Grants for Small businesses - Diversity Equity and Inclusion

The City of York is accepting applications for its Education, Empowerment & Enhancement (3E) Grant Program. Donor Name: City of York State: Pennsylvania City: York Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: All Time Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Small business owners may be awarded up to $5,000 through the City of York 3E Grant Program supported by ARPA funds. This grant program is intended to increase the operating capacity of small businesses owned by minorities, women, and people with disabilities through education and job training, empowerment and professional development, and enhancements to business operations – 3E’s. Eligibility Criteria The City’s ARPA grant programs are designed to support residents, organizations, programs, and activities that benefit City of York residents and community. Per the Final Rule, the U.S. Treasury recognizes small businesses located within a Qualified Census Tract (QCT) area as disproportionately impacted and eligible to receive funding for this program. Qualifying expenses must be related to the following: Education (classes, certificates, training), Empowerment (retreats, workshops, coaching), and Enhancement (new software, products, equipment) for business owners and/or their employees to promote business growth and stability. The City of York is required by law to obtain the following information from all grant program applicants. This information is used by the City to determine the eligibility of the applicant under US Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) guidelines. You must meet all eligibility criteria and submit ALL the required documentation to be considered for the grant. The information you provide on this form will be kept confidential. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Additional Requirements Business must be majority owned by a minority, woman, or person with a disability. Earn $500,000 or less in annual gross revenues. Must be registered, licensed, and in good standing on all City taxes and obligations. Business must be physically located within a QCT in the City of York. No owners have been convicted of financial crimes within the past three years. Eligible costs must occur within a year of receiving grant funds. For more information, visit City of York.

This program provides financial support to social equity-licensed cannabis businesses in Cook County to help cover startup and operational costs, prioritizing those in historically marginalized communities.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to local businesses and non-profits for community-focused projects that promote public engagement, enhance public spaces, and foster economic growth in Hyattsville.

The City of San Diego's Economic Development Department is offering a grant of $10,000 to $100,000 to nonprofit organizations that can assist small businesses in under-resourced communities, with funds to be used for capacity building expenses such as technical assistance, website creation, and event programming, with priority given to organizations with modest budgets and proposals aligning with the Economic Development Strategy.

This initiative provides financial support and mentorship to minority-owned small businesses in specific West Side neighborhoods of Chicago, helping them grow and contribute to their communities.

The Southern STEM Network Grant VI, administered by the Nevada Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation, and Technology (OSIT), aims to support innovative initiatives that help develop an educated, skilled, and diverse STEM workforce in Southern Nevada. Projects should address increased participation in high-quality STEM programs from underserved groups, raise awareness about STEM opportunities, and ensure high-quality STEM education with engaged business partners across all counties, cities, and districts. Funding is available up to $50,000, with applications due by June 28, 2024. Eligible projects include pilot programs, scaling up existing programs, or extending successful initiatives from other regions.

This fellowship provides support, resources, and funding to U.S. entrepreneurs developing scalable solutions in climate, health, and equity, with a focus on historically underrepresented founders.

Verizon has partnered with LISC to offer $10,000 grants to small businesses as part of their commitment to support 1 million small businesses by 2030. Applicants must be over 18, own a small business, and non-profit business owners are not eligible. Eligibility requires completing two grant-eligible courses or events between January 1, 2024, and June 28, 2024. The application deadline is June 28, 2024, and late applications will not be considered.

This program provides financial support to established small businesses in downtown North Wilkesboro and Wilkesboro, North Carolina, to enhance their operations through equipment upgrades, physical space improvements, and e-commerce development.

Public Health – Seattle & King County is offering a grant of $100,000 to $500,000 for projects that support diverse youth mental health providers, particularly those connected to LGBTQIA and BIPOC communities, with the aim of increasing access to mental health resources, improving retention, and supporting diverse providers in King County, Washington.

