Women-Owned Resources

Supporting Women-Owned Businesses


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We are committed to elevating the success of women-owned businesses. Below is a curated list of  funding and programs offered by various organizations who support women-owned businesses. If you have any resources that should be added to this list, please reach out to employerpledge@aarp.org.

Funding Opportunities

Name Type Description
1863 Venture’s 3R’s Grant Program Grant A nation-wide education and grant program designed to help you rebuild your business post COVID.
Amber Grant for Women Grant WomensNet founded the Amber Grant Foundation in 1998. The Foundation was set up with one goal in mind: to honor the memory of a very special young woman, Amber Wigdahl, who died at just 19 years old — before realizing her business dreams. Today, WomensNet carries on that tradition, giving away at least $10,000 every month in Amber Grant money. We've also expanded our grant-giving to include other grants such as our Annual $25,000 Amber Grant.
Black Girl Ventures Investor Our mission is to provide Black/Brown woman-identifying founders with access to community, capital, and capacity building in order to meet business milestones that lead to economic advancement through entrepreneurship.
Cartier Women’s Initiative Grant Since 2006, the Cartier Women’s Initiative has helped these women reach their full potential by shining a light on their achievements and providing them with the necessary financial, social and human capital support to grow their businesses and build their leadership skills. The program is open to women-run and women-owned businesses from any country and sector that aim to have a strong and sustainable positive impact on society as defined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Fearless Fund Investment Fearless Fund invests in high growth, scalable, women of color-led ventures across the United states. While we are industry agnostic, we seek companies that we feel our team of General and Limited Partners can add the most value to and help scale.
Funding Finder | Tory Burch Foundation Funder Finder Tool Looking to fund your business? This new tool from the Tory Burch Foundation can help! Answer a few questions about your business and goals and the Funding Finder will provide a personalized recommendation about what capital you may want to pursue.
Grow by Invoice2go Grant Grow by Invoice2go is giving away $200,000 to eligible small businesses owned by people from underrepresented communities. We want to help small business owners do what they do best — run their business, their way — and a focus on equity is crucial in doing so.
IFundWomen Universal Grant Application General Grant Application When IFundWomen brokers a grant with a partner, we match the partner’s grant criteria to those businesses who have applied through our Universal Grant Application. If you're a match, we may request that you apply for that partner’s specific grant program, and you will be notified.
New Voices Fund Investor Started in 2018, New Voices Foundation is delivering on its promise to help women of color business owners build, grow and scale their businesses and create a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem. We provide them with unprecedented access, capital, and expertise via Pitch Competitions; Mobile Accelerators; Coaching and Mentorship for pitch winners and others in the New Voices community; Online Learning and Skills Development Opportunities; and Ongoing Communications Outreach via social media, newsletters and other channels.
SoGal Black Founder Startup Grant Grant SoGal Foundation has teamed up with Winky Lux, bluemercury, twelveNYC, Twilio, and other sponsors to make a small step towards progress by providing several $10K and $5K cash grants to Black women or nonbinary entrepreneurs.
Women Who Tech Grant Helping to close the funding gap by backing women-led FemTech and HealthTech startups globally that are driving the future of healthcare.

