September 2025: Small Business Grants & Funding Opportunities for Women & Diverse Business Owners
Written by: Nicole Grimes. Posted: September 1st, 2025. 9:17 am ET.
September brings an incredible array of funding opportunities for entrepreneurs, particularly women and diverse business owners. We've rounded up the best grants and programs from this month to help you understand what was available and prepare for similar opportunities in the future. Whether you're running a restaurant, launching a tech startup, or scaling a consumer goods brand, reviewing these opportunities can help you plan your grant strategy for upcoming months.
Early Opportunities
High Five Grants for Mom
Deadline: September 1, 2025
Award: $10,000
The Mama Ladder helped ambitious mom entrepreneurs grow their businesses with the #HighFiveGrant. This initiative was designed to help more moms reach $1 million in revenue in their companies. The $10,000 grant provided significant capital for mom entrepreneurs looking to scale their operations and break through revenue plateaus. This program recognized the unique challenges mothers face when building businesses and provided targeted support to help them succeed.
Camelback Fellowship
Deadline: September 10, 2025
Award: $40,000
The Camelback Fellowship was designed for early-stage entrepreneurs committed to tackling inequities. This wasn't just about the funding—though $40,000 is substantial. Over 16 weeks, fellows received:
Significant capital investment
Expert coaching and mentorship
Access to a community of like-minded changemakers
Resources to scale their social impact
This fellowship stood out for its focus on entrepreneurs building businesses that address systemic inequities, making it ideal for founders whose mission goes beyond profit to create meaningful social change.
IMG's Leave Your Mark Grant
Deadline: September 12, 2025
Award: $3,500 (5 winners)
Since 1990, IMG has partnered with mission and social good organizations from around the globe. The Leave Your Mark Grant offered a chance to win funding for global outreach efforts, with five winners each receiving $3,500. This grant was perfect for organizations and entrepreneurs focused on international impact and cross-border social good initiatives. The emphasis on leaving a lasting mark aligned with businesses committed to long-term, meaningful change.
Nehemiah Davis' Greatness Grant
Deadline: September 18, 2025
Award: $2,500
The Greatness Grant was a funding opportunity designed specifically for beginning entrepreneurs ready to take the leap but needing financial support to kickstart their journey. Whether starting a first business or growing an idea that's been on your heart, this grant provided access to resources needed for success. At $2,500, this micro-grant was perfectly sized for early-stage entrepreneurs covering initial startup costs like business registration, website development, or first inventory purchases.
Mid-Month Opportunities
Enthuse Foundation Grant
Deadline: September 22, 2025
Award: $15,000
The Enthuse Foundation's annual Pitch Competition was an event for women entrepreneurs in the food, beverage, and consumer packaged goods industries. Finalists pitched their businesses live to a panel of industry experts in New York City for a chance to win cash and prizes. This competition was more than just funding—it offered invaluable exposure to industry leaders, networking opportunities, and the experience of pitching in a high-stakes environment. For CPG entrepreneurs, this was a chance to gain visibility in one of the most competitive markets.
Creative Futures Grant
Deadline: September 22, 2025
Award: $5,000
The Creative Futures Grant was intended to support projects that Black students in craft may want to do but are not necessarily supported to create at their educational institutions. The grant sought to move students toward actualizing all the phases of a creative project. The application encouraged creativity, big thinking, and projects outside the box—work that would resonate with viewers a century from now. This was a unique opportunity for emerging Black creatives to pursue ambitious projects without institutional constraints.
Poker Power x IFW "Power Play"
Deadline: September 26, 2025
Award: $100,000
Poker Power partnered with IFW to launch the largest grant in IFW's history! Ten finalists headed to NYC on November 18, 2025, to compete for an incredible prize package:
$100,000 grant
6 months of IFW coaching
4 Poker Power mentorship sessions
A 4-week poker course
This unique competition combined business funding with strategic thinking development through poker training. The format recognized that successful entrepreneurship requires the same skills as successful poker play: strategic thinking, risk assessment, and reading situations accurately.
Future of Capitalism Competition
Deadline: September 26, 2025
Award: $1,000
The Future of Capitalism Competition offered an investment opportunity for tech startups still in the early stages of development. Whether focused on improving productivity or financial processes, enhancing customer experience, fighting fraud, leveraging data insights, streamlining logistics, pioneering sustainability, or anything else, this was an opportunity to grow. While the award amount was modest, this competition provided validation and exposure for emerging tech companies exploring innovative solutions to business challenges.
