SoGal Foundation Black Founder Startup Grant
SoGal Foundation
$5,000–$10,000 (historical)
Researched for this program: 3 rejection traps · 3 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
Cash grants for Black women and nonbinary founders
Cash grants for Black women and nonbinary startup founders launched by the SoGal Foundation in partnership with Brownie Points in 2020–2021. The program awarded one $10,000 grant and multiple $5,000 grants per cycle. As of May 2026, the dedicated grant page returns 404 and SoGal Foundation's website shows no active grant programs, indicating the program has ended or is on extended hiatus.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Foundation
- Amount range
- $5,000 – $10,000
- Realistic amount
- $5,000 (most recipients in historical cycles received $5K; one $10K grand prize per cycle)
- Deadline
- Not accepting applications — program page returns 404 as of May 2026.
- Status
- winding-down
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- lump sum
Is the SoGal Black Founder Startup Grant still open?
As of October 16, 2026, no. The SoGal Foundation's application page (iamsogal.com/black-founder-startup-grant) returns a 404 error. SoGal's own site no longer has a grant page at all: its sitemap lists 16 pages, none of them about a grant, and its homepage was last updated in July 2023. Older grant directories still describe the grant as rolling, and AI assistants repeat them, but the funder no longer publishes it. If SoGal announces a new cycle, this page will say so.
Open grants for Black women founders instead. None of these five is reserved for Black women: the HerRise MicroGrant is aimed at under-resourced women, including women of color; the Galaxy Grant is for women and minority business owners; the other three accept any woman-owned business in the US.
Who qualifies
- Black women founder (historical requirement)
- Black nonbinary founder (historical requirement)
- Startup or early-stage business
- US-based business
Hard requirements
- Minority ownership required
- Demographic eligibility: black-owned
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Working capital and general business expenses (unrestricted in historical cycles)
Ineligible expenses
- Personal expenses
How to apply
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1
Monitor SoGal Foundation for reopening
Check iamsogal.com and @SoGalFoundation on social media for any announcement of a new cycle.
Program appears inactive as of 2026. Consider alternatives: NAACP Empowerment Programs, digitalundivided ProjectDiane grants, or Hello Alice BIPOC-targeted cycles while monitoring SoGal for a potential relaunch.
Deadline & timing
The program launched in 2020 in partnership with Brownie Points. The dedicated grant URL (iamsogal.com/black-founder-startup-grant) returns 404. No 2023, 2024, or 2025 cycles have been publicly announced. SoGal Foundation's main website and blog show no active grant programs.
Programs that stack well
Apply-Ready
Looking for more grants to enter?
We don't draft SoGal Foundation Black Founder Startup Grant applications. We do draft these seventeen. Answer a few short questions once and we draft your application from what you tell us: only your facts, with a blank wherever the judges want a detail only you know. You submit it yourself.
You see a free preview first and pay only if you want the full draft: $9 per grant. You can add the other month-end grants you qualify for at $5 each (never more than $15 extra).
Close at the end of every month
- Hey Helen Grant$10,000 monthlyWomen-owned · US · under $1M revenueCloses the last day of every month, 11:59pm ETDraft my applicationit →
- Amber Grant$15,000 monthlyWomen-owned (50%+)Closes the last day of every monthDraft my applicationit →
- HerRise MicroGrant$1,000 monthly51%+ women-owned · US · under $1M revenueCloses the last day of every monthDraft my applicationit →
- Big Idea Grant (YippityDoo)$1,000 monthlyWomen-owned and run · ideas welcomeCloses the last day of every month, 11:59pm PTDraft my applicationit →
- Freed Fellowship$500 monthlyAny US for-profit businessCloses the last day of every monthDraft my applicationit →
Twelve more, with other deadlines (three welcome idea-stage founders)
- Sephora Beauty Grant$100,000Beauty brands · $100K+ revenue · 51%+ underrepresented-owned · no entry feeFinal deadline November 6, 2026Draft my applicationit →
- SecretSoS Small Business Grant$2,500 quarterlyWomen-, veteran- or minority-owned, or turned down for a bank loan · USCloses the last day of each quarterDraft my applicationit →
- Business Freedom Grant$1,000Idea stage welcome · no entry feeReview rounds until the final deadline, December 31, 2026Draft my applicationit →
- IFW Startup Accelerator Grant$5,000Any US owner (50%+) · idea stage welcome · $5 entry feeFinal deadline November 30, 2026Draft my applicationit →
- The Hustle Grant$1,000 monthlyWomen-owned · USMonthly; winner named on the 15thDraft my applicationit →
- Hustler's MicroGrant$1,000 monthlyAny US small-business owner · $15 entry feeMonthly; no published closing dateDraft my applicationit →
- Seated Together Microgrant$750 ($1,000 veteran-owned)Any US for-profit · startups welcome · $5 entry feeRolling; reviewed each quarterDraft my applicationit →
- Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant$10,000–$25,000Veteran or military-spouse owned · 3–20 people · no entry feeFinal deadline December 15, 2026Draft my applicationit →
- Awesome Foundation Micro-Grant$1,000 monthlyAnyone with a community project · no entry feeRolling; most chapters choose monthlyDraft my applicationit →
- Outta Excuses Grant$3,000 quarterlyRegistered LLC · under $500K revenue · $15 entry feeFinal deadline December 31, 2026Draft my applicationit →
- Tory Burch Foundation Fellows$2,000 + a year's fellowshipWomen-owned · $75K+ revenue · no entry feeFinal deadline November 17, 2026Draft my applicationit →
- Thiel Fellowship$250,000 over 2 yearsAge 22 or under · no university degree · no entry feeRolling; open all yearDraft my applicationit →
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