Kitty Fund Mompreneur Business Grant

The Commercial Real Estate Acquisition Loan (CREAL) Program provides Philadelphia small business owners with a grant of up to $35,000 for closing costs alongside a mortgage loan of up to $350,000 to purchase commercial property in low- and moderate-income areas. Administered by the City of Philadelphia's Department of Commerce in partnership with the Women's Opportunities Resource Center (WORC), the program is designed to promote asset ownership and help business owners build generational wealth by transitioning from leasing to owning their commercial space. Eligible properties must be located on an approved commercial corridor, and technical assistance is provided throughout the purchase process — both before and after acquisition. The program prioritizes applicants who are unlikely to access traditional lending due to financial barriers. To qualify, applicants must be a business owner with a low-to-moderate income (or own a business located in a low-to-moderate income community), have a credit score of 550 or higher, be registered and licensed with the City of Philadelphia, and be current on city business taxes.

The Denver Business Impact Opportunity (BIO) Fund provides Denver small businesses with grants of up to $15,000 plus technical assistance to help them remain operational during disruption from specified city-funded construction projects. Administered by Denver Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO), the program offers both direct grant funding and one-on-one business support to help impacted businesses navigate revenue loss, supply chain disruptions, and other operational challenges caused by major infrastructure work in their corridor. The BIO Fund is geographically targeted, with each funding round focused on businesses located within specific construction-impacted areas of the city (recent rounds have supported businesses along the East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit and West Colfax Pedestrian Crossing & Transit Improvements project corridors). Eligibility criteria typically include operating a brick-and-mortar small business within the designated impact zone, demonstrating revenue loss or operational impacts tied to the construction work, and meeting standard licensing and tax compliance requirements. The program is one of only a handful of municipal initiatives nationwide that provides direct grant assistance to businesses affected by city-funded construction.

The Clackamas County Tourism Business Grant Program provides Clackamas County tourism-related businesses with grants of up to $100,000 to fund projects that help them grow and enhance the visitor experience. Administered by the Clackamas County Office of Economic Development in partnership with the Office of Tourism, the program is a one-time, $1 million initiative structured around two funding tracks of $500,000 each: a Small Business Acceleration Track, which supports capital investments, physical improvements, and workforce development projects for small tourism businesses; and a Technical & Professional Services Track, which supports more established businesses with projects requiring specialized expertise to remove barriers to growth. Eligible applicants must operate a tourism-related business located in Clackamas County, defined as one whose products, services, or operations contribute to the local travel and tourism economy and that appeals to visitors traveling from 50 or more miles away. The Small Business Acceleration Track is open to either existing small businesses (registered for 2+ years with 10 or fewer employees) or early-stage ventures (registered for less than 3 years with 3 or fewer employees including founders), and requires a minimum 25% match of total project cost. National franchises and chains are not eligible, except for lodging businesses. Funds may be used for capital investment (equipment, software, physical assets), physical improvements (property upgrades, expansion, new locations), or workforce projects (staff training, new permanent hires, converting part-time to full-time roles), with all projects required to demonstrably improve visitor experience or accessibility.

The Live Your Dream Awards provide monetary assistance to women who provide the primary source of financial support for their families. It is the cornerstone program of Soroptimist International of the Americas, LiveYourDream.org's sponsoring organization. Each year, more than $3 million in education grants are awarded to over 2,300 women, many of whom have overcome enormous obstacles including poverty, domestic violence, the death of a spouse and/or substance abuse.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) is offering grants to support the development of new and existing cooperatives in Wisconsin, with a goal of fostering the success of current and future cooperatives by supporting planning and exploratory research in advance of making a large investment. WEDC has set aside up to $200,000 for each of the next two years, with a $50,000 maximum per grant. Applicants may use the funds to cover consulting fees for business planning, feasibility studies, legal services, and accounting services to help new or existing cooperatives become established or further develop.