Free guide · Windfall

12 Grants Every Black Founder Should Know About

Real amounts. Real deadlines. Direct application links. Money that doesn't need to be paid back — while 99% of founders don't know these exist, you'll be applying.

$1.5T
Unclaimed each year
3,200+
Active US grants
12
In this guide
0
Have to be paid back

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Part 1 · Quick wins

6 grants of $500–$10K, fast decisions

No SAM.gov required. Applications take under 30 minutes. Start here to build track record and get comfortable with the process.

HerRise Microgrant
$500–$1,000
Monthly
Explicit for Black women entrepreneurs
Awesome Foundation
$1,000
Monthly
100+ US chapters · one-page application
Idea Café Grant
$1,000
Quarterly
Historically favors Black + immigrant owners
Amber Grant · WomensNet
$10,000
Monthly
Women-owned · disproportionately BIPOC winners
Freed Fellowship
$500 + $2.5K year-end
Monthly
Best for visual/creative Black founders
Sky's the Limit Fund
$2,500
Rolling
Founders 18–35 · strong minority preference
Part 2 · Bigger wins

6 grants of $5K–$125K+, more preparation

Need a stronger profile: business track record, financials, sometimes SAM.gov or 1+ year operating. Payoffs match the effort.

1863 Ventures Innovate! Fund
$5K–$25K
Rolling
Explicitly for Black, Brown, Native founders
SoGal Foundation Black Women Grant
$5K–$10K
Quarterly
Black women + non-binary · early-stage OK
Comcast RISE
$5K–$50K
Monthly
BIPOC-owned · marketing/tech/consulting bundled
NAACP Powershift Grant
$25,000
Annual
Black-owned + community impact story
Google for Startups Black Founders Fund
$100K + $200K credits
Annual cohort
Non-dilutive · tech, MVP+ required
AWS Impact Accelerator (Black Founders track)
$125K
Annual
$30K cash + $100K AWS credits + 10-week program
The reality
“Foundations and Fortune 500s allocate billions specifically for Black-owned businesses. Most never get claimed — not because the applications are hard, but because founders don't know the programs exist.”

— Windfall philosophy

What you'll get in your inbox

The 12 grants with direct links, exact amounts, eligibility, deadlines, and application tips — plus 3 follow-up emails on SAM.gov certification (unlocks federal set-asides), your Readiness Score, and a 30-day plan to win your first grant.

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