Grants for women-owned businesses are more necessary than the headline numbers suggest. Women now own 15.7 million businesses in the United States, or 40.6% of all companies nationwide, according to the 2026 Impact of Women-Owned Businesses report from Wells Fargo. That number grew 12.1% between 2022 and 2025, nearly double the 6.3% growth rate for men-owned businesses.
The revenue and funding numbers tell a different story. Those 15.7 million women-owned businesses generate $2.8 trillion a year, just 4.6% of total U.S. business revenue, and employ 12.6 million people, or 9.1% of the workforce. On the investment side, companies founded solely by women received just 1% of total U.S. venture capital in 2024, down from 2% the year before, according to PitchBook. Mixed-gender founding teams did better, but the gap for women-only teams has barely moved in over a decade.
Grants close part of that gap without asking founders to give up equity or take on debt. Below is a list of five current grants and funding opportunities from organizations stepping up as allies to women in business, ranked by which one closes first.
1. Giving Joy Microgrant — Closes September 30
Giving Joy awards microgrants of up to $500 to women 18 and older, anywhere in the world, for a business, nonprofit, or community project that benefits women, girls, or families. Applicants do not need an existing business to apply. The fall cycle opened September 1 and closes September 30, with a review period running through November and awards announced in December. Between five and ten grants are awarded per cycle out of thousands of applications.
Apply: givingjoygrants.org/grant-application
2. Galaxy Grant — Closes October 31
The Galaxy Grant, powered by the nonprofit Hidden Star, gives $2,450 to a woman or minority small business owner. The application takes about 30 seconds and is completely free. This cycle closes October 31, with winners announced the following week. The grant runs on a recurring basis throughout the year, so a new window typically opens after each close.
Apply: galaxyofstars.org/galaxy-grants
3. Tory Burch Foundation Fellows Program — Closes November 2
The Tory Burch Foundation Fellows Program selects around 50 women entrepreneurs for a year-long fellowship that includes a $5,000 business education grant, access to an interest-free loan through Kiva, mentorship, and a workshop at Tory Burch headquarters in New York City. Applicants must be 21 or older, hold the largest or an equally largest stake in their business, and be a legal resident of the United States or its territories. The application is free and closes November 2 at 11:59 PM EST.
Apply: toryburchfoundation.org/fellows
4. Pave Her Way Grant Programs — Deadline Not Yet Announced
Pave Her Way opened its 2026 grant cycle in August with three funding tracks: the Change Agent Prize and the Disruptor Award, both up to $90,000, and a Financial Aid Program offering up to $30,000. The programs are open globally to women in any sector, from business to education to social entrepreneurship. A specific deadline has not been announced, so applicants should apply as soon as possible.
Apply: paveherway.org/apply
5. The Awesome Foundation Grant — No Deadline, Rolling Monthly
For a grant with zero application fee and no waiting on a single annual window, the Awesome Foundation gives out $1,000 every month to a project its local chapter trustees consider “awesome.” There is no equity taken and no fixed criteria beyond a chapter’s own interpretation of the word. Anyone, including women-owned businesses, can apply at any time, and a new grant is awarded somewhere in the network every month.
Of the five, Giving Joy closes first on September 30, followed by Galaxy Grant on October 31 and Tory Burch on November 2. Pave Her Way and the Awesome Foundation stay open without a hard deadline, making them worth bookmarking for later. Deadlines can shift without notice, so confirm details on each program’s official page before submitting.
