TRANSFORM Business Grant
TRANSFORM
$1,000
$1,000 microgrant plus year-long mentorship for marginalized social-impact founders. Between intakes: both 2026 windows (March 9-20 and September 8-18) have closed; future dates not yet posted.
TRANSFORM awards $1,000 microgrants plus a year of customized mentorship and business-development coaching to anticapitalist businesses led by social-impact-focused individuals from systemically marginalized groups. The program explicitly supports BIPOC individuals, people with disabilities, formerly incarcerated individuals, and queer, trans, and nonbinary folks. Two application windows were offered in 2026; both have closed, and the next dates are not yet posted.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Foundation
- Amount
- $1,000
- Realistic amount
- $1,000 fixed award per selected grantee
- Deadline
- The 2026 windows (March 9-20 and September 8-18, 2026) have both closed; future dates are not posted
- Status
- between-intakes
- States
- Nationwide
Who qualifies
- Identify as part of at least one systemically marginalized group
- Business or project aligned with TRANSFORM's antiracist and anticapitalist values
- Social-impact oriented and challenges systems of oppression/addresses social injustices
- Demonstrate financial need
- Located in the United States, regardless of citizenship or immigration status
- Project/idea at any stage of development; formal registration not required
Who is not eligible
- Political organizations or activities
- Religious organizations for religious purposes
- Business activities focused in medicinal or clinical practices
- Applicants unable to demonstrate financial need
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Business operations and growth
- Product development and inventory
- Marketing and visibility
- Professional services
- Equipment and supplies
Ineligible expenses
- Political activity or contributions
- Religious purposes
- Student loans or other debt payments
Who runs TRANSFORM, and is it legitimate?
TRANSFORM is a small, donation-funded grant program with a public track record. It has publicly named grantees from spring 2022 through spring 2024, publishes every question on its application, and takes applications only through one form linked from transformgrant.org. Its grant page and FAQ mention no application fee.
A three-person Advisory Council runs both the organization and the grant process, with no hierarchy among its members. Founder Alissa M. Trumbull writes that she has benefited from generational wealth and founded TRANSFORM "as a way to harness the collective wealth of individuals and communities." The website does not state a tax-exempt status, and we could not match TRANSFORM to an IRS filer in ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer.
| Who decides | The Advisory Council: Jenny Koch, Nora Rahimian and Alissa M. Trumbull |
|---|---|
| Where the money comes from | Donations made through transformgrant.org |
| Where you apply | A JotForm linked from the grant page, live only while a window is open |
| Contact | info@transformgrant.org |
| Past grantees it names | Down the Street (spring 2022), Errant Press (March 2023), Valid USA (fall 2023), Queerobics West Philly (spring 2024) |
What the year of mentorship involves
The TRANSFORM mentorship is not a course with a curriculum. TRANSFORM matches each grantee with a mentor who knows their industry or chosen focus areas, and the grantee sets the agenda and how often they meet. Gaps are filled for free by TRANSFORM's Grantee Support Network, volunteers who have helped grantees with financial plans, marketing strategy and even a tax form. When the year ends, past grantees keep a Discord community and invitations to TRANSFORM events. On a $1,000 award, that support is a large share of the value, so choose your focus areas with care.
How to apply
-
1
Review eligibility and values alignment
Confirm you identify as part of a systemically marginalized group and that your business/project aligns with TRANSFORM's antiracist, anticapitalist, social-impact values.
~30 min
-
2
Apply during an open window
Complete the online application when the next grant window opens. Both 2026 windows (March 9-20 and September 8-18) have closed and future dates are not yet posted; the application link is posted on transformgrant.org during open windows.
~1.5 hrs
-
3
Await selection and begin mentorship
Applications are reviewed after each window closes; selected grantees receive $1,000 and customized mentorship.
Watch for the next window; the program prioritizes values alignment and demonstrated financial need over polished business plans. Past applicants can reapply in future cycles.
What the TRANSFORM application asks, section by section
The TRANSFORM application holds about 7,450 characters of required writing (roughly 1,200 words) across four sections, plus three short tables about your money. Close to a third of those characters, 2,250, go to three values questions: your social impact, your theory of change, and what anticapitalism means in your business. TRANSFORM calls these values mandatory for eligibility.
