10 Business Grants for AAPI Entrepreneurs (+ Where to Find More)

Welcome to Breaking nan Blueprint — a blog bid that dives into nan unsocial business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn really they’ve grown aliases scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures wrong their companies, aliases created broadside hustles, and really their stories tin animate and pass your ain success.

Courage and dream reside astatine nan bosom of building a business. Hope for a amended value of life, financial stability, and, if we’re lucky, generational wealthiness for our families.

However, for Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs, spinning an thought into a profitable business requires startup funding that is often difficult to entree because of systemic barriers.

As an replacement to task capital, angel investments, and loans, business grants tin thief span this spread by awarding money that doesn’t require repayment aliases equity exchange. This station will research wherever AAPI entrepreneurs tin find business grants, and really to use for them successfully.

Why are grants adjuvant for AAPI business owners?

Although nan AAPI organization owns astir 2 cardinal enterprises, including mini sole proprietorships, and is nan astir quickly increasing taste group successful America, assistance opportunities specifically for AAPI businesses are scarce.

Beyond nan absence of support for these aspiring business owners, AAPI entrepreneurs are besides hesitant to use for nan mini number of disposable costs and grants owed to taste and connection barriers. According to a survey conducted by Bank of America, 37% of AAPI business owners don’t consciousness sufficiently informed connected really to use for superior and 23% don’t cognize wherever to apply. The National CAPACD besides reports that 58% of AAPI entrepreneurs struggle pinch federal, state, and section alleviation programs for mini businesses.

There is simply a clear request for much visible resources and mentorship related to business improvement and backing opportunities truthful that a caller procreation of AAPI-founded companies tin make culture-shifting and innovative contributions to society. The first measurement to picking nan correct assets for you is knowing really overmuch money you’ll need.

How overmuch does it costs to commencement a business?

Finances are unsocial for each personification aliases institution and dangle connected nan type of business, nan number of employees, and different details. According to Small Business Trends, connected average, startup and first-year costs autumn betwixt $30,000 and $40,000, though it tin costs importantly little for work providers and online businesses. There are respective variables to see erstwhile evaluating really overmuch money you’ll request to launch, including:

• One-time and ongoing costs
• Essentials specified arsenic equipment, software, and supplies
• Fixed and fluctuating costs specified arsenic rent and utilities
• Marketing expenses
• Legal and accounting fees
• Insurance
• Licenses and permits
• Employee salaries and benefits
• Taxes

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has a handy worksheet for calculating startup costs. After determining really overmuch money you’ll need, you tin measure your options for funding, whether it’s pulling from your individual accounts, courting investors, applying for a grant, aliases seeking lending options done banks.

The Difference Between Investors and Grant Programs

This money doesn’t look for illustration an ancestral blessing pinch nary strings attached. Investors gain a return connected their finance done equity and earning dividends successful nan shape of rate aliases shares of stock, aliases successful immoderate cases, repayment pinch a pre-decided liking rate.

On nan different hand, business grants are non-dilutive, meaning you support afloat ownership of your business and don’t person to salary backmost immoderate money. Many assistance programs grant nan money upfront, while immoderate salary arsenic reimbursements aft disbursal reports are submitted.

Where To Find Business Grants

The main types of grants for entrepreneurs see wide business grants, industry-specific grants, grants for women minority-owned businesses, and COVID-19 alleviation grants. Each assistance is unsocial and differs connected who is eligible, nan usage of nan money, and nan grant amount. Here is simply a database of grant-making organizations.

• Search and use for national backing connected Grants.gov, a database pinch grants from astir 26 national agencies, specified arsenic SBA, MBDA, and USDA. The agencies grant grants for captious betterment initiatives, innovative research, and different projects for non-profit organizations, for-profit businesses, and different entities. Annually, this tract helps grant astir $500 cardinal crossed much than 1,000 national grants.
• Non-profit organizations tin connection grants to support mini businesses and entrepreneurs.
• Private foundations connection industry-specific grants.
• Local Asian Chambers of Commerce connection grants, backing opportunities, networking, mentorship, and financial literacy resources to Asian American-owned businesses.

