New money, new deadlines. These verified funding opportunities are open this month and built for women who are building.
Access to capital is still one of the most well-documented barriers for Black women in business. The data is consistent. The frustration is consistent. What is harder to find is a clean, current list of verified places to actually apply right now, this month, before the window closes.
Every opportunity below was verified as of May 4, 2026. Deadlines, eligibility, and application links were confirmed directly from grantor sources. Before submitting any application, verify current terms at the source link provided, as programs update their requirements on their own timelines.
Here is where the money is right now.
1. She’s Connected by AT&T
Grand Prize: $50,000 | Applications Open: May 1, 2026
AT&T just opened the doors on one of the largest women’s small business grants available this year, and the timing could not be more strategic. The grand prize is $50,000, along with a year of free AT&T service and a new device for the winning business. Four runner-up businesses will each receive $5,000 microgrants.
To be eligible, businesses must be U.S.-based, women-owned, and have fewer than 51 employees. That covers the overwhelming majority of small businesses Black women are building across every industry right now.
This is year five of the She’s Connected program and the stakes have grown every cycle. A $50,000 award at this stage of competition does not come along often. Applications opened May 1, which means the field is not yet saturated. Apply early.
Apply at: more.att.com/shesconnected
2. Amber Grant by WomensNet
Up to $10,000 Monthly + $50,000 Year-End | Deadline: May 31, 2026
The Amber Grant has been one of the most consistent funding sources for women in business since 1998, and May is a particularly strategic month to apply. May’s business category focus is Mental and Emotional Support, meaning businesses in wellness, coaching, therapy support, or mental health services are eligible for a separate $10,000 category grant on top of the standard monthly award. If your brand operates in that space, this month is your best window all year.
Each month, WomensNet awards three $10,000 grants. Monthly winners are also automatically eligible for the year-end $50,000 Amber Grant. One application enters you into all three. The application fee is $15, with a fee waiver available for those who need it.
To be eligible, your business must be at least 50% women-owned and based in the United States or Canada. You must be 18 or older. No revenue minimum. No pitch deck required.
Apply at: ambergrantsforwomen.com
3. Women Founders Network Fast Pitch Competition
$25,000 per Track | Deadline: May 31, 2026
This is not a traditional grant. It is a pitch competition that functions as a funded accelerator, and the package is worth taking seriously. Applications for the 2026 cycle opened April 1 and close May 31. The competition has two tracks — Tech/Tech-Enabled and Consumer/CPG/Non-Tech — and first-place winners in each track receive a $25,000 cash grant. An additional $5,000 Junior VC grant is awarded by vote.
The ten finalists receive approximately $100,000 in professional services before they step on stage — pitch coaching, financial mentorship, legal support, and marketing consulting. The annual Fast Pitch Event takes place in Los Angeles on October 21, and finalists must attend in person. Businesses must have raised no more than $750,000 in outside funding. Pre-revenue businesses are welcome with demonstrated customer interest.
Alumni of the Women Founders Network Fast Pitch have raised over $250 million in follow-on funding after winning. The application closes May 31.
Apply at: womenfoundersnetwork.org/about-fast-pitch
4. Boundless Futures Foundation EmpowHER Grant
Up to $50,000 | Applications Open: Now
The EmpowHER grant from Boundless Futures Foundation awards up to $50,000 in reimbursement funding for business-related expenses. Eligible businesses must be female-founded, registered and operating in the United States, earning revenue, and less than five years old. Founders must be at least 22 years old.
Priority is given to businesses whose products or models create a measurable social impact — addressing poverty, hunger, humanitarian aid, or environmental sustainability. This is one of the larger equity-free awards available to women founders right now, and the mission alignment opens a clear lane for Black women entrepreneurs whose businesses exist at the intersection of commerce and community impact. Applications are accepted in multiple cycles per year and reviewed on a rolling basis.
Funding is distributed as reimbursement after proof of business expenses is submitted — meaning this grant rewards founders who are actively building, not waiting.
Apply at: boundlessfutures.org/our-impact
5. Women Founders Grant
$5,000 Monthly | Deadline: June 30, 2026 (Rolling)
For founders who are still in early stages, this one removes nearly every traditional barrier. The Women Founders Grant does not require a registered business, a website, a revenue history, or a pitch deck to apply. If you have a business idea and you are a woman based in the United States, you are eligible. The grant is $5,000, awarded monthly, with a two-question written application. Every winner also receives business mentorship.
There is a $25 application fee. The program is run by Women Founders Grant LLC, a private company. For founders who have been locked out of every other grant because of revenue requirements or registration status, this program was built to reach you. The current deadline is June 30, 2026.
Apply at: womenfoundersgrant.com
Before You Apply
Grant programs update their terms, deadlines, and eligibility on their own timelines. Confirm everything directly at the source link before submitting any application.
If you have not seen our previous roundup, some of those opportunities are still open. Check the full Spring 2026 grants list before you move on — there may be another application with your name on it.
And send this list to someone who needs it. The biggest obstacle for most women in business is not a shortage of grants. It is not knowing the window is open.
