The Equality Digital District
Menu
The Equality District
Menu
After a two week period, we have closed our first round application period. If selected, we will reach out in the coming weeks to ask you to complete a full grant application
Check to make sure your business is eligible
View Requirements
From August 22 through September 6, express interest in receiving a grant by completing the Streamlined Application below
If eligible for grant, randomly-selected finalists and those on a waitlist will be asked to complete a full grant application sometime in Late September
Grant applications will be under review from Late September to Mid October
In Mid October, grantees will be notified with instructions on how to join Ureeka’s coaching platform and receive their $5,000 grant
– Meet the criteria for being a Black-owned enterprise in a qualifying industry (See details below in “Who is eligible to apply?”).
– Employ between 3 and 20 people, including the owner and any full-time employees, part-time employees, or individuals working under a 1099 or similar contractual agreement.
– Be located in an economically vulnerable community, according to the Distressed Communities Index.
– Have been harmed financially by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Enter the zip code associated with your business (as listed on your W9 Form) to see if you are eligible:
The Coalition to Back Black Businesses is a multi-year initiative to support Black small business owners and the communities they serve as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and chart a path forward. Small businesses are critical parts of communities – the strength of these businesses is essential to the recovery of their communities.
Through the Coalition, American Express, Cummins, Optimum, Shopify, Stanley Black and Decker, the National Black Chamber of Commerce, National Business League, U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., Walker’s Legacy, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, will work together over the next four years to provide over $14 million in grants, training, and resources to empower Black-owned small businesses in distressed communities that have long been struggling with economic growth.
From 2020 through 2023, we will distribute $5,000 grants to applicants each fall, followed by mentorship and training, and select few will receive $25,000 enhancement grants the following summer. We hope these grants can provide some assistance to the Black business community to emerge from this crisis stronger than ever. We know the need for assistance is great, and we wish we could help everyone who needs it.
Small businesses across America are struggling to keep their dreams alive, and Black-owned small businesses have been hit especially hard. Black business owners are more likely to report difficulty obtaining loans, express fears about permanently closing, and predict declining revenues in the coming year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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.
The $5,000 grants are only the start of the Coalition to Back Black Businesses’ efforts to support Black-owned small businesses. The grant program will involve three additional steps to invest in the long-term success and resilience of the Black small business community.
The 2022-2023 Coalition to Back Black Businesses grant program is made possible by our Founding Partner American Express, with funding from Cummins, Optimum, Shopify, and programmatic support from Firefli; in collaboration with the National Black Chamber of Commerce, The National Business League, U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., and Walker’s Legacy.
The National Black Chamber of Commerce® is dedicated to economically empowering and sustaining African American communities through entrepreneurship and capitalistic activity within the United States and via interaction with the Black Diaspora.
The National Black Chamber of Commerce® was incorporated in Washington, D.C. in March 1993. 140 affiliated chapters are locally based throughout the nation as well as international affiliate chapters based in Bahamas, Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, France, Botswana, Cameroon and Jamaica and businesses as well as individuals who may have chosen to be direct members with the national office.
The National Business League is the first and largest nonprofit, non-partisan, and non-sectarian, Black business professional and trade association, founded August 23, 1900 by the iconic Booker T. Washington. The NBL has more than 120,000 members nationwide, with 4 regional offices in Atlanta, GA, Detroit, MI, Los Angeles, CA, and Washington, DC, and more than 360 local league chapters across the country. The organizations provide access to 2.6 million Black businesses throughout the United States, celebrating 120 years of service.
The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.’s (USBC) mission is to provide committed, visionary leadership and advocacy in the realization of economic empowerment. Through the creation of resources and initiatives, USBC supports African American Chambers of Commerce and business organizations in their work of developing and growing Black enterprises.
USBC represents 145 chambers in 42 states and 332,000 members, strategic partners, and small business associations nationwide whose involvement increases our capacity to serve.
Walker’s Legacy is the largest global platform for the professional and entrepreneurial multicultural woman. We exist to inspire, equip, and engage through thought-provoking content, educational programming, and a global community. Walker’s Legacy produces conferences, summits, masterclasses, entrepreneurship accelerators and programming to promote business and career advancement, skill sets, and networks of multicultural women in business and women entrepreneurs. For more information please visit www.walkerslegacy.com.
The Coalition to Back Black Businesses is proud to announce its partnership with Shopify to support the long-term growth of Black-owned small businesses and expand our scale. Shopify is offering training and resources to empower all Black-owned small businesses to succeed, including:
• An exclusive 120-day free Shopify trial to start, grow and manage your business online.
• Access to Shopify’s Build Black community to connect with black entrepreneurs.
• 1:1 coaching/mentoring opportunities through Operation HOPE.
To learn more, visit their site here.
The Coalition to Back Black Businesses is a multi-year grantmaking and training initiative to help support Black-owned small businesses as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and chart a path forward. The initiative launched in Fall 2020 and provides grants to qualifying Black-owned small businesses through 2023.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is a private sector 501(c)(3) charity affiliated under the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and is not a government agency. To learn more, please visit www.uschamberfoundation.org.