The Arts Council of Greater New Haven (ACGNH) is excited to announce the West Haven ARPA Grant. Donor Name: Arts Council of Greater New Haven State: Connecticut City: West Haven Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/29/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Less than 1 Year Details: With the release of $116,250 of ARPA funds from the City of West Haven, The Arts Council of Greater New Haven (ACGNH) is proud to announce the rapid release of funds to stimulate arts + culture activity in West Haven, CT this summer. Alongside the partners at ArtsWest CT, they are working to distribute microgrants of $2,500-10,000 each to artists, arts organizations, and creative businesses in West Haven. Given the rapid nature of this funding process, feasibility is one of the most important criteria for the panelists reviewing your application. They strongly encourage applicants to consider proposals that are easy to execute in the project period such as equipment purchases, GOS expenses (rent, subscriptions, etc.), artistic commissions, or offsetting costs of previously planned activities within the project period. Applicants should not submit applications for new projects or events that would need to be conceived, organized, and produced within the 2-month timeframe. Uses of funds  Because of the emphasis on feasibility, applicants are encouraged to submit proposals for projects that fall into the following categories. If you have an alternative idea to what they have proposed, please ask us in advance! General Operating Support (GOS): rent expenses, equipment purchases/rentals, subscriptions (web hosting, memberships, etc.), printing/mailing, contract labor (graphic designers, consultants, etc.). Project Support: physical materials, ground transportation, commissions, contract labor (performers, consultants, designers, etc.), advertising, venue rental, etc. Expenses can NOT include salaried employees paid via payroll (W-2 employees). PLEASE NOTE that if you receive this grant you will receive a 1099 and be responsible for paying income tax required by the law. Eligibility Criteria  Location: Applicants should EITHER be based in West Haven (e.g. individuals residing, or businesses registered, in West Haven) OR proposing a project that directly serves the West Haven community (e.g. commissioning a West Haven artist or renting space in West Haven for your next event). Age: Applicants must be over the age of 18 (if applying as individuals). Organizations/collectives applying must have a representative to receive the funds who is over the age of 18. Arts + Culture Focus: While they do believe in an expansive definition for arts and cultural–and encourage creative folks of all disciplines to apply for the microgrants–the applicant should demonstrate that the funds will be used in ways to clearly engage in artistic, historical, and/or culturally-specific activities. Applicants who submit proposals focused on other disciplines with an “add-on” artistic element will not be eligible for funding. Evaluation Criteria  The following are the criteria by which the review panel will evaluate, score, and award these microgrants. The questions are meant to guide your understanding of what they mean by each criteria, but are not the only ways to understand these values. Feasibility: Do you have the relationships and resources necessary to complete the proposal in the project period (July – August, 2024)? Equity + Inclusion: How does the proposal incorporate, serve, and/or support the historically marginalized residents of West Haven–especially the disabled folks, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and individuals of the global majority (BIPOC)? When applicable, does the application reflect equitable compensation levels for artists and administrators? Community: What community (or, communities) does the applicant serve within West Haven? How will this proposal activate, elevate, and/or support residents of West Haven? What partnerships will this project foster? For more information, visit ACGNH.

The Rural Child Care Planning Program seeks to support the use of data and analysis by rural communities to determine the specific needs and solutions for child care in their area. Donor Name: Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) State: Iowa County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/30/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 2 Years Details: Child care is a challenge across rural communities in Iowa and across the nation. However, the solutions are often more complicated than the construction of a new facility. Many factors need to be carefully analyzed to determine the feasibility for development of a child care center, expansion of an existing one or support for in-home providers. Through greater understanding of their geographic market, demographics, competition, financials, and other factors, communities can be armed with the information needed to take proactive steps towards addressing child care challenges. Funding from the program will empower communities to assess their current child care environment and develop strategies. The program, defined in Iowa Administrative Code, is administered by the Center for Rural Revitalization, a division of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), in consultation with the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative Task Forces. Funding Information Grant Recipients will be awarded $20,000. Grant Period All project activities and incurred expenses must occur within the eligible contracted funding period of October 1, 2024 – June 30, 2026. Uses of funds  The program provides funding for planning initiatives addressing child care needs through a professional third party partner. Eligible Project Requirements Requirements for Rural Child Care Planning Grant awards include, but are not limited to the following: Applicants must demonstrate the capacity for grants administration. Applications must provide 1:1/2 cash match. Applications must agree to contract with a professional third-party partner for completion of the market study and strategic goals. Applicant communities must identify the third-party organization in their application that will conduct the planning process.  Eligibility Criteria Iowa businesses, colleges and universities, city or county government, federally tax-exempt nonprofit agencies and foundations Projects/programs must exist in and benefit a community in Iowa with a population of 20,000 or fewer and not contiguous to a city with a population of 40,000 or greater. If a countywide project, must be in one of the 88 least populous counties. For more information, visit IEDA.

