We aim to influence the flow of financial capital to better meet the business growth needs within communities of color.
We aim to accelerate the growth of existing and established businesses owned by people of color by making opportunities to attain contracts with public agencies, anchor institutions and other large entities more accessible.
We aim to strengthen the effectiveness, accessibility, and capacity of support networks available for business owners and entrepreneurs of color.
We believe that increasing the number and percent of stable and established firms owned by people of color will lead to the longer-term outcomes of greater income, stronger influence, and wealth creation for these communities, enabling them to more fully participate in the economy.
To achieve these outcomes, we aim to increase the amount of capital that people of color-owned firms can access, as well as explore opportunities to change the racial and gender dynamic of investors. This aspect of our strategy is critical, because despite founders of color having high-potential business models, they are commonly overlooked for growth capital often due to implicit biases and a lack of cultural understanding of their products and potential markets.
We will target anchor institution strategies, corporate initiatives and shifts in government policy that create more opportunities for firms owned by people of color to generate revenue and scale operations. Additionally, we continue to value targeted support systems for people of color that nurture entrepreneurs’ growth through mentors, capital, skill development and information.
You can see recent Business Start-up & Growth grants below.
And browse all of our Inclusive Economies grants in our database.
|
Year Approved
|
Organization
|
Status
|
Amount
|
Duration
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 |
New Orleans Business Alliance
The purpose of this grant is to sustain the ongoing work of the New Orleans Business Alliance’s (The Business Alliance) Small Business Growth workstream as we work to close the revenue gap between white and ethnic minority business owners in New Orleans. |
Closed | $300,000 | 24 months |
| 2020 |
Center For Black Innovation
The purpose of this grant is to support Code Fever Miami Inc.’s VC-In-Residence and national expansion work as the core with some support for the Center for Black Innovation as building the infrastructure to further the national work. |
Closed | $350,000 | 24 months |
| 2020 |
National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders
The purpose of this grant is for general operating support. |
Active | $525,000 | 36 months |
| 2020 |
Community LIFT
The purpose of this grant is to advance four elements of the River City Capital Investment Corp strategic plan. RCC plans to commission a fundraising feasibility study, develop a new loan product, increase its loan loss reserve, and support ongoing operations. |
Closed | $150,000 | 12 months |
| 2020 |
CapEQ
The purpose of this grant is to support developing the Black Business Development Goals which includes convening costs. |
Closed | $75,000 | 12 months |
| 2020 |
Association for Enterprise Opportunity
The purpose of this grant is to introduce a new tech-enabled solution to assess and match businesses of color to services that build their capacity to compete successfully within inclusive procurement programs after their initial decline by a participating corporate partner. |
Closed | $150,000 | 21 months |
| 2020 |
MORTAR Cincinnati
The purpose of this grant is to support the development, beta testing, revisions and evaluation of the MORTAR 3.0 curriculum which is geared towards helping minority small business owners expand and tech-enable their businesses. |
Closed | $206,000 | 24 months |
| 2020 |
Opportunity Finance Network
The purpose of this grant is general operating support to enable OFN to support and develop new capital and operating models for CDFIs. |
Closed | $250,000 | 24 months |
| 2019 |
Boston Impact Initiative Fund
The purpose of the grant is to support a research and development phase that lays the groundwork for a national cohort made up of community partners who wish to deploy integrated capital dedicated to closing the racial wealth divide. |
Closed | $100,000 | 12 months |
Rooted in shared values of racial equity, webinar series to support historically under-served entrepreneurs on journeys to start and grow their businesses The Surdna Foundation’s Inclusive Economies Program and U.S. Small Business…
NY Small Business Funders Collective will award $500,000 to local organizations New York, NY (September 7, 2022) - On the heels of layered crises and big challenges for small businesses in the New York City region, JPMorgan Chase, M&T…
There's a lot of talk in philanthropy about racial justice, trusting and centering grantees, sharing power, and enabling the risks necessary for innovative ideas to launch, succeed, or fail. But what does this look like in practice? In this…
How can philanthropists learn from protesters and reimagine the formula for making change on racial justice? In this Stanford Social Innovation Review article, Mekaelia Davis, director of Surdna’s Inclusive Economies program, examines…
Eighteen of the world's largest foundations and financial institutions have re-committed to work together for another three years within Living Cities, a long-standing collaborative. This marks the tenth time that these institutions have…
San Francisco – along with Albuquerque and New Orleans – are a part of a Living Cities’ cohort intended to tackle entrepreneurial barriers for people of color. The initiative–named Start Up, Stay Up, Scale Up –is designed…
Albuquerque – along with San Francisco and New Orleans – are a part of a Living Cities’ cohort intended to tackle entrepreneurial barriers for people of color. The initiative–named Start Up, Stay Up, Scale Up –is designed to connect…
New Orleans – along with Albuquerque and San Francisco–are a part of a new Living Cities’ cohort intended to tackle entrepreneurial barriers for people of color. The initiative–named Start Up, Stay Up, Scale Up –is designed to connect…
Woodstock Institute’s recently released report, "Patterns of Disparity: Small Business Lending in the Chicago and Los Angeles-San Diego Regions," examines the effects of disparate access to traditional bank small business loans in Chicago as…
You can see recent Business Start-up & Growth grants below.
And browse all of our Inclusive Economies grants in our database.
|
Year Approved
|
Organization
|
Status
|
Amount
|
Duration
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 |
New Orleans Business Alliance
The purpose of this grant is to sustain the ongoing work of the New Orleans Business Alliance’s (The Business Alliance) Small Business Growth workstream as we work to close the revenue gap between white and ethnic minority business owners in New Orleans. |
Closed | $300,000 | 24 months |
| 2020 |
Center For Black Innovation
The purpose of this grant is to support Code Fever Miami Inc.’s VC-In-Residence and national expansion work as the core with some support for the Center for Black Innovation as building the infrastructure to further the national work. |
Closed | $350,000 | 24 months |
| 2020 |
National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders
The purpose of this grant is for general operating support. |
Active | $525,000 | 36 months |
| 2020 |
Community LIFT
The purpose of this grant is to advance four elements of the River City Capital Investment Corp strategic plan. RCC plans to commission a fundraising feasibility study, develop a new loan product, increase its loan loss reserve, and support ongoing operations. |
Closed | $150,000 | 12 months |
| 2020 |
CapEQ
The purpose of this grant is to support developing the Black Business Development Goals which includes convening costs. |
Closed | $75,000 | 12 months |
| 2020 |
Association for Enterprise Opportunity
The purpose of this grant is to introduce a new tech-enabled solution to assess and match businesses of color to services that build their capacity to compete successfully within inclusive procurement programs after their initial decline by a participating corporate partner. |
Closed | $150,000 | 21 months |
| 2020 |
MORTAR Cincinnati
The purpose of this grant is to support the development, beta testing, revisions and evaluation of the MORTAR 3.0 curriculum which is geared towards helping minority small business owners expand and tech-enable their businesses. |
Closed | $206,000 | 24 months |
| 2020 |
Opportunity Finance Network
The purpose of this grant is general operating support to enable OFN to support and develop new capital and operating models for CDFIs. |
Closed | $250,000 | 24 months |
| 2019 |
Boston Impact Initiative Fund
The purpose of the grant is to support a research and development phase that lays the groundwork for a national cohort made up of community partners who wish to deploy integrated capital dedicated to closing the racial wealth divide. |
Closed | $100,000 | 12 months |