Women in the United States continue to face structural barriers in business ownership and certain professional fields. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics median weekly earnings data, women working full time earn roughly 83 cents for every dollar earned by men on an unadjusted basis. (Studies that control for occupation, hours, and experience produce smaller gaps.) A number of federal programs, state initiatives, and private foundations exist to help close that gap by funding women's businesses, education, and community projects.
This page covers the categories of grants most relevant to women in 2026, with an honest assessment of which programs award real grant dollars and which are loans, training resources, or competitive scholarships.
Small-business funding for women
SBA Office of Women's Business Ownership
The SBA's Office of Women's Business Ownership does not issue direct grants. It supports a national network of Women's Business Centers (WBCs) that provide free counseling, training, and capital access for women starting and growing businesses. There are over 140 WBCs nationally.
Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contracting
Women-owned small businesses can compete for set-aside federal contracts — not technically a grant, but a major path to federal dollars. Certify at certify.sba.gov.
Private and corporate grants for women-owned businesses
Real grant money, awarded competitively:
- Amber Grant by WomensNet — $10,000 monthly + $25,000 annual grant. Apply at ambergrantsforwomen.com.
- Cartier Women's Initiative — international grants up to $100,000 for women-led impact businesses.
- Tory Burch Foundation Fellows Program — fellowship grants of $5,000 plus business education.
- Hello Alice / Visa Foundation grants — recurring grant rounds for women and under-represented founders.
- eBay Foundation grants — small-business funding focused on under-represented entrepreneurs.
Verify each program is currently accepting applications — competition is intense and cycles change yearly.
Education funding for women
Most need-based education funding (Pell Grant, FSEOG, state grants) is gender-neutral. Targeted women's-education grants and fellowships include:
- American Association of University Women (AAUW) — fellowships and grants for women pursuing graduate degrees, research, and community projects. Awards range from a few thousand to over $30,000.
- Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation — education-support awards for low-income mothers pursuing post-secondary education.
- P.E.O. International — scholarships, grants, and loans for women returning to school or pursuing advanced degrees.
- Society of Women Engineers (SWE) scholarships — for women pursuing engineering and computing degrees.
- Zonta International scholarships — international awards for women in public affairs, business, and STEM.
For undergraduate need-based aid, women should start with the FAFSA. See our Pell Grant guide for the federal need-based starting point.
Grants for single mothers and women in financial need
Most "grants for single mothers" are not technically grants but federal assistance benefits administered by states:
- TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) — cash assistance, work supports.
- SNAP — food assistance.
- WIC — supplemental nutrition for women, infants, and children.
- Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher Program — rental assistance through local public housing agencies.
- Head Start — early-childhood education for low-income families.
- LIHEAP — heating, cooling, and utility assistance.
Apply for these through your state human-services or social-services department. Private organizations supplementing these benefits include the Patsy Mink Foundation (above), Bridge of Hope, and local community-action agencies.
How to apply
- For business funding — start with your nearest Women's Business Center for free 1-on-1 counseling, then identify specific grants (Amber, Cartier, Tory Burch, etc.) and apply directly.
- For education — file the FAFSA at studentaid.gov. Then search AAUW and field-specific organizations for fellowships.
- For family assistance — apply for TANF, SNAP, WIC, and housing assistance through your state's social-services portal.
- Register on sam.gov before applying for any federal grant as a business or organization.
There is no application fee for legitimate government or non-profit grants for women. Any service charging to "match" you with grants is reselling publicly available information.
Common questions
Are federal "grants for women" a real category I can apply for? There is no general federal grant program titled "grants for women." Federal funding for women flows through (a) need-based programs everyone can apply for (Pell, TANF, SNAP), (b) women-specific support services like WBCs, and (c) set-aside federal contracts. Direct women-specific grant dollars are almost entirely private/foundation funded.
Are women-owned businesses more likely to win grants? Many private programs explicitly favor women-owned businesses, and federal contracting set-asides specifically target WOSBs. So in those programs, yes. In general federal grant programs (SBIR, USDA, etc.) eligibility is project-based, not demographic.
How do I get certified as a Women-Owned Small Business? Apply at certify.sba.gov. At least 51 % of the business must be owned, controlled, and managed by one or more women who are U.S. citizens. Certification is free.
Is the wage gap really 83 %? The 83 % figure is the median weekly earnings ratio for full-time wage and salary workers, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Various studies adjusting for occupation, hours, and experience produce different figures (typically 90–98 %). The unadjusted figure remains the most-cited.
In this section
- College grants for women
- Graduate grants for women
- College grants for single mothers
- Minority grants — additional programs for women of color
- Business grants — SBA Office of Women's Business Ownership and related programs