Grants For Black Creators, Founders, and Business Owners
Funding for Black creators and entrepreneurs!
Over the last year, we’ve shared hundreds of grants and other paid funding opportunities in this newsletter.
We’ve also created “playlists,” so it’s easier to find similar opportunities.
So far, we’ve created the following playlists:
We update these playlists regularly, so bookmark them for later.
Here’s a playlist for Black creators, founders, and small business owners. There are (14) awards.
If you consider this newsletter a valuable resource (which we really hope you do), consider supporting Grants For Creators and get access to all the opportunities we find. Our goal is to save you time on research and showcase the abundance of funding available to the creator and entrepreneurial community.
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1. Black Community Commitment
Nonprofit organizations working to improve outcomes for the Black community are invited to apply. Any US-based 501(c)(3) organization that has been established since 2019 or prior; has an annual operating budget between $100,000 to $3 million.
Note: Funding amount not disclosed.
Deadline: N/A
2. Empowering Black Futures Initiative
This initiative supports the economic mobility of small business leaders in historically Black neighborhoods. Twenty selected entrepreneurs will receive exclusive, personalized support to help strengthen their businesses and prepare them for capital through AEO’s RESILI™ platform. Additionally, selected entrepreneurs will receive $5,300 in small business grants.
Note: Applicants must live in or operate a business within one of the listed neighborhoods/zip codes.
Deadline: None provided
3. [NEW] The 2026 Irene Yamamoto Arts Writers Fellowship - For Emerging Writers of Color
Fellowships will be awarded to two (2) emerging writers of color, each of whom receives a $5,000 award to be spent over a six-month period. The awards are unrestricted. Funds may be used for any purpose that helps the fellows advance their careers, including paying themselves to write. In addition to the cash award, the fellows are given the opportunity to write a piece of criticism or a review for the Democracy Center blog and to deliver a talk at the Democracy Center at JANM on their work.
The focus of this year’s fellowship is visual art. In order to ensure full consideration of your application, please make sure your writing samples provide critical, analytical, or interpretive perspectives on visual art. Although visual art takes many forms and is experienced in many contexts, for the purposes of this award, visual art is defined as a creation that is primarily visual in nature or shown in a museum, gallery, or other space dedicated to visual art.
Deadline: March 16, 2026