Coalition To Back Black Businesses Fund

The Coalition to Back Black Businesses is a collective effort to drive meaningful change within
the Black business community by delivering much-needed short-term relief and supporting the
long-term success of Black-owned small businesses and the communities they serve.

HOW IT WORKS

How is the grant program funded?

The grant program will involve three additional steps to invest in the long-term success and
resilience of the Black small business community.
• Mentorship. Each grantee will receive exclusive access to a mentorship program,
conducted in partnership with MicroMentor, to help grow their business with advice
and guidance from industry- or subject-specific mentors.
 Coalition To Back Black Businesses Fund
• Enhancement Grants. Each summer following the distribution of the $5,000 grants,
we will offer competitive $25,000 enhancement grants to those most promising
grantees. Four percent of the grantees in each annual cohort will receive these funds to
help take their business to the next level.
• Online Resources. This website will serve as a central hub featuring resources for all
Black-owned small businesses. By working with our extensive network of partners, we
will collect a strong library of programs and educational materials to help the Black
small business community in their recovery and growth.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?

• you must be an owner of a Black-owned small business (51% or more ownership of

the business).
• You must have between 3-20 employees (including yourself, all full or part-time
employees, and independent (1099) contractors).
• The business must also not be part of a franchise brand with more than twenty-five
(25) corporate-owned stores, or more than two hundred and fifty (250) stores total.
• The business must be located in an economically vulnerable community.
(This is defined as any zip code not in the top 20% of zip codes in the United States, as
ranked by the Distressed Communities Index1. An eligibility checker is available on this
website.)
• Have been harmed financially by the COVID-19 pandemic.

How do we apply for a grant?

Eligible business owners can express their interest on this site from September 14, 2021
through September 22, 2021. Over four hundred business owners will be randomly selected as
finalists or on a waitlist to complete an application to be considered. The number of grants may
fluctuate slightly each year based on available funding.
Link : https://webackblackbusinesses.com/

What do we need to apply for a grant?

To express our interest, we will only need our business name, mobile number, owner contact
email, business zip code, and industry.

1
it is an established measure of the economic well-being of U.S. communities, developed by the Economic Innovation
Group, and looks at a variety of economic measures including household economics, educational attainment, job and
business growth. Just as some businesses face higher risks than others, some communities are more vulnerable. This
grant program is dedicated to helping Black-owned small businesses in the communities that need that help the most.
 Coalition To Back Black Businesses Fund
we will also be asked if the business is women-owned and affiliated with any of the four national
partners, and how it has been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
This should take under one minute to complete. When we submit that information does not
affect our chances at being selected as a finalist, as long as it is completed before 11:59PM EDT
on September 22, 2021 when the collection form will be removed.
If selected as a finalist, that application will take about 20 minutes to complete and will require
our business’s W-9 form, Employee Identification Number (EIN), and other basic supporting
information, including qualitative questions about your business. You will have one week to
complete the finalist application once notified of your finalist status.

How much is the grant?

Each fall, we will distribute $5,000 grants. The grants are unrestricted but must be applied
toward business expenses.
Following each round of awards, grantees will have the option to compete for $25,000
enhancement grants based on additional criteria as outlined below.

What is the selection process?

After September 22, 2021, each business that expressed their interest will be computer-
assigned a random number and put in ascending order.
Over 400 business owners will be selected as finalists and notified within two days of the period
ending. Additional applicants may be chosen for the waitlist and elevated to finalist if any of
the initial finalists are deemed ineligible; they would be notified of their finalist status within
three additional weeks.
Finalists and those on the waitlist will then have one week to complete a longer application that
will be checked for grant eligibility and completion. Special consideration will be given to
women-owned businesses, which will make up at least 25% of the awarded grants.
Each finalist that submits a complete application that meets all eligibility requirements will be
notified of the grant award decisions within two weeks of completing the finalist application.
Any that do not will be replaced immediately by a completed application from a waitlisted
applicant.

Who is administering the grant program?

The grant program is administered by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, in

partnership with U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., National Business League, National Black
Chamber of Commerce, and Walker’s Legacy. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is
a private sector 501(c)(3) charity affiliated with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and is not a
government agency.