Private and corporate small business grants
Recurring grant programs from corporations, foundations and membership organizations. Smaller checks, simpler applications, and open to ordinary Main Street businesses.
Updated September 2026. Details vary by lender and change often; confirm terms with the provider.
How these programs work
Corporations run grant programs for brand and community reasons. That means applications reward a clear story, a specific plan for the money, and a business people can root for. They are open to almost any legal for-profit business, which is exactly what federal programs are not.
Recurring programs worth tracking
Programs change annually; always check the official page for current dates, amounts and eligibility. These have run for multiple years:
| Program | Sponsor | Typical award | Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|
| FedEx Small Business Grant Contest | FedEx | multiple awards, top prize historically $50k | annual, spring |
| Amber Grant | WomensNet | $10k monthly, $25k annual | monthly (women-owned) |
| NASE Growth Grants | National Association for the Self-Employed | up to $4k | monthly for members |
| Comcast RISE | Comcast | technology, marketing and monetary grants | annual cohorts, selected cities |
| Verizon Small Business Digital Ready grants | Verizon | $10k | periodic, requires completing free courses |
| Galaxy Grants | Hidden Star | small cash grants | quarterly (women and minority owners) |
| Fast Break for Small Business | LegalZoom / NBA | $10k plus services | annual |
| Freed Fellowship | Freed | $500 monthly, $2.5k annual | monthly |
| Small Business Growth Fund | Hello Alice and partners | $5k – $25k | rolling rounds |
| Local bank and credit union community grants | regional banks | $2k – $10k | varies |
For programs restricted to owner demographics, see women-owned, minority-owned and veteran-owned pages.
Winning pattern
- One-sentence business, one-sentence plan. “We are a 3-person bakery in Duluth. $10,000 buys a second oven so we can take wholesale orders we currently turn down.”
- Numbers. Revenue, customers, jobs. Grant committees trust specifics.
- Photos and a 60-second video. Most programs are judged by marketing people.
- Apply early in the window and follow the word counts exactly.
Aggregators
Hello Alice, GrantWatch (paid), Grants for Creators and your state SBDC newsletter round up open programs. Free lists are usually sufficient; do not pay for a “guaranteed grant list”.
Frequently asked questions
Are corporate grants worth the time?
Yes if you batch them. One strong story and a good set of photos can be adapted to a dozen applications. Odds per application are low (often under 1%), but the applications take an hour, not a week.
Do I have to be a customer?
Some programs (payment processors, banks, software companies) restrict eligibility to their customers. Most do not. Read the rules; being an existing customer often helps but is rarely required.