Grants for Small businesses - Diversity Equity and Inclusion

This grant provides funding to local artists and creative businesses in Downtown Trenton for community-focused projects that enhance arts access, collaboration, and cultural identity.

This grant provides funding for nonprofit organizations and public agencies in King County, Washington, to acquire, construct, or renovate facilities dedicated to arts, culture, heritage, and science, with a focus on serving historically marginalized communities and enhancing public access.

This grant provides funding to not-for-profit organizations and community projects that enhance the well-being, education, and cultural opportunities for residents of the Town of Malta, New York.

This funding opportunity supports grassroots organizations and individuals working to dismantle systemic oppression and build cross-movement solidarity in the pursuit of racial equity and social change across the United States.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to social enterprises and their partners in California to create job training and employment programs for vulnerable populations, helping them gain skills and achieve economic stability.

This grant recognizes and honors individuals and organizations in Fort Collins and Larimer County that promote inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility within the community.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations and mission-aligned for-profits in Orlando that are focused on building the local technology community through innovative programs and initiatives.

This program provides funding and support to small, artist-led music organizations in Los Angeles County to help them grow and develop sustainable practices over a 17-month period.

This program provides funding to filmmakers and media producers to support film and television projects that take place in Sacramento, promoting local economic and cultural growth.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for training programs that help women and minority residents of New Jersey enter and succeed in construction trades, with a focus on equitable access and job placement.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to local organizations in Norfolk, Virginia, to develop community-based projects that improve access to nutritious food and address food insecurity.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for projects that promote sustainable business practices and workforce development in California, particularly benefiting low-income communities and contributing to climate change mitigation.

This program provides funding to non-profits, businesses, tribes, and municipalities in Central Oregon for tourism-related projects that promote sustainability, cultural preservation, and community engagement.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and small businesses in Vancouver, Washington, to create affordable housing, prevent homelessness, and promote economic stability for low- and moderate-income residents.

This competition provides female and non-binary founders in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area the chance to win a $10,000 cash prize by pitching their growth-oriented startups to investors.

This program provides funding to women-owned businesses in Connecticut that have shown measurable growth and are seeking to expand their operations through strategic investments.

This funding opportunity supports agriculturalists in Marin County, California, by providing financial assistance for projects that enhance agricultural resilience, protect biodiversity, and promote sustainable practices on working lands.

This funding opportunity supports mid-stage businesses and worker-owned cooperatives in underserved Chicago neighborhoods to strengthen their economic resilience and promote equitable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The De Colores Rapid Response Fund is a program of the Peace Development Fund (PDF), created in honor of retired Development Officer Ray Santiago, who was deeply involved in the farmworker movement. Named after a beloved traditional Mexican folk song associated with solidarity and grassroots activism, the fund embodies the same spirit of resilience and unity. It is designed to respond quickly to dynamic and strategic opportunities for organizing in marginalized urban and rural communities across the United States and U.S. territories, rather than providing humanitarian aid or technical support. The fund supports short-term interventions at key moments of social change or crisis, where rapid, well-thought-out responses can make a measurable impact. These might include unanticipated events or strategic inflection points such as social justice uprisings or cultural shifts. The fund specifically targets groups organizing within communities of color and low-income or working-class populations. Preference is given to organizations with annual budgets under $250,000 and with limited access to traditional philanthropic support. Grants range from $500 to $1,000, and project budgets should not exceed $5,000. Funding is intended for groups already rooted in grassroots organizing work. The fund does not support individual applicants, groups based outside the U.S., budget shortfalls, or long-term pre-planned campaigns. It also excludes general operating support, charity events, direct services, and ongoing programming. Applications are accepted from organizations, coalitions, and non-501(c)(3) groups, provided they align with the Peace Development Fund's principles and are based in the U.S. or its territories. The application process begins with a brief interest form. If an organization qualifies, PDF staff will schedule an interview to discuss the proposal further. Decisions are typically made within one to three weeks of submission, with funds disbursed shortly after approval. Grants are issued on a rolling basis throughout the year, enabling rapid turnaround and deployment of resources when needed most. Applicants must demonstrate clear goals and desired outcomes tied to the event or opportunity they are responding to. Funded projects are expected to support systemic social change and reflect the Peace Development Fund’s core values of shifting power, building movements, dismantling oppression, and creating alternative community-based structures. Final reports are required within three months of receiving the grant and must outline how the funds were used and what progress was made toward the project’s objectives. This rapid response mechanism provides timely support to organizations poised to make a significant impact during critical moments of transformation.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to entrepreneurs from marginalized groups in the U.S. who are focused on creating social impact and demonstrate a need for resources to develop their business ideas.