May-23-2008
Goverment Grants for Women?
I am looking for goverment grants for women, mainly for small business? Was told i could look on the internet but the only thing i can find is people trying to sell services so you can get a grant. lol
Anything wuld be of help
not really sure but I would try sallie mae.com
It is hard to find grants to start a business — even for women. Unlike the myths that some perpetuate, federal government and even private foundations hardly give grant money for a for-profit business. And yes, grants mean PAPERWORK – lots and lots of it, that is why a cottage industry of grant writers was born.
Nonetheless, you can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) and Grants.gov – these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support a for-profit venture.
Even if you buy books on “how to get grants” or list that supposedly has information on grants — all of them are mere rehash of what CFDA has, albeit packaged differently. But still the info is the same – hardly any grants for starting a for profit business.
On CFDA.gov –> Search for Assistance Programs (HTML) –> Browse by Beneficiary –> Women
Here is a list of all grants given to women
10.443 USDA Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers
10.550 USDA Food Donation
10.557 USDA Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children
10.565 USDA Commodity Supplemental Food Program
10.572 USDA WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP)
16.736 DOJ Transitional Housing Assistance for Victims of Domestic Violence, Stalking, or Sexual Assault
17.301 DOL Non-Discrimination and Affirmative Action by Federal Contractors and Federally Assisted Construction Contractors
17.700 DOL Women’s Bureau
20.905 DOT Disadvantaged Business Enterprises_Short Term Lending Program
30.001 EEOC Employment Discrimination_Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
30.002 EEOC Employment Discrimination_State and Local Fair Employment Practices Agency Contracts
59.043 SBA Women’s Business Ownership Assistance
59.046 SBA Microloan Program
64.011 VA Veterans Dental Care
84.334 ED Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs
93.110 HHS Maternal and Child Health Federal Consolidated Programs
93.235 HHS Abstinence Education Program
93.290 HHS National Community Centers of Excellence in Women’s Health
93.591 HHS Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants For Battered Women’s Shelters_Grants to State Domestic Violence Coalitions
93.919 HHS Cooperative Agreements for State-Based Comprehensive Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Programs
93.926 HHS Healthy Start Initiative
93.994 HHS Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant to the States
93.995 HHS Adolescent Family Life_Demonstration Projects
96.001 SSA Social Security_Disability Insurance
96.002 SSA Social Security_Retirement Insurance
96.004 SSA Social Security_Survivors Insurance
The only thing remotely close to women starting a business is grant 59.043 Women’s Business Ownership Assistance but it is a grant given to those who will create women’s business center that will train women entrepreneurs and NOT to women starting a business
Even SBA does NOT give out grants. From the SBA website
“The U.S. Small Business Administration does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses, although it does offer a wide variety of loan programs. (See for more information) While SBA does offer some grant programs, these are generally designed to expand and enhance organizations that provide small business management, technical, or financial assistance. These grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments.”
Most of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT – Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program
Grants are also often given to non profit groups or organizations involved in training or other similar activities
For private grants, you may want to check the Foundation Center’s Foundation Grants for Individuals Online. It’s a subscription based website ($9.95 per month) but their opening blurb only says that the database is ideal for “students, artists, academic researchers, libraries and financial aid offices.” Entrepreneurs are apparently not one of them, so I take it they also don’t have listings of private foundations who give grants to would-be entrepreneurs.
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