Gratitude Griot Grant Guide
My Credentials
Thank you for downloading the Gratitude Griot Grant Guide! I created this free resource guide for small business owners to get their fair share of funds. For those that are unfamiliar with me and my work, my name is Jewell Singletary. I’m a business owner, former Nike Inc business planner, a Rutgers University Business School Entrepreneurship Pioneers Initiative (EPI) graduate, and an advisory board member of the New Jersey Small Business Development Center. Connect with me on LinkedIn!!
I’m a self-taught grant writer and proof that there’s money out there to get got! To date, I’ve been awarded 15 grants for my own business and assisted 4 New Jersey-based non-profits in acquiring grants for their organizations. In full transparency, I am not tapped into the full potential of my minority-owned women-owned small business certifications. I have not tackled federal grants and the full potential of my set-aside certifications. I say that to say: I don’t have all the answers, Sway. My way is not the only way; it’s just a compilation of the steps I took and the skills I use to fill my plate.
I’m solid in what I know and have learned along the way that so much money is being left on the table because people count themselves out before they even try. Folks might be intimidated by the application, overwhelmed with the asks, or don’t know where to start. I hope this helps put a fire under you to follow through and claim your fair share of abundant blessings.
My “Advantages”
Being a Black Woman Business Owner is a blessing, but it is not an advantage.
· Matilda Newton
· Candace Newton McNeil
· John Singletary
· Drew Baldwin & Jane Sherman
· Scott Baldwin & Lucinda Daniels
Those are the names of my 5th, 4th, 3rd, and 2nd great-grandparents that were enslaved and remained sharecroppers for the same families that enslaved them in Randolph County, Georgia, and Florence and Bennettsville Counties in South Carolina. I consider every dollar of grant funding that I am awarded a portion of reparations for the unpaid labor that my named and unnamed ancestors were forced to provide for this country. My windfall of grant awards can be attributed to the vessel that my spirit chose combined with my skill set and experience. All things aligned to create the perfect rendezvous for opportunity to meet preparedness.
There has been an avalanche of funding funneled toward historically marginalized groups of people. The tragic and senseless murders of George Floyd & Breonna Taylor traumatized my community and mobilized the world. Educators and activists took the opportunity to shine a light on the racial wealth divide and create generational wealth for Black communities. Whether white guilt or racial reckoning was the catalyst, the result has been an overpour of money towards Black-owned businesses.
Because intersectionality: it’s also important to note that I grew up in the era of “Take Your Daughter to Work Day.” I vividly remember the push to show young girls that they could aspire to careers outside of their home and beyond teacher or secretary. The time I went to work with my friend’s mom at an American Red Cross Facility and awkwardly met KC from Jodeci is a tale for another day. What’s also not too far away history and more to the point is that as recently as 1974, women were not legally allowed to have a credit card in their own name. Forget about a business loan or line of credit. While Equal Pay Day extends to women in the workforce, it also resonates with women bosses wanting equal access to business capital. Patriarchal power is shifting in society. This change has contributed to an awareness of inequitable lending practices for women-owned businesses. Funding sources are making money moves and giving women their just due.
Location! Location! Location! It’s true! Where your business is registered could mean more money! My business is located in a historically underutilized business zone, and the state, county, and city have combined efforts to fund the economy and keep businesses open. HUBZones get extra funding from the federal to the local level, so your business benefits big time if it is located in one. There are even urban redevelopment grants to make it easier for HUBZone businesses to purchase buildings and property. Stepping in to advocate for the devil and opportunists alike. Many people lost their leases in the panini. When one business closes, space opens for another.
One last kernel of a caveat, I would be remiss if I did not mention that I have loved writing since I was a little girl. If you struggled in your English classes or hated essay assignments, perhaps you would benefit from a professional writer's assistance. I would still push you to have a little confidence in yourself and your baseline writing ability. I am no Maya Angelou. My writing is a bit above basic; I believe anyone can do what I do.
Common Questions
The standard questions that I frequently see on grant applications have been derivatives of my business plan executive summary. Download this business plan template if you don’t already have one. Yes, it was super overwhelming to complete all twenty-seven pages, but my solid business strategy was well worth the organization hours. The business plan executive summary is invaluably in so many different scenarios. Some more grant application FAQs that can all be pulled from your BP:
Origin Story – What’s your WHY? Why did you start your business? Why are you passionate about your industry and the work that you do?
Financials – What money have you put into the business to date? It could be owners' investment, friends and family, seed funding revenue; whatever the source they want to see that you have some skin in the game.
POC – Proof of Concept. Does your product or service work? Do people want it? Have you already generated interest even if you don’t have sales? What is your potential to scale?
Budget - How will you spend the money? A detailed and honest account of where the funds will go and how it will impact the business.
Milestones—what are your achievements to date? That could include client-generated revenue, grants awards, educational advancements and accelerator programs, etc.
Community impact – what type of good is your business doing in your nook of the world?
Statements – Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Reports. If you use an accounting tool like QuickBooks these are automatically generated for you.
Pitch Deck/Video – a visual representation of the executive summary. I’ve often seen pitch decks and videos as an “optional” application supplement. Don’t fall for this. COMPLETE EVERYTHING.
