10 Best Grants For Women Owned Businesses In The USA

Anyone that wishes to start a business in the US or anywhere in the world requires some money to invest. This investment is necessary, and startup entrepreneurs can’t give any guarantees that the business will be successful over a period of years.

As a matter of fact, some 60 per cent to 90 per cent of all new businesses in the world, including in the US, flounder and fail during the first five years. This means the risks of losing your own money or the amount from some investor or loan are very high.

Women at Disadvantage in the US

Unfortunately, women entrepreneurs find it very hard to get investments for their startups or small businesses, as compared to men, due to several reasons.

One of the main hurdles that women entrepreneurs face is the mindset of investors and lenders. For unknown reasons, the majority of investors and lenders believe that a startup founded by men stands a better chance of success.

Secondly, we also have the gender pay gap inequality in the US, which means women anyways earn about 14 per cent lower income than their male counterparts with equal education and experience in the same roles.

Thirdly, female-owned businesses that fail get wide publicity in the media, especially when the woman founder has to face lawsuits, in comparison with men that fail at their ventures.

Maybe it’s shocking that gender discrimination exists in the US, but sadly, it does.

Statistics of Women-Owned Businesses in the USA

Gender discrimination and gender pay gaps aren’t able to stop women in the US from opening businesses, if we see statistics. These statistics prove that American women are overcoming hurdles such as discrimination in getting funding for their startup ventures and gaining more success than males in lots of businesses.

Here’re some statistics about female-owned businesses that might surprise you. These figures are from US Census Bureau.

• In Mid-2023, there were more than 12.3 million businesses in the US that were owned by women.
• These businesses generated $1.8 trillion in revenues in 2024.
• Women owned businesses in the US hire some 10.1 million workers on a total payroll of $388.1 billion.
• Businesses owned by women record 35 per cent higher Returns on Investments (ROI).
• Over 40 per cent of all businesses in the US are run by women.
• The number of businesses opened by women of colour, including Hispanics, Blacks and Asians, is on the rise.
• Women ask for an average of $36,000 as funding from venture investors, which is significantly lower than the $48,000 sought by men entrepreneurs.

According to the US Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women in America opened an average of 1,821 businesses every day during 2022. Most female owned businesses were in the tech, entertainment, healthcare and fashion industries, while some were in the retail and beauty sectors.

The success rates of female-led startups are said to be much higher than the ones owned by men. One of the reasons could be that women are more likely to take business risks than men, who prefer to play it safe.

Also Read:

• How Can a Housewife Become a Women Entrepreneur
• 10 Best Business Books for Entrepreneurs to Read in 2024
• 20 Offbeat Business Ideas for Women
• How To Get A Startup Business Loan With No Money?

10 Best Small Business Grants for Women

Keeping in mind that women are now increasingly entering business by launching several startups in tech, healthcare, hospitality, entertainment and other industries, quite a few grants are also available. If you’re a woman entrepreneur and would like to avail some of these grants, continue reading. Here, I will speak about some of the best small business grants for women.

1. Grants.gov

This is a federal website where women entrepreneurs can get small business grants. On this portal, women can find some superb business ideas that are eligible for grants from the US government. Grants.gov also has resources that help you find your eligibility for a small business grant.

The application process is very simple: register on the website to create your account. Later, fill in the relevant details and submit. You get priority for grants if the business you plan to open qualifies.

2. Girlboss Foundation

As a woman entrepreneur wanting to start a small business, you can get a grant of up to $15,000 from the Girlboss Foundation. These grants are given twice every year to eligible applicants. Visit the Girlboss Foundation website to check details about these grants. Each year, this organization gives away a total of $130,000 in grants to female entrepreneurs in different industries.

3. Amber Grants

Amber Grants are given away in memory of Amber Wigdahl, who passed away before she could open her small business. This grant is administered by WomensNet. They give $10,000 as grants to different women entrepreneurs every month and an annual or year-end grant of $35,000.

These grants are available to women that wish to open businesses in various industries. Details are available on the Amber Grants website.

4. Cartier Women’s Initiative Grants

According to available information, the Cartier Women’s Initiative Grants are among the largest available for women that wish to open small businesses. The first grant is for 10 regions of the US.

In this category, the first awardee, of the woman with the best business idea, can get $100,000 as a grant, the second position wins $50,000 and the third $30,000 each.

Also, they have the Science and Technology Pioneer Awards of $100,000, $50,000 and $30,000 to the first, second and third winners, respectively. Cartier Women’s Initiative Grants offers a grant worth an undisclosed amount under the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award. Apply online on their website.

5. Grantsforwomen.org

Grantsforwomen.org has been around since 1999 and helps eligible women find superb grants for higher education, skills upgrade and opening new businesses or expansion too. The amount of money given under these grants varies according to the eligibility criteria.

They might not give you direct grants but will help you reach out to platforms where you can get one suitable for the small business that you intend to start.

This is a website worth exploring since you can find something that’s worthwhile and can meet your needs for a business grant. The amount of grants you get can often be higher than what you could expect from venture capital in some cases.

6. Eileen Fischer Women-Owned Business Grants

Fashion designer and brand Eileen Fischer group give away $200,000 worth of grants to women who wish to own a business. The size of these grants can range between $10,000 per woman to $40,000.

The Eileen Fischer Grant aims at developing entrepreneurial skills among women as well as helping them to find ways to sustain themselves through small businesses. Application for these grants is through the Eileen Fischer Grants website only. They require a clear business plan and roadmap for your business to consider the application.

7. Tory Burch Foundation

Also, from a fashion designer, Tory Burch, this grant enables you to get $10,000 to $20,000 for your small business. They consider women of color and minorities, too, for the grant. Additionally, the foundation provides grants of $5,000 each to female students for higher education and skills upgrade in specific fields.

They are open to providing grants to female entrepreneurs in all industries. In fact, they don’t discriminate on any lines when giving any of their grants to eligible women.

8. FedEx Small Business Grants

Global logistics and freight major, FedEx provides small business grants for women and men who are into ecommerce. Meaning your business should have a turnover of less than half a million Dollars, and you should have shipped goods over a period of one year to customers in the US or elsewhere.

This grant is given through a contest. That means you have to compete with other applicants for the grant by proving your business is eligible. The grand prize or largest grant is $50,000, while others can get up to $10,000 each, while some get $5,000 in grant money.

9. SoGal Startup Grant

SoGal Startup Grants are worth $5,000 and $10,000 and are given mainly to encourage black American women to launch their own businesses. These are given by the SoGal Foundation.

Applications are through their website. You have to give details of the business that you plan to open and provide some more information about yourself. They will assess your eligibility for the grant.

10. Amazon- US Agency for International Development

Amazon, the single largest online retailer in the world, has tied up with USAID to launch grants worth a whopping $53 million for women who make innovations in the fields of climate tech and another $50 million for investing in climate tech startups launched by women.

This is a grant that focuses mainly on climate change and environmental technology. You can find more details of these grants from Amazon or USAID websites.

Wrap Up

As a female entrepreneur who wishes to launch a small business, apply for any of these grants and make your dream of owning a startup come true. However, it’s worth remembering that only a grant won’t help you.

All startups require proper finance management since the first three years are crucial. There are not many profits in the initial years, and expenses could go higher in the first couple of years after launch. If you handle finances and grants properly, your startup can emerge as a large business or multinational corporation someday.