discontinued Private Grant

Eileen Fisher Women-Owned Business Grant

Dormant — no verified grant cycle in recent years. A widely republished claim that this grant "opens every January" does not match Eileen Fisher's current site; treat any specific cycle-timing claim as unverified. Looking for a grant your business can apply to now? See our verified women-owned business grant alternatives or corporate small-business grants still open.

Eileen Fisher, Inc.

$10,000–$40,000

See if you qualify — free Visit official program ↗

Researched for this program: 6 rejection traps · 9 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓

The short version

$10K–$40K annual grant for women-led social enterprises

Eileen Fisher's grant program has historically awarded $10,000–$40,000 to women-owned businesses working toward social and environmental change, prioritizing companies with a mission beyond profit — environmental sustainability, social justice, or community impact — focused on small businesses generating between $5,000 and $1,000,000 in revenue. It ran since 2004 and distributed over $4 million to more than 350 businesses over that span, but no verified grant cycle has been confirmed in recent years. A commonly repeated claim that applications "open every January" does not match Eileen Fisher's current site — treat any specific cycle date as unverified until the sponsor publishes one.

Funding type: Grant
Level: Private
Amount range: $10,000 – $40,000
Realistic amount: $10,000–$40,000 per recipient depending on award tier; approximately 10 winners per annual cycle
Deadline: The business grant program has ended; EILEEN FISHER now funds a Women in Environmental Justice program
Status: discontinued
States: Nationwide
Payment model: lump sum

Who qualifies

Women-owned US small business (majority female ownership)
Annual revenue between $5,000 and $1,000,000
Business has a demonstrated social or environmental mission
In operation for at least one year
US-based business

Hard requirements

Women ownership required
Demographic eligibility: women-owned
Minimum $5,000 annual revenue

What it covers

Eligible expenses

Business operations aligned with the company's mission
Equipment and materials
Marketing and communications
Hiring and training staff
Community programs and initiatives

Ineligible expenses

Personal expenses
Businesses without a social or environmental mission
Debt repayment
Political contributions

How to apply

1

Confirm application window is open

Visit eileenfisher.com to confirm whether a cycle is currently accepting applications. There is no verified recent cycle, and the commonly repeated "January" opening date is unconfirmed — do not assume a fixed schedule.

~2 hrs
2

Complete the online application

Submit business overview, mission statement, revenue range, and founding year. Be explicit about your social or environmental impact.

~2 hrs
3

Write your mission and impact narrative

Describe your business's social or environmental mission with concrete examples and measurable outcomes. This is the primary evaluation criterion.

~2 hrs
4

Submit financial information

Provide revenue figures and a description of how the $10,000 grant would be used. Must fall within the $5K–$1M revenue band.

~2 hrs
5

Award decision

Eileen Fisher's team evaluates finalists; winners are notified privately and announced publicly, typically in spring.

~2 hrs

Insider tip

The mission must be genuine and quantifiable — judges look for businesses where social/environmental impact is core, not a marketing tagline. Vague 'we care about sustainability' language is rejected.

Deadline & timing

The program ran for years with cycles reported at various points as opening in January and, in other sources, April — sources conflict and neither is confirmed on Eileen Fisher's current site. No verified recent cycle exists. Watch eileenfisher.com directly for an announced reopening rather than relying on a remembered date.

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