The Everygirl Media Group Foundation is pleased to announce the inaugural The Everygirl’s Women-Owned Business Grant powered by La Marca Prosecco. Our goal in creating these grants is to be able to support women who own small businesses and are looking for extra funding to take them to the next level. An Everygirl is career-driven, passionate, ambitious, and determined—and small businesses are often born from a small idea backed by someone with these traits. The creation of our grants allows us to lift up our online community of women entrepreneurs and help them follow their dreams through direct funding for their small businesses.
Four $5000 grants will be awarded to women who own small businesses or are pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors. Applications are open to the public—eligibility requirements are listed below. The four awardees will receive $5000 in business funding, as well as exposure through theeverygirl.com and The Everygirl’s social media channels.
The application window closed on October 11.
Eligibility
Applicants must meet the following criteria in order to qualify for consideration:
- Be a United States resident or a United States-based company.
- Be 21 years of age or older.
- Own a small business or be pursuing small business endeavors.
- Identify as a woman and/or be a company at least 50% owned by a woman or women.
- Not have any felony convictions.
- Not serve an exclusively religious purpose or limit their services to members of one religious group.
- Not show an accumulated deficit in their most recent fiscal year.
- Not promote illicit and/or illegal products or services.
- Not be a political organization whose purpose is to influence legislation or promote a particular ideology.
- Not be a unit of government.
- Not be a community development organization.
- Not discriminate on the basis of age, race, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or other legally-protected classification.
Q: What is the timeline for the application process?
A: We will be accepting applications beginning on Thursday, October 1 through Sunday, October 11 at 11:59 pm CST. 10 grant finalists will be chosen by October 20, and a public online voting period from October 21-27 will follow. The four grant awardees will be announced on Thursday, October 29.
Q: What kind of businesses are eligible?
A: We encourage businesses of all kinds to apply—these categories include, but are not limited to: fashion, beauty, lifestyle, health & wellness, tech, kids’ products, food & drink, home & interiors, finance, and parenting/motherhood. Grants will not be awarded to businesses who do not follow their state and local municipalities’ guidelines.
Non-profits ARE eligible to apply.
Q: How do you define “women-owned”?
A: Anyone who identifies as a woman or is non-binary is encouraged to submit an application. The Everygirl Media Group’s definition of “women” is inclusive—we welcome trans women, genderqueer women, and non-binary femme-identifying people to apply.
In order to be eligible, businesses must be at least 50% owned, controlled, operated, and managed by a woman or women.
Q: Can I nominate someone else?
A: We encourage you to share the application with any woman you know who owns a small business, but the business owner or legal representative of the business must be the one to complete the grant application.
Q: How are the awardees chosen?
A: There will be two rounds of review for grant applicants. In the first round, The Everygirl Media Group and La Marca Prosecco teams will choose 10 finalists. In the second round (beginning on October 21), online voting will open to the public on theeverygirl.com. In this round, two awardees will be chosen by public online voting and two will be chosen by our editorial team—at least one spot is reserved for a BIPOC business-owner.
The Everygirl Media Group and La Marca Prosecco teams will review submissions based on the following criteria: need, unique market position, innovation, execution plan, and alignment with The Everygirl Media Group’s core values and areas of interest.
Q: Will I have to pay taxes on the money I’m awarded?
A: All recipients of a grant from The Everygirl Media Group Foundation will receive a 1099-Misc IRS form at the end of the year. Please see your tax advisor about the taxability of the grant received.
Q: Do I have to already own a registered business?
A: Applicants should either have a registered business or have a legitimate business plan for the formation of a business.
Q: What if I have a business idea that I’m looking to get started?
A: At this time we are looking for established small businesses, even if they are in the early stages. Businesses must have a clear and defined growth strategy and a consumer-facing product or service.
Businesses that are actively working toward and preparing for a launch with clear objectives and timelines are also welcome to apply.
Q: Will there be additional documentation required after I submit my application?
A: If you are selected as a grant finalist, a basic background check will be performed and we will request a W-9 tax form for your business. If selected as an awardee, a grant report and/or proof of use documentation will be required in 6-12 months.
Articles of incorporation or articles of organization shall be included in the application. If
an applicant has not yet officially formed a business, their most recent tax return shall be included in their application. The FEIN and/or Social Security Number of the Applicant should be redacted from any documentation for the protection of the Applicant.
Q: Where is the funding coming from?
A: In 2020, The Everygirl Media Group established the The Everygirl Media Group Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit, to better be able to respond to the needs and issues that are important to our team and our readers. It is our goal to empower women and support them in times of need—and we are now able to give funding directly to the people and causes we wish to support. The Everygirl and The Everymom have always sought to amplify the voices of women through the online platforms we have built.
Through a generous donation from La Marca Prosecco, we were able to create the foundation’s first initiative: The Everygirl’s Women-Owned Business Grant—which allows us to support women-owned businesses much like our own.
More questions? Please contact: [email protected]
The application window closed on October 11.
The Everygirl’s Women-Owned Business Grant is powered by:
Terms & Conditions
Application: The application, available on theeverygirl.com, must be fully completed and submitted no later than October 11, 2020 at 11:59 PM Central Time. If any portion of the application is not completed, said application shall be ineligible for consideration.
Documentation: Articles of incorporation or articles of organization shall be included in the application. If an applicant has not yet officially formed a business, their most recent tax return shall be included in their application. The FEIN and/or Social Security Number of the Applicant should be redacted from any documentation for the protection of the Applicant.
Selection Process: After the application deadline, 10 finalists will be chosen by the board members at The Everygirl. Finalists will be announced on October 21 on theeverygirl.com. At least one (1) winner will be an entity owned/controlled by a Woman or Women of Color. From October 21 to October 27, voting will be open to the public on TheEverygirl.com to choose two winners. Two other winners will be chosen by the board members of The Everygirl from the remaining eight finalists.
Awards: The winners will each be awarded with a $5000 grant for their business. The winners will be responsible for all Local, State, and Federal tax responsibilities that result from this award. Winners must be able to show that they are in legal goodstanding. Any statements that are deemed to be false or misleading will result in disqualification of that Applicant, and require a return of any funds if they have already been distributed.
Consent to Disclosure: All Applicants consent to have their information, including but not limited to likeness, identity, and business plan, released to the public via theeverygirl.com website. All tax ID and Social Security numbers will be redacted for the protection of the Applicants.
