August Funding Opportunities

By Alyssa Goslee Business Growth, Funding and Finances, Microenterprises

As the summer season peaks and thoughts of fall begin to emerge, August presents a unique opportunity for aspiring and established small business owners to secure vital funding through grants. Small business grants, which provide non-repayable funds to help start, grow, or sustain businesses, can be a game-changer for entrepreneurs looking to innovate and expand. Whether you’re a seasoned business owner or just starting, exploring the available grants this month could be the key to unlocking new potential and driving success. This blog post will delve into the various grants available in August, offering tips on how to apply and make the most of these opportunities.

Private companies and nonprofits are offering a number of grants for small businesses.

Please keep in mind these are offered by private organizations, not the City and County of Honolulu, and have their own eligibility rules and ways to apply. Read grant applications carefully – some organizations charge a fee to apply.

Grants

Famous Amos Ingredients for Success Entrepreneurs Initiative

Application Deadline: August 4, 2024

Black business owners are welcome to apply to this national award program in which three winners will ultimately receive a total of $150,000 in capital awards. Supporting Black-owned businesses helps to close the wealth gap experienced by the Black community. All eligible applicants are encouraged to learn more about applying.

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amika Rooted in Growth grant + mentorship program

Application Deadline: August 16, 2024

They will fund 4 emerging professional hair founders each with $50,000 grants along with a 4-month mentorship program + networking opportunities with the amika team, plus hair + beauty industry leaders.

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Future of Women at Work Grant

Application Deadline: August 23, 2024

Selected participants will receive a $10,000 non-dilutive grant and be invited to participate in an in-person retreat so they can meet other participants, capital allocators and industry stakeholders.

To be considered, companies must be:

Be women-owned (50% or more)
Have an existing business or MVP with ambition to scale
Be based in the United States

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2024 EmpowHer Grant Application Q3

Application Deadline: August 31, 2024

Female entrepreneurs 22 years of age and older with businesses registered and operating in the United States. An applicant’s business must 1) address a social issue directly or through its business model, 2) be a registered for-profit entity, and 3) not be more than 3 years old. To be awarded grant funding, applicants self-report a credit score and agree to a third-party background check. Please refer to the Boundless Futures Foundation website for more information.

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Honeycomb Credits $5,000 Golden Summer Grant

Application Deadline: September 9, 2024

Be one of 4 winners of a POS system upgrade!

No Toast system? No problem! You do not need to have a Toast system to enter.

This giveaway is open to all small business owners looking to improve their operations.

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Vision Verde

Application Deadline: September 11, 2024

Visión Verde is a multi-year platform sponsored by Bacardi U.S.A., Inc., designed to empower Latinx/Hispanic entrepreneurs within the beverage alcohol service, sales, and hospitality industries. In its second year, Visión Verde grant will be awarded to 10 deserving recipients across the U.S., each receiving $10,000 to fund initiatives that promote sustainability and environmental impact through education and mentorship.n.

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Fast Break for Small Business Grant

Application Deadline: September 13, 2024

Small businesses that have been in operation for at least three months are eligible for a $10,000 small business grant and/or up to $500 in LegalZoom products and services. Entrepreneurs who have yet to launch their business are eligible for up to $500 in LegalZoom products and services.

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2024 Her Village Grant Application: Autumn Grant Cycle

Application Deadline: September 15, 2024

Eligible applicants: Nonprofit (501(c)(3)) organizations that support female entrepreneurs. Applicant organizations must be registered and operating in the United States and must offer entrepreneurship-related programs or services directly to women, including (but not limited to) skill-building opportunities, mentorship, education, business incubators/accelerators/services, or financial support. Please refer to the Boundless Futures Foundation website for more information.

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Galaxy Grants

Application Deadline: September 30, 2024

Enter for a chance to win our new $4,250 Galaxy Grant, brought to you by Hidden Star, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with an 8-year track record.

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ZenBusiness 5k Grant Program

Application Deadline: December 31, 2024

Grantees receive $5,000 to help grow your business, ZenBusiness Money Pro access for 30 days (providing tools to manage your clients, cashflow, and taxes all in one place), and ZenBusiness Banking free for the first month (so you can separate your business and personal finances).

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Freed Fellowship Grant

Open Dates: Ongoing

E$500 grant to business owner in the US to invest in their existing business. No strings attached. No equity required.

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National Association for the Self-Employed Growth Grant

Open Dates: Ongoing

Need $4,000 To Help Your Business Grow?

Apply for a business development grant from the NASE worth up to $4,000!