DoorDash Local Business Disaster Relief Fund
Deadline: September 29, 2025
Award: $5,000 - $15,000
Grants were available for local businesses such as restaurants, flower shops, liquor stores, convenience stores, pet stores, and local grocers in the U.S., Puerto Rico, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada that had been impacted by natural disasters like fires, floods, or hurricanes. This fund provided critical support to businesses facing unexpected challenges due to natural disasters, helping them recover and rebuild. The range of $5,000 to $15,000 reflected the varying scales of disaster impact on different businesses.
Late September Opportunities
Cornerstone Grant (Square)
Deadline: September 30, 2025
Award: $10,000
Four deserving businesses were awarded a comprehensive support package designed to accelerate their growth. This included:
$10,000 in funding
A full year of personalized mentorship from leading industry experts
Significant visibility and brand exposure through Square's powerful network
To be eligible for this opportunity, all applicants had to be active Square users. This requirement made sense as Square wanted to support businesses already using their ecosystem, creating a win-win relationship where successful grantees could showcase Square's platform capabilities.
AT&T Small Business Contest
Deadline: September 30, 2025
Award: $50,000
Build your brand with the AT&T Small Business Contest. Applicants had the chance to win:
$50,000 in funding
A year of AT&T service with a new device
The opportunity to share their small business story with their own AT&T content piece alongside #ShesConnected talent
This contest was particularly valuable for the exposure component. Beyond the substantial funding, winners gained visibility through AT&T's marketing channels, potentially reaching millions of consumers. The #ShesConnected component highlighted AT&T's commitment to amplifying women entrepreneurs' stories.
Operation SecretSOS™ Small Business Grant
Deadline: September 30, 2025
Award: $2,500
This grant offered funding to support the growth of small business owners, especially those not typically served by traditional investment. The funds could be used at the recipient's discretion to enhance their operations and growth. Note that there was a $15 application fee for this opportunity. While application fees can be a barrier, they sometimes help ensure serious applicants and can fund the grant program's administrative costs.
Galaxy Grants (Stars)
Deadline: September 30, 2025
Award: $2,950
Galaxy of Stars and Hidden Star, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, aimed to help minority and women entrepreneurs succeed. They teamed up to award women-owned business funding. This grant specifically targeted the intersection of women entrepreneurs and minority business owners, recognizing that these founders often face compounded barriers to accessing traditional funding. The partnership between two organizations amplified the impact and reach of the program.
Tips for Successful Grant Applications
As you review these opportunities, keep these tips in mind:
Start Early: Don't wait until the last day to apply. Give yourself time to gather materials, craft compelling narratives, and review your application.
Read Requirements Carefully: Each grant has specific eligibility requirements. Make sure you qualify before investing time in an application.
Tell Your Story: Grants for diverse and women business owners often want to understand your unique journey and impact. Don't be afraid to share what makes your business special.
Quantify Your Impact: Whenever possible, use numbers and data to demonstrate your business's success and potential.
Follow Up: After submitting, follow up appropriately and stay engaged with the organizations offering these grants.
Preparing for Future Grant Opportunities
As you plan your funding strategy, keep these tips in mind:
Build Your Grant Calendar: Track when similar grants open annually. Many programs run on consistent schedules year after year.
Maintain Application Materials: Keep updated versions of your business plan, financial statements, pitch deck, and impact statements ready to go.
Tell Your Story: Grants for diverse and women business owners often want to understand your unique journey and impact. Develop and refine your narrative.
Meet Eligibility Requirements: Don't waste time on grants where you don't qualify. Focus energy on opportunities that match your business profile.
Consider Total Value: Look beyond the dollar amount. A $10,000 grant with mentorship and exposure might be more valuable than a $25,000 grant with no additional support.
Application Fees: Factor these into your budget and decision-making. Only pay application fees for grants where you're a strong fit.
Get This Money For 2025!
These September grants represent just a fraction of the funding opportunities available to diverse business owners throughout the year. The key is staying informed and ready to apply when opportunities arise.
Want to stay in the know about funding opportunities like these? Join the CBN Business Directory and never miss a chance to secure the capital your business deserves.
Remember: These deadlines are approaching fast. Review the opportunities that align with your business, gather your materials, and get those applications submitted. Your next growth phase could be just one grant away.
For the most up-to-date information on grants and more opportunities, visit www.caribbiznetwork.com/grants
Note: This post was created with the assistance of genAI with human editing and additions.