Applications are now being accepted for the Minority Business Enterprise Grant Program Donor Name: Regional Economic Development Inc State: County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 07/19/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Grant program, administered by REDI and funded by the City of Columbia, focuses on inclusivity in opportunity and elevating underrepresented businesses. Through this program, a total of $50,000 will be awarded to ten small for-profit businesses in Columbia that are 51% or more owned by individuals self-identifying as one or more of the following: African, African American, Asian-Pacific, Black, Hispanic, Latinx, Native American (including Native Alaskan or Hawaiian), or Subcontinent Asian.  Funding Information Each year, REDI awards ten $5,000 grants to deserving Minority-owned Businesses.  Eligibility Requirements Business must be 51% or more owned by a person(s) of color as defined above Business must be a for-profit entity legally registered with the State of Missouri and have a Federal Tax ID (EIN) Business must have a Columbia business license Business must be located in Columbia city limits Business must be actively working with a business coach through REDI or another organization Business must have 10 or fewer employees (or full-time equivalents) For more information, visit REDI.

This program provides matching funds to small businesses in Santa Monica for exterior improvements, prioritizing those owned by minorities, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as businesses serving low- and moderate-income areas.

This program provides funding to commercial property owners and managers in Boulder to create affordable spaces for small businesses, particularly those owned by women and minorities, helping them thrive in the community.

If your company, program, or organization is working to support and empower student parents, or you want to learn how your solution can be tailored to accelerate the postsecondary success of student parents, apply for the Rise Prize! Donor Name: Entangled Institute State: All States County: All Counties Type of Grant: Awards and Prizes Deadline: 05/17/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Prize was created by Imaginable Futures—a venture of The Omidyar Group—and Lumina Foundation, along with a group of leading partner organizations, to leverage direct investments in innovative solutions supporting student parents. The Rise Prize will make 14 awards totalling $1.5M to solutions driving economic mobility and well-being for student parents. By applying for the Rise Prize you could: Raise awareness of your solution and get exposure to funders and potential partners Strengthen your idea with support from mentors and build community with fellow innovators; and as a finalist, be paired with an advisor to sharpen your product pitch Win $50,000 as an early stage applicant, $100,000 as a Risers’ Choice awardee, or $200,000 as a mature stage applicant. Solutions that will have a direct impact on the postsecondary success of student parents—whether your solution is focused on these outcomes or others, they want to hear from you. Those solutions could include: flexible courseware, original outcomes-based financing solutions, innovative childcare support models, community building or completion coaching—any type of solution designed to accelerate student parent success. Childcare Community of Support Completion Time Convenience First Cost Credential/Connection to Career. Who Should Apply? The Prize is open to impact-driven changemakers: companies, programs, and organizations of any type or stage in the US working on solutions directly supporting student parent postsecondary success. This includes changemakers who are seeking to add additional products or solutions to accelerate the success of student parents. Applicant Types Rise Prize welcomes applicants working on innovative solutions to directly impact postsecondary success for student parents at scale, including: Non-profit organizations For-profit companies, including edtech solutions Higher education institutions, including departments or teams within higher education institutions; academic institution associations; or alternative career pathways programs, including workforce programs, credentialing programs, and bootcamps. Solution Types The Rise Prize is designed to increase the number of innovative solutions driving postsecondary success for student parents. There will be three types of awards made through a single application process: Early Stage New ideas and solutions anchored in initial customer validation (user testing or pilots, market research, or a plan for customer validation). This could include: Pre-seed and seed startups that have developed a plan for customer validation and research Established organizations exploring new ideas and solutions for student parents Academic institutions and social ventures at testing or pilot phases 8 winners from the early stage category will be awarded $50,000 each. Mature Stage Defined by solutions provided by organizations that have strong conviction about the business or organization’s ability to serve student parents and are looking to take that work to scale. For venture-backed startups, this means Series A and beyond. These solutions should have: Demonstrated product/market fit and strength of the market Measured impact on customers or end users 5 winners from the mature stage category will be awarded $200,000 each. For more information, visit Entangled Institute.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to innovative technology startups in Minnesota for research, development, and business expenses, helping them grow and succeed in their early years.

