The TRANSFORM Business Grant provides financial and developmental support to entrepreneurs from systemically marginalized groups who are aligned with anticapitalist and antiracist values. Administered by TRANSFORM, this program awards a $1,000 microgrant along with a one-year customized mentorship and business development program to each grantee. The grant is designed to uplift social impact-focused individuals and projects that challenge systemic oppression and promote community-centered change.
The program targets individuals in the United States regardless of citizenship or immigration status. Priority is given to those who identify as BIPOC, disabled, formerly incarcerated, queer, trans, and/or nonbinary, and who can demonstrate financial need. The definition of financial need is purposefully broad and applicant-defined, generally referring to the inability to meet necessary needs with current available resources.
To qualify, applicants must meet four non-negotiable criteria: identifying with a systemically marginalized group; operating a business or idea aligned with TRANSFORM’s values; focusing on social impact that addresses systemic injustice; and demonstrating financial need. Applications that do not meet all four of these criteria will not be considered. Projects in the medical or clinical fields are ineligible, as are those affiliated with political or religious purposes, or used for paying off student debt.
The 2025 grant application window runs from September 15 through September 26, closing at 11:59 PM PT. Applications submitted after this deadline will not be considered. Individuals or teams can apply. Projects do not need to be formally registered to qualify, and recipients will be issued a 1099-MISC for tax purposes.
Grantees are expected to actively participate in the year-long support program. This includes access to pro bono services in areas such as branding, coaching, business strategy, and marketing. TRANSFORM strongly opposes the use of artificial intelligence in application development, asserting that AI use conflicts with the organization's core anticapitalist values. Detected use of AI in applications is grounds for disqualification.
Applicants who are selected to move forward in the review process will be contacted in October or November. An optional virtual office hour session is scheduled for September 22, 2025, to provide prospective applicants with the opportunity to ask questions about the grant.
Be authentic. Avoid AI tools. Align your responses with the mission of TRANSFORM.
