Small Business Grants for Women in Iowa

Are you looking for small business grants for women in Iowa? We have three each month.

You can find a lot of “Iowa women’s small business grant sites” with just a quick Google search. The problem is this: Most sites don’t give out women’s grants. Or they’re complicated government (Small Business Administration) sites. They want too much of your personal and financial information. Not to mention the hours of filling out forms.

We’re different. We actually give out grants to women business owners. And, yes, women entrepreneurs from Iowa are eligible to apply and win one of our THREE $10,000 monthly Amber Grants.

Click on the following link to see how simple our Amber Grant for Women application is.

There are just two questions on our application. And each month, we select THREE $10,000 winners. Our judges award these grants every month – so today would be the perfect time to apply. Even better, our monthly winners compete for a chance to win one of three $25,000 year-end Amber Grants.

That means you could win up to a total of $35,000 in grant money for your small or startup woman-owned business.

After you’ve applied for our grant, please take a bit of time to check out the resources below. There are folks in Iowa waiting to help women business owners just like you!

Resources for businesswomen in Iowa:

Des Moines SCORE
210 Walnut Street Federal Building/ Room 749, Des Moines, IA 50309
Ph: (515) 284-4760

Dubuque SCORE
300 Main Street Suite 200, Dubuque, IA 52001
Ph: (563) 690-9209

Muscatine SCORE
102 Walnut Street, Muscatine, IA 52761
Ph: (563) 263-8895

SCORE East Central Iowa
2750 1st Avenue NE Corporate Center East, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Ph: (319) 362-6405 (2005)

Sioux City SCORE
320 6th Street Federal Building, Room 186, Sioux City, IA 51101
Ph: (712) 277-2324

South Central SCORE
10 Raynan Drive, Ottumwa, IA 52501
Ph: (641) 683-5127

Iowa National Association of Women Business Owners

Iowa Women in Business
E-MAIL: kelly-mcclure@uiowa.edu

Small Business Development Center of Iowa
2321 North Loop Drive, Suite 202, Ames, IA 50010-8218
PHONE: (515) 294-2030
E-MAIL: jimh@iastate.edu

Iowa Center for Economic Success
2210 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312
PHONE: (515) 283-0940

Helpful links for women in Iowa:

Does WomensNet Offer Amber Grants to Women In My State?

Yes!! We've been offering business resources and grants to women in all 50 states (and Canada) since 1998. We have three different $10,000 Amber Grant winners EVERY month... Plus at the end of the year, each Amber Grant winner for that year is eligible for an additional $25,000 grant!

How Does It Work?

Submit your application. Our WomensNet judges review every application. Then we announce the three $10,000 Amber Grant winners the following month by the 23rd. At the end of the year, we award THREE more $25,000 grants -- chosen from our previous monthly grant winners for this year. That means you have the opportunity to receive $35,000 from WomensNet by filling out one two-question grant application.

How Do I Apply?

Simple. By telling us your story. There are no lengthy, complicated documents to complete. Just answer two questions about your business. But hurry—applications are due by the end of the month for all three of this month's $10,000 Amber Grant opportunities.

Apply Now

Watch videos from our Past Grant Winners

GloveStix

Vanessa Bouche of Savhera

Not Sure Where to Start?

You’re in luck. We’ve done hours of research and compiled a list of the 16 best small business grants available for women today—and we’d love to share it with you!

Enter your email to receive a FREE copy of our special report,
“16 Terrific Grants for Women Business Owners.”

Six steps you should take when looking for a business grant:

1. Analyze your organization's needs. Make sure you have a solid understanding of the:

Problem or need you want to address
Audience that will benefit from your product or service
Kind and amount of support you need
Resources and commitment your group brings to the project
Potential and prospective partners in the community

2. Research various types of foundations. Learn the operational differences between:

Corporate foundations
Civic foundations
Private foundations

3. Look for funding matches. Identify funders who:

Are able and likely to fund projects in your geographic area
Share a similar core mission or goals
Have already supported similar ventures or projects

4. Compile a list of prospects. Group them in two ways:

By Geographic Location (city, state, region)
By field of interest or program subject

5. Review and refine your list. Eliminate prospects that DON’T FUND:

In your state
Your type of organization
Your subject
The type of support you need
Your size project

6. Select the most appropriate funding prospects. Research them in detail:

Contact them directly to request annual reports and other publications
Search print and online media to identify projects that received grants in the past
Ask former grant recipients for advice and why they felt they were successful over other applicants

What people are saying about WomensNet

“You have to be in it to win it...seize the opportunity and apply.”

“Every month, WomensNet awards three $10,000 Amber Grants to women-owned businesses. At the end of each year, monthly grant winners are eligible to receive one of three $25,000 annual grants.”

“Launched 20 years ago this grant honors the memory of a young woman who wanted to be an entrepreneur but died at age 19 before she could achieve her goal.”

“The Amber Grant offers three $10,000 grants to women-owned businesses each month. Then, at the end of each year, WomensNet gives an additional $25,000 to three grant winners from that year.”

“This organization offers monthly grants of up to $10,000 to support female entrepreneurs starting businesses. Those who qualify for these grants are also in the running for a yearly $25,000 grant.”

Don't miss the deadline. Apply now >