE StartUP Grant 2026
$5,000 (ten awards)
Closes September 23, 2026 (Applications close September 23, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Central)
- Existing Texas for-profit legal entity, directly owned and controlled by U.S. citizens or permanent residents, with no more than 10 employees (excluding the owner). Supports eligible Texas startups
- no TWU affiliation required
Toast Changemakers Program 2026
$10,000 (fifteen restaurant owners across the U.S.)
Closes October 1, 2026 (Applications close October 1, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. ET)
- Leading executive of an independently owned, for-profit restaurant, café, or food-service business registered and located in the 50 U.S. states, D.C., or Puerto Rico. Business must have an existing, active effort addressing food insecurity in its community
- operating at least 6 months
- +2 more on the program page
Galaxy Grant
$2,500 (current cycle)
Closes October 31, 2026
- For women and minority business owners at aspiring, new, or experienced stages. Powered by Hidden Star, a 501(c)(3)
Awesome Foundation Microgrants
$1,000
Rolling applications
- Open to anyone with a project idea — individuals and informal projects qualify, not just registered businesses
- Apply through your local chapter (69 chapters across 10 countries); each chapter sets its own criteria and timing
- +1 more on the program page
Amber Grant
Three $10,000 grants awarded monthly; three additional $50,000 year-end grants
Rolling — Monthly — applications close 11:59 p.m. ET on the last day of each calendar month; winners announced the following month
- Women age 18+ who own at least 50% of a business based in the U.S. or Canada. Idea-stage, pre-revenue, and revenue-generating businesses qualify
- revenue-generating nonprofits also qualify, but nonprofits whose primary activity is charitable giving do not
HerRise MicroGrant
$1,000 awarded monthly
Rolling — Monthly — applications close 11:59 p.m. on the last day of each month
- Business must be at least 51% women-owned, registered in the U.S., and have less than $1 million in gross revenue. Program focuses on women who are under-resourced, including women of color
Freed Fellowship
$500 monthly grant; Fellows are also considered for a $2,500 year-end grant
Rolling — Rolling — monthly cutoff is midnight Eastern on the last day of each month
- Any U.S. micro or small business owner
- women and other overlooked founders are especially encouraged. Nonprofits are not supported
Hustler's MicroGrant
$1,000 awarded monthly
Rolling — Monthly — the official page does not state an exact monthly cutoff time
- Open to U.S. small business owners building, growing, or stabilizing a business
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Grant
$10,000 (10 businesses selected each month, June–December 2026; over $1M total funding)
Rolling — Ongoing through 2026 — apply once in 2026 and remain eligible all year; reviewed monthly June–December 2026
- Owners (age 18+) of for-profit small businesses in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or U.S. Virgin Islands. Applicants complete any combination of two free Digital Ready courses or events in 2026 to unlock the grant application
Breva Thrive Grant
$5,000 — one recipient per calendar quarter
Rolling — Quarterly — opening and deadline dates are posted on Breva's website at least 30 days in advance
- For-profit business legally formed and in good standing in a U.S. state, D.C., or territory, with a U.S. principal place of business and funded activities. Must have generated commercial revenue
- 12 months of operations is preferred but newer businesses with traction may qualify. Must demonstrate measurable community benefit. Gender-neutral selection
Women Founders Grant
$5,000 awarded monthly
Rolling — Monthly — submissions close on the last day of each month
- Women age 18+ based in the U.S. Business idea or existing business must be at least 51% women-owned and operated. Idea-stage, side-hustle, pre-incorporation, and solo applicants are accepted. Cannabis, vice, and hate-based businesses are excluded
IFundWomen Universal Grant Application
Varies — matches applicants to sponsored partner grants; amounts differ by partner program
Rolling — Rolling — IFundWomen notifies applicants when their profile matches a partner program's criteria
- Women founders apply once through the universal application and are matched to partner grant programs as cycles open
Hey Helen Grant
$10,000 (one award per stated cycle; terms also describe it as monthly); applications are retained for consideration across 12 monthly rounds
Rolling — Ongoing monthly rounds — the exact current-cycle close date was not stated on the official terms page
- Women or qualifying nonbinary founders operating at least 50% woman-owned, for-profit U.S. businesses. Business must be legally registered in the U.S. or a territory, actively operating, under $1 million in annual gross revenue, and have a U.S. business bank account. Pre-launch activity may qualify if demonstrable
NASE Growth Grants
Up to $4,000
Rolling — Applications accepted year-round and reviewed quarterly
- Applicant must be a National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) member in good standing. Annual, veteran, gold, and annually-paid silver members may apply immediately
- monthly members generally must wait 90 days
POV Shorts / Chicken & Egg / TIME Studios Co-Production Fund
$40,000 per project
Deadline not published — check the official page
- Independent documentary short filmmakers, with a stated mission focus on women, gender-expansive filmmakers, and other underrepresented storytellers. Projects are selected via partner curation rather than a public open application
Hello Alice Opportunities
Varies — platform surfaces grant programs from corporate and nonprofit partners (e.g., $10,000 Verizon grants, $50,000 H&R Block grants, $10,000 Toast grants)
Deadline not published — check the official page
- Free to join
- completing a business profile unlocks personalized opportunity matches. Grant programs and accelerators on the platform have no fees
Past rounds — watch for re-opening
These programs are verified but their most recent round has closed. We keep them listed so you can watch the official page for the next cycle instead of wondering whether they exist.
Chicken & Egg Films 2027 (Egg)celerator Lab
$40,000
Closes April 29, 2026
- Women or gender-expansive filmmakers directing their first or second feature-length documentary (48+ min), in early-to-mid production
- worldwide except comprehensively U.S.-sanctioned regions
- +1 more on the program page
Before you apply
Three things worth knowing: fees — several microgrants charge $15–$25 to apply, disclosed on each program page; fit beats volume — one well-matched application outperforms ten generic ones; and confirm everything — eligibility and deadlines change, so the grantor's page is the final word. Our guides walk through the process step by step (coming soon).