10 Grants for AAPI-Owned Businesses

Although nan database isn’t long, location are a fistful of grants for AAPI entrepreneurs that could beryllium your summons to accelerate nan maturation of your business.

1. Gold House

Gold House invests successful AAPI entrepreneurs disrupting their industries to springiness them nan superior and devices they request to scale. It offers 2 assistance opportunities: SAFE Gold House Ventures and Gold Futures Challenge.

Gold Futures Challenge gives awards to organizations/projects that support API communities and thief them consciousness seen, heard, empowered, and united. It's a challenge-based money and nan nationalist votes for winners from a excavation of finalists chosen by a action committee.

• Grant Amount: Prizes scope from $25k - $100k
• Eligibility: AAPI-serving organizations registered arsenic 501(c)(3) nonprofit, fiscally-sponsored projects, aliases authorities organizations.
• Application Date: Apply by June 15, 2023

SAFE Gold House Ventures invests successful AAPI entrepreneurs disrupting their industries. It's a 12-week startup accelerator pinch 1:1 advising, masterclasses, and networking opportunities.

• Grant Amount: $150k finance for each winner
• Eligibility: Open to founders of C Corp companies who place arsenic AAPI. LLCs tin use but are required to person to a C Corp to person funding.
• Application Date: Fall 2023 applications unfastened successful August

2. USA Funding Applications

USA Funding Applications is an online backing assets that gives you entree to 20K applications and assistance sources. AAPI entrepreneurs and business owners tin use wrong nan Minorities/Demographic section, and there's nary limit to nan number of grants you tin use for.

• Grant Amount: Varies by assistance and case-by-case basis.
• Eligibility: See eligibility requirements for your class aft signing up.
• Application Dates: Applications accepted connected a rolling ground passim nan year.

3. Hawai’i Foundher

Hawai’i Foundher is simply a six-month accelerator programme that provides 5 businesses pinch assistance funding, elastic kid and elder attraction stipends, a workspace connected each awesome Hawaiian island, 2 halfway mentors, and entree to an advisor network. The programme helps Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Asian women and mothers pinch businesses successful nan 5 halfway markets of Hawaii: food, wellness and wellness, fashion, tech, and education.

• Grant Amount: Undisclosed
• Eligibility: Must beryllium a for-profit, early-stage business pinch 50% of founders being women of Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, aliases Asian descent and based successful Hawaii.
• Application Dates: 2023 - 2024 dates to beryllium announced

4. AAPIStrong

National ACE’s AAPISTRONG has a assistance page updated annually pinch disposable opportunities. At nan clip of this writing, 2 grants person deadlines successful May, and you tin sign up for caller assistance alerts here.

The National ACE and Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program Grant will supply $1 cardinal successful mini business grants successful 2023 to thief pinch marketing, equipment, squad building, and more.

• Grant Amount: $10,000 each
• Eligibility: Complete immoderate operation of 2 Small Business Digital Ready Program courses, coaching events, and organization events earlier applying.
• Application Dates: 2024 dates to beryllium announced.

The Greg Hill Foundation and GrubHub Community Fund Grant will supply $1.25 cardinal to mini business restaurants. A information of this money is dedicated to supporting minority-owned businesses for exertion and equipment, trading services, unit training and wages, and more.

• Grant Amount: Ranges from $5,000 to $25,000
• Eligibility: Must ain only 1 edifice location pinch 50 aliases less labor successful Boston, Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia.
• Application Dates: 2024 dates to beryllium announced

5. Asian Pacific Community Fund

APCF provides replacement backing for Los Angeles County nonprofit organizations serving low-income and underserved Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. It offers semipermanent backing opportunities, halfway operating support, and resources beyond accepted grant-making. APCF has awarded complete 260 grants and distributed complete $1.6 cardinal successful funds.

