Fund Her Future Grant
Frequently asked questions
Fund Her Future, H&R Block’s Business Grant for Women, provides funds and services to empower women-owned businesses—particularly those focused on making a difference in their communities—to reach their full potential.
Women are one of the fastest-growing segments of new small business owners in the US. However, women founders often face unique barriers to accessing the funding and resources required to truly succeed in their ventures.
Block Advisors by H&R Block is addressing these challenges providing more than $100,000 in grants and services to five (5) women-owned businesses in 2024. One (1) first prize winner will receive a grant of $50,000. Four (4) additional honorable mention winners will receive a grant of $12,500. All winners will also receive access to a year of small business services, such as business structure analysis, bookkeeping, payroll, Beneficial Ownership reporting, and tax support, from the experts at Block Advisors. This program aligns with the Block Horizons 2025 commitment to support 500,000 small businesses in the United States.
One (1) first prize winner will receive a grant of $50,000. Four (4) additional honorable mention winners will receive a grant of $12,500. All winners will also receive access to a year of small business services, such as business structure analysis, bookkeeping, payroll, Beneficial Ownership reporting, and tax support, from the experts at Block Advisors.
Generally, the grant program is open to small businesses with at least 51% female ownership whose owners are 18 years or older and living in the U.S. Exclusions may apply. Please see Official Rules for detailed eligibility.
Applications open Monday, April 29, 2024, and the application deadline is Sunday, May 26, 2024, at 11:59 pm CT. Winners will be notified by June 30, 2024.
Following the notification process, grant winners will be onboarded with a Block Advisor small business expert who will facilitate their service package starting in July 2024. The first 50% of each grant is expected to be awarded on or around July 1, 2024, and the second 50% on or around September 30, 2024.
The general application, selection, and notification process includes the following steps and criteria:
Application: A complete application must be submitted by an eligible business owner before the deadline of May 26, 2024, at 11:59 pm CT through our online application form.
Finalists Selection: The selection committee will evaluate submissions based on criteria included in the Official Rules. All eligible submissions will be reviewed and the applications that best align with the grant's goals will be chosen to proceed to the next stage. Up to 20 finalists will be chosen by a selection committee and notified via email or telephone, using the contact information provided on the submission form.
Winners Selection: Finalists must participate in a virtual video interview with members of the selection committee. Winners will be selected based on the strength of their virtual interviews and their overall application responses. The selection committee will identify five (5) winners: one (1) first prize winner and four (4) honorable mention winners.
Participation Agreement: All winners will be notified by June 30, 2024, via email or telephone, using the contact information provided on the submission form. They will be asked to review, sign, and return a participant agreement to accept and confirm their participation in the Fund Her Future grant program.
The application should take about 2 hours to complete, not including preparation time. The application will gather information about the owner, the business, the owner’s small business journey, and the intended use, measurement, and impact of the grant funds and services received. Formats include multiple choice, yes/no, research-style, and short essay questions. These questions – especially the short-form questions – are an opportunity for you to differentiate your small business from other applicants. Examples of questions in the application include:
- Owner information: name, gender, contact
- Business information: type, size, sector, annual revenue, location
- Business journey: motivations for starting your business, barriers faced
- Grant use, impact, and measurement: how you intend on using the grant to achieve your small business goals, how this may impact your community, how you will measure your success
Please make time to submit your application in one sitting, as you will not be able to save your application nor edit your responses after submission. Consider taking a screenshot of the confirmation screen because a confirmation email will not be sent. You will, however, be able to download a copy of your responses after submission.
To streamline your application experience, here are a few tips and tricks:
- Thoroughly read and follow all application instructions. Review the application fully at least once before starting so you understand the questions you will be asked.
- Set aside ample time to think through your responses to application questions. Try to find a distraction-free space to work on your application.
- Create a separate document to compose and save your answers to the short-form essay questions. It can be frustrating to lose your progress due to an unexpected computer restart. After your responses are complete, copy and paste your answers into the final application before submission.
- Tailor your responses – show the selection committee how the grant will benefit you, your small business growth, and your community. Tell your story and convince them why you deserve this opportunity!
- Don’t wait till the last second to submit your application. Complete the application as far in advance of the May 26, 2024, deadline as possible to avoid unexpected challenges.
- Ensure all information is complete, accurate, and true. All responses should be in your own words and based on your personal experiences as a small business owner.
Grant funds should be used for business expenses only. Details will be provided to the grant winners. Ineligible uses may cause forfeiture of grant funds.
There is no in-person option for the application. Only online submissions through our online application form.
Technical questions, issues, or media inquiries should be directed to fundherfuture@hrblock.com. Questions about submission content will not be answered through this email.
When you submit your grant application, you will be asked to review the Official Rules. If selected to receive a Fund Her Future grant, you will be asked to review, sign, and return a participant agreement that outlines the expectations and requirements of you and your business’ participation in the program.
In 2022, Block Advisors by H&R Block created the Small Business Pride Microgrant. This program awarded ten (10) $5,000 grants and small business services to LGBTQ+ small business owners. That program and the new Fund Her Future grant align with the Block Horizons 2025 commitment to support 500,000 small businesses in the United States. This year, Block Advisors and H&R Block are excited to expand our grant efforts to further support underserved and under-resourced groups within the small business ecosystem.