Block Advisors by H&R Block has introduced the launch of its second annual Fund Her Future grant program, designed to assist women-owned small companies with excessive development and neighborhood affect potential. Functions at the moment are open and might be accepted by way of Could 30, 2025.
The 2025 program will award a complete of $100,000 in grant funding and almost $30,000 value of small enterprise companies to 6 recipients. One grant recipient will obtain a $50,000 package deal, whereas as much as 5 further winners will every obtain $10,000 grants. All winners may also acquire a 12 months of entry to Block Advisors’ small enterprise companies, which embrace tax preparation, payroll, bookkeeping, and enterprise construction evaluation.
“We perceive the challenges entrepreneurs face as they develop their companies. They want extra than simply capital; they want trusted experience that saves them time and places their thoughts relaxed,” mentioned Jamil Khan, Chief Small Enterprise Officer at H&R Block. “That’s why Fund Her Future offers not solely monetary assist but in addition entry to Block Advisors year-round small enterprise companies, together with such business-critical companies as tax preparation, payroll, bookkeeping and enterprise construction evaluation.”
Block Advisors highlighted that regardless of ladies being among the many fastest-growing segments of latest small enterprise homeowners, they proceed to face important boundaries to funding and sources. In keeping with the 2024 State of Girls’s Small Enterprise Report by Block Advisors, 42% of girls enterprise homeowners who utilized for a financial institution mortgage have been by no means authorised, and almost 90% reported counting on private funds and bank cards to fund their ventures.
To use for the Fund Her Future program, candidates have to be over 18 years previous and personal a United States-based enterprise. Companies that exhibit a powerful neighborhood affect are particularly inspired to use. Full eligibility necessities could be discovered on the Fund Her Future web site. Recipients of the 2025 grants might be notified by the tip of July.
Final 12 months’s inaugural Fund Her Future program attracted greater than 6,000 candidates and awarded grants to 5 entrepreneurs whose companies demonstrated important development potential.
Grant recipient Heather Jiang, proprietor of Allégorie, a New York Metropolis-based small-batch accent line that turns meals waste into vogue, expanded her product strains and employed further workers with the assistance of her grant. “There’s a sense of reduction in handing off my bookkeeping to a Block Advisors skilled,” Jiang defined. “It frees up my time to deal with different points of the enterprise. They guarantee all the things is dealt with correctly. The popularity from the grant has been wonderful, as properly. We’ve seen a 50 p.c enhance in on-line site visitors to our web site for the reason that 2024 grant was introduced.”
One other 2024 grant recipient, Erica Cole, proprietor of Richmond-based No Limbits, used the funding and assist to scale her accessible attire model. “The funding and small enterprise assist from Block Advisors has allowed me to scale my enterprise. It enabled me to launch my sensory-friendly assortment in Walmart and purchase Buck & Buck, a pacesetter in adaptive attire,” Cole shared.
Ameka Coleman, proprietor of Strands of Religion primarily based in Pearl, Mississippi, additionally noticed important development following her 2024 grant. “This grant allowed us to onboard two extra hospital networks, which considerably will increase demand for our merchandise. We’re a 400% enhance in income from this workstream,” mentioned Coleman.
For extra details about the Fund Her Future program and learn how to apply, go to www.BlockAdvisors.com/FundHerFutureGrant. To study extra about Block Advisors’ year-round companies for small companies, go to www.BlockAdvisors.com.