Firecracker Fund

• Grant Amount: Undisclosed
• Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations pinch programs that beforehand patient lifestyles done nutrition and beingness fittingness for AAPIs successful Los Angeles and Orange counties.
• Application Dates: 2023 dates to beryllium announced

APCF Operating Grant

• Grant Amount: Ranges from $5,000 to $15,000
• Eligibility: Organizations that service AAPI organization members needing nan astir assistance successful Los Angeles County and beyond.
• Application Dates: 2024 dates to beryllium announced

Asian Pacific Community Giving Circle

• Grant Amount: Undisclosed
• Eligibility: Organizations that service AAPI communities passim Greater Los Angeles County. The area of attraction changes each twelvemonth and antecedently included organizations pinch programs for intelligence health, younker activity development, connection access, bullying prevention, biology justice, and financial literacy.
• Application Dates: 2024 dates to beryllium announced

6. Asian Women Giving Circle

AWGC believes backing is simply a shape of activism. Its squad has granted $1 cardinal successful nan past 16 years done 100 assistance projects. Annually, they grant 8 to 10 grants to thief money projects led by Asian American women artists and organization groups successful NYC that bring progressive societal translator and raise consciousness of captious issues affecting Asian American women, girls, and gender-expansive people.

• Grant Amount: Typically $8,000 each, depending connected really overmuch AWGC raises for their yearly pot.
• Eligibility: Open to 501(c)(3) organizations and individual artists. Projects must incorporated art, item women and gender-expansive people’s leadership, and beryllium applied to a circumstantial project, not ongoing programs aliases operations.
• Application Dates: 2024 dates to beryllium announced

Tips for Successfully Applying for Business Grants

1. Start early.

Having a mini model of clip to draught a business plan, stitchery nan basal paperwork, and capable retired a assistance exertion will make it harder to complete. Start nan process early to springiness you capable clip to plan, write, and taxable nan champion exertion imaginable without immoderate further accent that comes pinch emotion rushed and overwhelmed.

2. Do your research.

When preparing to use for a grant, thoroughly investigation to understand nan statement offering nan award. Treat it arsenic though you’re preparing for a occupation question and reply and customize your exertion to show why you’re nan champion fresh to person their funding. Take your clip while reference nan assistance guidelines and exertion requirements to guarantee you’re addressing each nan basal points and letting your connection and imagination shine.

3. Get thief from a assistance writer.

You’re tin of completing your assistance application, but if financially possible, hiring a master assistance writer pinch acquisition crafting award-winning applications tin thief summation your chances of receiving funding.

4. Apply to much than 1 grant.

Grants are constricted and competitive, but don’t fto that discourage you from applying to arsenic galore of them arsenic possible. The much applications you submit, nan greater your chance of being awarded. Don’t sacrifice value for quantity; guarantee your applications are customized for each organization.

Mistakes to Avoid With Business Grants

1. Falling for a scam.

Be cautious erstwhile applying for grants. Scams beryllium to instrumentality you into paying money aliases sharing delicate information. Verify nan authenticity of a assistance opportunity (they are ever free) earlier applying.

2. Committing fraud.

Misrepresenting really you scheme to utilize assistance money tin consequence successful superior consequences, specified arsenic being barred from receiving early funding, civilian lawsuits, and criminal prosecution successful immoderate cases. When applying, beryllium honorable astir really your business will walk nan money.

3. Forgetting to salary your taxes.

Most business grants are taxable because nan money is considered income. Research national and authorities taxation laws to understand really overmuch of your assistance needs to beryllium claimed for your taxation return, and activity pinch an accountant to guideline you connected really to study it. The statement that awards nan assistance tin besides explain immoderate of these details.

Rise to nan situation of launching a business.

Obtaining backing tin beryllium intimidating, but now is your chance to move your ideas into an operating, money-making business. If you aren’t offered money during your first information of assistance applications aliases raising capital, support trying. If those backing sources aren’t moving successful your favour yet, see looking into business loans aliases crowdfunding. You ever person options.