Announcing New Grants from WomensNet

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, WomensNet has announced that it will be expanding its grantmaking to support more women-owned businesses in 2021.

(From WomensNet, January 21, 2021) Over the past few weeks, we’ve taken some time to reflect on the challenges women business owners faced in 2020.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a tough time for small business owners generally.  And even tougher for women-owned start-ups across the country. We heard a lot of heart-breaking stories of businesses teetering because of Covid.

We’ve also felt the entrepreneurial spirit of women from every corner of America (as well as our Canadian neighbors). And so we’re starting 2021 with renewed hope and purpose in helping women like you. 

Which brings us to our good news:

We’re expanding our WomensNet grants to help even more women entrepreneurs in 2021. Here’s how:

• In addition to our monthly Amber Grant recipient of $10,000, four other finalists will receive a $1,000 grant
• We’ll award separate “Marketing Grants” throughout the year. That means we’ll give “hands-on” marketing help to selected women-owned businesses. The new “Marketing Grant” will include strategic sessions with members of our Advisory Board; other “friends of WomensNet”; as well as agency support in developing and executing a marketing plan.
• Each of our Advisory Board members will have access to funding to give “Mini Grants” (up to $2,000) throughout the year. Sometimes we find women business owners who have a smaller — but still important — grant need. The Mini Grants will fill many of those needs. 
• We’re introducing an additional $5,000 “monthly grant” calendar to help women in businesses that are underrepresented by the main monthly Amber Grant.  That means that each month, we’ll give an additional $5,000 to a business in a different sector based on the calendar below: 
  • January: NonProfit Business and Organizations
    February: Health & Fitness
    March: Restaurant/Catering/Food
    April: Sustainability
    May: Mental & Emotional Support
    June: Business Support Service (e.g.accounting, consulting)
    July: Animal Services (e.g. veterinary, dog walking, grooming)
    August: Hair Stylists/Products
    September:  Education & Child Care
    October: Creative Arts (e.g. photography, galleries, designers)
    November: Skin Care
    December: Fashion Designers

We’ll also be announcing more initiatives in the coming weeks and months of 2021. We’re developing more resources from our network to help women businesses — from special reports, to one-on-one mentoring, to additional grants.

Related:

$1,000 a Month: How These Grants Empower Women Entrepreneurs

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