Where the 7,450 characters go
| Section | What it asks | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| About you | Your identity factors and how they shape your worldview and business. Teams describe each member (500 more); returning applicants say what changed (250 more). | 1,000 |
| Your business or idea | A 200-character summary, how you work, your goals, who else does this, the problem you solve, the three values questions, your success measures, and your workforce and any investors. | 5,250 |
| Financial support | Your financial need; all funding by year, counting personal money, revenue, equity and gifts; each source with amount, year and use; a line-item plan for the $1,000; what it changes. | 500 + 3 tables |
| Mentorship | Up to five support areas from a list of 19, how you want to grow in each, and a last word. | 700 |
What happens to your application
- 1
A four-part screen
Every application must show all four non-negotiables: a marginalized identity, antiracist and anticapitalist values, social-impact work, and financial need. TRANSFORM says applications that miss any one "will not be considered."
- 2
A face-to-face meeting stage
TRANSFORM describes a face-to-face meeting stage in each grant cycle.
Draft the three values answers before a window opens. The 2026 windows lasted 12 and 11 days, and TRANSFORM says it often sees one-sentence answers that do not respond to the prompt. On anticapitalism it asks for how the value shows up in your business, not a textbook definition. Gather your funding history by year as well, since the form wants every source, including personal money and gifts. TRANSFORM's own application tips page lists each question.
Deadline & timing
TRANSFORM ran two application windows in 2026: March 9-20 and September 8-18. Both have closed, and future dates are not yet posted (re-checked October 1, 2026). The application link is posted on the grant page only during open windows.
Not accepting applications right now — get one email when it reopens
GrantCompass tracks TRANSFORM Business Grant’s application windows in the live catalog. Leave an email and we’ll tell you the day the next window opens.
Free. One email when the window moves, deadline warnings on your watchlist, and the monthly closing-soon digest. Unsubscribe anytime.
When does TRANSFORM open again?
TRANSFORM opens in short, fixed windows and accepts nothing outside them. In 2026 it ran two: March 9-20 and September 8-18. The status and dates at the top of this page are re-checked at the funder, and TRANSFORM says new dates go on its grant page, its Instagram (@transform_grant) and its newsletter.
- Spring 2022
- March 2023
- Fall 2023
- Spring 2024
- Mar 9-20, 2026
- Sep 8-18, 2026
- Next: on the grant page
The cycles TRANSFORM names point to a spring-and-fall rhythm, so a spring 2027 window would fit the pattern. That is our reading of past cycles, not a TRANSFORM date. If a banner on TRANSFORM's grant page and its dated Applications section ever disagree, trust the dated section. While you wait, the microgrants open now list shows other small awards you can apply for sooner.
Required documents
- Application form responses
- Description of business/project and intended use of funds
Related programs
This program is not taking applications today — these are
Alternatives computed from the live GrantCompass catalog on November 1, 2026 — all 170 open grant programs · filter the database.
How TRANSFORM compares with other small grants
Choose TRANSFORM if your work is values-led and you want a year of help, not only cash. Choose a monthly program if you need a decision sooner. Of these four, TRANSFORM is the only one that screens on anticapitalist values and the only one that comes with a year of mentorship.
| Program | Who can apply |
|---|---|
| TRANSFORM Business Grant$1,000 plus a year of mentorship; two windows in 2026 | US residents from a systemically marginalized group, any immigration status, any stage, no registration needed |
| The Awesome Foundation Micro-Grant$1,000 a month per local chapter; no fee | Anyone, including individuals and groups, for a project with community or creative impact |
| HerRise MicroGrant$1,000 a month; $15 non-refundable fee | US-registered businesses that are 51% women-owned, with revenue under $1,000,000 |
| Kirabo Grant$5,000 to one founder a year, plus a membership and a coaching session | Founders from historically under-resourced communities |
If none of these fits, see which grants you qualify for from the full catalog.
Explore more funding
Last updated October 23, 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.