Comcast RISE provides grants to help an even broader range of small businesses, while continuing to focus on diversity, inclusion, and community investment. Donor Name: Comcast RISE State: Selected States City: Selected Cities Type of Grant: Program Deadline: 05/31/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Comcast RISE was created in 2020 to help small businesses hardest hit by COVID-19 recover and thrive. They’re pleased to bring Comcast RISE back in 2024, and they’re proud to continue the efforts to help an even broader range of small businesses, while continuing to focus on diversity, inclusion, and community investment. The program is built to help businesses and their communities thrive with a focus on economic growth. This year, Comcast RISE will award 500 recipients in five cities with a grant package that includes business consultation services, educational resources, monetary grant, creative production, media schedule, and a technology makeover. Funding Information Each Winner will receive $5,000 US Dollars in the form of a cash grant (“Monetary Grant”), a creative and media campaign (“Creative and Media Campaign”), a technology makeover (“Tech Makeover”), business education courses (“Education”), and a consultation (“Consultation”). This is awarded based on the judging criteria above. The Monetary Grant award consists of a $5,000 cash prize. The Creative and Media Campaign award consists of the production of a turnkey 30-second television commercial and the right to use that television commercial in a one hundred-eighty (180) day linear TV media schedule. After completion of the 180 day media schedule, recipients will have the opportunity to purchase an extension to the Media Campaign at then-current rates. Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) of each Creative and Media Campaign prize: $17,500.00. The Education award consists of access to online business education courses through a 12-month complimentary LinkedIn Learning account. The Consultation award consists of a business assessment and tactical planning; business to business coaching; and mentorship to advise on how to grow business. The Technology Makeovers will include some combination of Comcast Business Internet, Voice, and cybersecurity malware detection with no monthly service charge for up to a 12-month period and computer equipment from a selection of laptops and/or tablets. Tech Makeover services can only be awarded to one business location for a 12- month consecutive period. Value of Comcast Business service and equipment not to exceed $7,500.00 for the year. Comcast Business will install services and a modem(s) at the business location specified on the submission. After completion of the 12-month period, recipients will have the opportunity to subscribe to the Comcast Business service at current rates. Exact make, model, type, and quantity of computer equipment received to be determined by Sponsor, in its sole discretion. ARV of each Tech Makeover prize: $7,500.00. Application Criteria To be eligible to apply, companies must meet the following criteria: Open only to eligible small businesses located and operating in one (1) of these geographies (as defined by Comcast via zip codes) in the United States: Atlanta, GA Southern Colorado Houston, TX Jacksonville, FL Richmond, VA Small business must be owned by an individual eighteen (18) years of age or older as of the start of the Program Period that also meets the following eligibility requirements: Person who owns the business is the primary decision maker for, and has been actively engaged in, the day-to-day operations of the business Owner owns at least 51% of the equity of said business Business is independently owned and operated and not a franchise location Business has been actively operating for at least three (3) years Business has been revenue generating for at least the 12 months prior to the Program Period Business does not fall into any of the following categories: Non-profit Chamber of Commerce Public or private education provider that participates in the FCCs E-Rate Universal Service Program Church or Religious Organizations including nondenominational ministries, interdenominational and ecumenical organizations, and organizations whose main purpose is to study or advance religion Political advertiser Any business related in any way to the growing, marketing, sale, distribution, or use of marijuana or related products Manufacturer or retailer of drug paraphernalia Virtual MVPD Internet Service Provider Gun manufacturer or retailer Fireworks manufacturer or retailer Tobacco/vape manufacturer or retailer Illegal products or services provider Adult entertainment company, including, but not limited to gentlemen’s clubs, adult toy stores, adult magazines, and adult programming services Ride sharing service providers (including independent contractors of ride sharing companies.) Business employs one hundred (100) employees (including full-time and part-time employees) or less Employees of Comcast Corporation, and each of its respective parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries are not eligible to enter or win Employees of EY (Ernst & Young), Hello Alice, LinkedIn are not eligible to enter or win Only one submission per business owner Business owner has no prior felony convictions, tax-related convictions, or child support delinquency convictions Business owner may not currently be serving (either in a full time or part time capacity) as a federal, state, or local government or quasi-government official or employee Business or business owner who has previously received a Comcast RISE monetary grant, consultation, media, creative production, or technology makeover is not eligible. For more information, visit Comcast RISE.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations focused on empowering low- and moderate-income communities and underserved populations in New England and parts of New York.

The California Public Utilities Commission will give preference to programs and projects in communities with demonstrated low broadband access, including low-income communities, senior citizen communities, and communities facing socioeconomic barriers to broadband adoption. Eligible Projects: Digital Literacy Projects- Digital inclusion projects may include digital literacy training programs and public education to communities with limited broadband adoption, including low-income communities, senior citizen communities, and communities facing socioeconomic barriers to broadband adoption. Broadband Access Projects- may include those that provide free broadband access in community training rooms or other public spaces, such as local government centers, senior citizen centers, schools, public libraries, nonprofit organizations, and community-based organizations. It can also include funding community outreach, such as analysis, comparison of Internet plans with the community, and call centers that will increase broadband access and adoption.