Winning Application
There are two keys to a winning application
1. tell the story of your brand succinctly
2. tell the story with your numbers
You can get access one of my winning applications using this link and watch my YouTube pitch video playlist here. I repurposed and refined these assets for all 40+ award applications.
Pitch Competitions
You don’t have to aspire to be on Shark Tank to play in pitch competitions. I have yet to win a pitch competition, but competing in them has sharpened my ability to speak to my business success to date and future strategy. My entry into the First Founder’s Pitch competition is a business promotion that forever lives on in podcast form. My appearance on their podcast exposes me to potential clients, and the downloads further prove my concept. I also connected with another participant who has allowed me to use her work as a teaching tool. Her research adds value to my workshops and helps to further establish me as a thought leader in the mental health space.
In my experience, tech-enabled companies and businesses that have the potential to scale to millions are most often awarded the top spot in pitch competitions. I have still been able to benefit immeasurably from judges' feedback, networking with my competitors, and the press releases. Building relationships from pitch competitions lead to sales, contracts, and other funding opportunities.
Every pitch competition has required me to present a deck. The pitch deck is a visual representation of a business plan executive summary. These decks can be created in canva, PowerPoint, or similar programs to include plenty of pictures, charts, and graphs. Each competition has its own time requirements, so I have different decks allowing for anywhere from a 1-minute to 10-minute presentation. If the thought of public speaking paralyzes you, I hope it helps to know that it feels more comfortable the more you practice your pitch. You will become more efficient which each round of feedback you receive and implement.
Bouncing back to grants: many private non-government grant applications have required a pitch video submission. Similar to my pitch deck variations, I also maintain different versions of the same video depending on the time restraints and specific asks. The video is an over of my business plan and a place to put a face with a business. Remember it is not a video-making contest; the judges do want to see you tell your brand story. I’ve created all of my pitch videos using free and low-cost editing tools. You can get started with Canva or hire an editor on Fiverr.
Business Accelerator
In my experience, although not all business accelerator programs are created equally, the non-monetary awards have extended further than cash. In December 2020, I completed a 9month accelerator program through Rutgers University Business School. The program tuition was $14,000 but through supplemental grant funding, I only had to pay $200. Through this program, I received business education training, and multiple advisors (business, financial, sales, marketing) gave me actionable feedback weekly. My business coach went above and beyond by offering additional coaching time, public relations help, and networking connections. My participation in the Entrepreneurship Pioneers Initiative also gave my business greater exposure and contributed to my consideration for the New Jersey Small Business Development Center advisory board. Your business will benefit from a reputable accelerator whether it is a start-up or ready to scale.
Start-up Advice
While I don’t have experience getting grants for start-ups that lack proof of concept, I can say with confidence that if all you’re coming to the table with is an idea, then it’s going to be a long uphill battle. I invested my own money and operated my business for 3 years before I received my first grant award. I’ve heard through the grapevine there are funding sources for start-ups. These are extremely competitive, and often the winning owners have done some work to prove their proof of concept. Don’t get discouraged, and remember that your audience can be currency! A product waiting list and social media engagement across platforms counts as proof of concept without sales.
In this era of awakening, there has been more of a concerted effort to democratize the friends and family funding round for Black businesses. White owners have a better outcome because friends and family invest in them from the beginning. One of our best modern examples is Bezos. Jeff was able to get investors for Amazon for 10 years before he ever turned a profit. He had a decade to tweak his business model until the world caught up with his idea. Now he is quite literally taking trips to space with his billions because people believed in Bezos’ business acumen.
Business-minded friends and family can be a source of capital. Consider crowdfunding when you are just starting out. Platforms like ifundwomen provide marketing and grant support to push businesses to their financial finish line. Grant applications and pitch competitions can be repurposed as crowdfunding campaigns so it really only takes time to try.
I also recommend that you broaden your scope of grants and don’t limit yourself to financial awards. It is a fact that you will run through any grant money you get. All of the Fortune 500 companies I worked for had to make a major pivot at some point to keep their brands afloat. Some of those pivots were more profitable than others, but the owners kept digging. The same will be true for you. Some of your ideas will work and you’ll be able to see a return. others will flop, but the education and networking that you get from a non-monetary grant can get be invaluable and float you until the next milestone.
TOP 10 DOs and DONTs
1. DON’T: Hire a grant writer
2. DO: Develop a strong business plan
3. DO: Make sure to review all eligibility and FAQs thoroughly
4. DO: Create a check-list for each application requirement
5. DO: Keep a digital file of all your application assets (BP, pitches, financial reports)
6. DO: Tell your brand story succinctly and with numbers
7. DO: Get a second set of eyes to review before you hit submit
8. DON’T: Overlook the importance of networking
9. DON’T: Disregard educational grants
10. DON’T: Forget to double check all your answers.
Grant List
Sometimes awards come in the form of capital, tuition, financial and business coaches, and product/services. Click here to view a live list of all grants that I have applied to date. Although is not notated on this list, some of these grants prioritize members of the queer community and veterans. Please check back for those updated notations. Also, many of these are annual opportunities. If the deadline has passed, bookmark the site to apply for the next round of funds.