Business Expertise

Name Type Description
AARP Skills Builder – Women in Business Training Educational Training Courses The courses in this category are designed to uncover the various challenges that evidence suggests women in business are likely to face that are different (in kind or in scale) than those faced by men in business. These courses will seek to prepare learners to either start a career or to advance a career, by naming some of the systematic obstacles they might face, such as explicit discrimination, implicit bias, glass ceilings, assumptions about familial responsibilities, and share strategies for addressing those challenges.
Association of Women's Business Centers Support Organization The AWBC works to secure economic justice and entrepreneurial opportunities for women by supporting and sustaining a national network of more than 100 Women’s Business Centers (WBC). WBCs help women succeed in business by providing training, mentoring, business development, and financing opportunities to over 150,000 women entrepreneurs each year.
Black Girl Ventures Training Our mission is to provide Black/Brown woman-identifying founders with access to community, capital, and capacity building in order to meet business milestones that lead to economic advancement through entrepreneurship.
Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE) Support Organization The Center for Women & Enterprise is a nationally known nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people start and grow their businesses. CWE has worked with more than 46,000 Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont entrepreneurs since 1995. CWE also operates the Veterans Business Outreach Center of New England (VBOC of NE) that focuses on assisting veterans, active duty service members and their families with starting and growing their business.
Ladies Who Launch Support Organization As a 501(c)(3), our mission is to empower a global community of early-stage women entrepreneurs by providing resources, grants, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
Moms As Entrepreneurs (MAE) Support Organization Moms As Entrepreneurs exist to provide support, resources, and formal training in entrepreneurship to help bridge the gap of chronic poverty, reduce crime, and grow the economy all through mothers starting sustainable businesses.
National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Support Organization NAWBO is the only dues-based organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs across all industries; with chapters across the country. With far-reaching clout and impact, NAWBO is a one-stop resource which propels women business owners into greater economic, social and political spheres of power worldwide.
National Association of Women in Construction Support Organization With more than 115 chapters across the country, the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) offers its members education, support and networking to help advance their careers in construction, build their technical skills, and become leaders.
National Association of Women in Real Estate Businesses (NAWRB) Support Organization NAWRB is a leading voice for women in the housing ecosystem. With the assistance of our Women’s Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council (NDILC), NAWRB is advocating for women’s gender equality, raising the utilization of women-owned businesses and providing women the tools and opportunities for economic expansion and growth. By increasing women’s homeownership, we can leverage the entrepreneurial strength of women and help bring the awareness of women’s poverty.
National Women’s Business Council Advocacy Organization The National Women’s Business Council is a non-partisan federal advisory council serving as an independent source of advice and counsel to the President, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration. The Council is the government’s only independent voice for women entrepreneurs, tackling important and relevant economic issues.
New Voices Fund Training Started in 2018, New Voices Foundation is delivering on its promise to help women of color business owners build, grow and scale their businesses and create a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem. We provide them with unprecedented access, capital, and expertise via Pitch Competitions; Mobile Accelerators; Coaching and Mentorship for pitch winners and others in the New Voices community; Online Learning and Skills Development Opportunities; and Ongoing Communications Outreach via social media, newsletters and other channels.
One Million Black Women: Closing the Wealth Gap Philanthropy One Million Black Women: Closing the Wealth Gap is a Goldman Sachs initiative investing $10 billion in direct capital and $10 billion in philanthropic support over the next decade to help narrow opportunity gaps facing Black women. Grounded in research, the initiative forges partnerships with Black women–led organizations and other groups to address the disproportionate gender and racial biases that Black women have faced for generations and that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
SBA's Office of Women's Business Ownership Government The Office of Women’s Business Ownership mission is to enable and empower women entrepreneurs through advocacy, outreach, education and support. Through the management and technical assistance provided by the WBCs, entrepreneurs, especially women who are economically or socially disadvantaged, are offered comprehensive training and counseling on a vast array of topics in many languages to help them start and grow their own businesses.
Tory Burch Foundation - Fellows Program Training The yearlong Fellows Program for women entrepreneurs helps founders of early-stage companies grow and scale, through workshops with expert instructors, a rich peer-to-peer network, a business education grant and access to capital
U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce (USWCC) Support Organization The U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce gives voice to the collective strength of women in the U.S. economy. Using a platform of influence, innovation, and opportunity, we work with and for our members to grow successful businesses and careers.
U.S.A Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative Support Organization U.S.A Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative is a no-cost, 5-month, practical, business management program for female business owners looking to grow successful, resilient, and scalable businesses. Learn more and apply before the deadline on April 16, 2022, at 9 a.m ET.
Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) Paid Training Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) is a premier training program in entrepreneurship and small business management. V-WISE helps women veterans and female military spouses/partners find their passion and learn the business savvy skills necessary to turn an idea or start-up into a growing venture.
Veteran Women's Enterprise Center (VWEC) Support Organization VWEC's mission is to empower Entrepreneur Women Associated with the Military (EWAM) inclusive of veterans, active duty, reservists and military spouses scale for success, we establish strategic alliances, leverage public/private-sector opportunities, advocate for relevant research, services and funding, while simultaneously providing on-site the personal and professional resources they need to succeed!
Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) Support Organization WIPP is a national nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf of women entrepreneurs—strengthening their impact on our nation’s public policy, creating economic opportunities, and forging alliances with other business organizations.
Women's Business Centers Government Women's Business Centers (WBCs) are a part a national network of entrepreneurship centers throughout the United States and its territories, which are designed to assist women in starting and growing small businesses. WBCs seek to "level the playing field" for women entrepreneurs, who still face unique obstacles in the business world.
Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Support Organization The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to helping women-owned businesses thrive.
Women's Entrepreneurship Symposium (USPTO) Government Support The annual Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium (WES) offers attendees a chance to learn about innovation and business from public and private sector experts.
Women's Presidents' Organization (WPO) Support Organization The WPO is a dynamic and diverse collective of women business leaders around the world who share insight in groups facilitated to drive game-changing experiences. Where you can validate everything that’s gotten you this far and cultivate new strategies that’ll take you even farther.