If you’re a member, login as a NASE member then come back to this page for additional instructions below to apply for an NASE Growth Grant Today!

You could receive up to $4,000 for your small business through the NASE Growth Grants program.

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Wish Local Empowerment Program

Open Dates: Ongoing

[Wish] recognize that as a large e-commerce company we have the responsibility to help uplift others. Black-owned small businesses have long faced hardship due to systemic racism. But small businesses like yours are integral to the makeup of America. So we are dedicating a $2M dollar fund to give roughly 4,000 Wish Local small business partners financial support. The selected recipients will receive amounts between $500 – $2000. This program will only be open to Black-owned stores, to help promote equality and diversity in American business.

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Healthy Food Financing Initiative

Open Dates: Ongoing

The Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) provides loans, grants, and technical assistance resources to improve and support access to fresh, healthy, affordable food in urban and rural underserved communities.

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Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund

Open Dates: Ongoing

To help restaurants recover in times of critical need, DoorDash has partnered with Hello Alice to create the Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund. The fund supports restaurants impacted by natural disasters like fires, floods, and hurricanes, and provides relief through $10,000 grants.

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America's Seed Fund

Open Dates: Ongoing

“We focus on transforming scientific and engineering discoveries into products and services with commercial and societal impact. The deep technologies we fund show promise but their success hasn’t yet been validated. And, each year, we award $200+ million in research and development (R&D) funding to about 400 startups across the United States.”

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Binc Foundation Emergency Financial Assistance.

Open Dates: Ongoing

Binc helps bookstore owners, booksellers, and comic store employees and owners with unforeseen emergency financial needs. The Foundation assesses each request to determine how best to provide relief. If approved, grants are typically paid to third-party vendors.

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HerRise MicroGrant

Open Dates: Ongoing

The HerRise Micro-Grant provides financial assistance, with the help of our corporate sponsors and donors, to women of color creating innovative solutions that impact their community and that are often unable to secure funding for their small business.

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IFundWomen Universal Grant Application

Open Dates: Ongoing

Universal Grant Application Database is where they look first for qualified grant applicants. Here’s how it works: when IFundWomen partners with a brand, we match the partner’s grant criteria to businesses in the database. If you’re a match for one of their sponsored grants, you will be notified.

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Ladies Who Launch Grant Database

Open Dates: Ongoing

Ladies Who Launch focuses on four pillars: Inspiration, Education, Funding, and Community to help give women and non-binary entrepreneurs the motivation, resources, and connections to scale and sustain the businesses of their dreams.

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Loans

Healthy Food Financing Initiative

Open Dates: Ongoing

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USDA Business & Industry Loan Guarantees

Open Dates: Ongoing

This program offers loan guarantees to lenders for their loans to rural businesses.

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Mālama Business Loans-Office of Hawaiian Affairs

Open Dates: Ongoing

This is the most popular loan OHA offers that supports Native Hawaiian business owners. Loan amounts are $2,500-$149,999 with 4.00% APR and up to 7-year term.

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Hua Kanu Business Loan-Office of Hawaiian Affairs

Open Dates: Ongoing

The Hua Kanu Business Loan Program is available to Native Hawaiians who own established business. Created on July 17, 2013, the low-cost loans are intended to help these small-businesses expand. It is meant to provide them access to credit and capital that allow them to grow as well as remain financially viable. Loan amounts $150,000-$1,000,000

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Training

Healthy Food Financing Initiative

Ongoing

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Other

2023-2024 Restaurant Business Development Program Application

Application Deadline: January 31, 2024

eed the Soul Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, developed to aid marginalized professionals in the culinary industry. Funding for the Restaurant Business Development Program (RBDP) is provided by external corporations with a vested interest in the creation and sustainability of culinary businesses that are owned and operated by marginalized individuals.

The awarded grant amount for the RBDP recipients is $10,000, plus 6 months of business development consulting and training, at a value of $15,000. Awarded recipients are determined through a comprehensive review process. It is not guaranteed that all those who apply will receive the grant.

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Cyber awareness training for companies

Dates: Ongoing

Cyber awareness training for companies to offer their employees, technical assessments of IT systems to identify vulnerabilities, and penetration testing to validate security, and recovery services if applicable.

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ON DEMAND

Learning

Watch Access to Funding: A Small Business Lifeline for an overview of the kinds of funding available to small businesses.

For more on demand learning, visit our Talk Story page.

Watch Now

Grants

Famous Amos Ingredients for Success Entrepreneurs Initiative