 Seed Money Grants |
Seed funding is a critical stage in the lifecycle of a startup, where entrepreneurs and small businesses seek initial investment to bring their ideas to life. Securing seed funding can be a challenging process, but with a well-defined plan and clear goals, entrepreneurs can increase their chances of finding the right investors and securing the funding they need to get their business off the ground.
What are Seed Money Grants?
Seed money grants are a type of funding that is provided to entrepreneurs and startups to help them get their businesses off the ground. These grants are typically provided by angel investors, venture capitalists, or other types of investors who are interested in helping new businesses succeed.
How to Get a Grant for Seed Money
If you are interested in obtaining seed money grants, there are several steps that you will need to take.
Create a business plan and financial statements: The first step in securing seed funding is to create a business plan and financial statements. Sophisticated investors will require it. Investors will want to see that you have a clear understanding of your business model and how you plan to make money. Your business plan should include a detailed analysis of your target market, competition, marketing strategy, and financial projections. Financial statements such as balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements should also be prepared to give investors a clear understanding of your financial position.
Define your Seed Funding goals: Seed Funding can be used for a variety of purposes, such as market research, product development, or business model validation. By defining your goals, you can help to ensure that you are using your seed funding in the most effective way possible.
Determine how much seed money you need: You should have a clear idea of how much money you need to get your business off the ground. This will help you to determine the amount of seed funding you will need to raise and how you will allocate these funds.
Get prepared to approach investors: You should have a clear idea of how you will approach investors and what you will say to them. This will help you to make a strong impression and to increase your chances of obtaining funding. You should also prepare a pitch deck that includes a summary of your business plan, your financial projections, and your team.
Build a list of potential investors: Building a list of potential investors is the next step in securing seed funding. You should research potential investors and create a list of those who might be interested in your business. This can include angel investors, venture capitalists, and other sources of seed funding.
Meet with interested seed investors: You should meet with interested investors and pitch your business to them. This will help you to build relationships and to increase your chances of obtaining funding. You should also be prepared to answer any questions that they may have about your business.
Negotiate the final deal: Once you have found an investor who is interested in your business, you will need to negotiate the final deal. This will involve discussing the terms of the investment and coming to an agreement that is beneficial for both you and the investor.
Grants Available for Seed Money
Skees Family Foundation: Seed Grants are two- to three-year grants with increasing amounts each year: $2,500 year one, $5,000 year two, and $7,500 year three, if the organization's self-determined benchmarks are met after year one and year two. These partners are in their "start-up" phase. Skees Family Foundation
Urban Awareness USA: The Ralph and Eileen Swett Foundation is offering seed money grants to USA nonprofit organizations to fund activities that positively impact those in need. Funding is intended to assist organizations to create new services or expand existing services. Urban Awareness USA
SeedMoney: SeedMoney is an amazing organization run by professional, responsive, and caring individuals. They provide everything you need to run a successful campaign - a free fund-raising platform, and the marketing ideas, tools, and graphics to fully support your crowdfunding efforts. SeedMoney
New York State Seed Funding Grant Program: Grant awards will be calculated based upon the annual amount of gross receipts as shown on their provided 2020 or 2021 business tax return. Businesses with $5,000 and up to $49,999.99 in gross receipts: Award is $5,000/business. Businesses with $50,000 - $99,999.99 in gross receipts: Award is $10,000/business. NY Seed Grant
Garden Grants for Schools, Communities, and Non-Profits: Seed Money - is a Maine-based nonprofit providing grants, crowdfunding opportunities and training to food garden projects across the country and around the world. Urban Grower's Collective Growing Dome Greenhouse in Chicago. Garden Grants for Schools, Communities, and Non-Profits
SEED Grants - Kansas Department of Commerce: The SEED grant program is administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce Awardees Awardees are located in communities Fwith a population of 5,000 or less, as required by (KS Stat 9-2324). They are required to provide a minimum 10-percent match as well as complete the projects within 12 months. SEED Grants - Kansas Department of Commerce
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education: This SEED FY 2022 grant competition has an estimated $65,000,000 in available funding and we anticipate making approximately 15 new awards. The Federal Register contains the complete FY 2022 SEED Notice Inviting Applications (NIA). The FY 2022 SEED grant competition will close on June 3, 2022. Applicant Info - Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
The Pollination Project: The Pollination Project offers seed grants of up to $1,000 to individual change-makers, social entrepreneurs, and community activists who are working to create a more just, compassionate, and sustainable world. The Pollination Project website
The Awesome Foundation: The Awesome Foundation is a global community advancing the interest of awesome in the universe, $1,000 at a time. Each fully autonomous chapter supports awesome projects through micro-grants, usually given out monthly. The Awesome Foundation
The Halstead Grant: The Halstead Grant is an annual competition for new jewelry designers working primarily in silver. The winner receives a $7,500 cash grant, $1,000 in supplies, and recognition in the industry. The Halstead Grant
The Awesome Without Borders Grant: The Awesome Without Borders Grant is a $1,000 grant given out monthly to awesome people doing awesome things all over the world. The Awesome Without Borders Grant
The Awesome Pittsburgh Grant: The Awesome Pittsburgh Grant is a $1,000 grant given out monthly to awesome people doing awesome things in Pittsburgh. The Awesome Pittsburgh Grant
The Awesome Foundation for the Arts and Sciences: The Awesome Foundation for the Arts and Sciences is a global community advancing the interest of awesome in the universe, $1,000 at a time. Each fully autonomous chapter supports awesome projects through micro-grants, usually given out monthly. (source)
The Awesome Ottawa Grant: The Awesome Ottawa Grant is a $1,000 grant given out monthly to awesome people doing awesome things in Ottawa. Awesome Ottawa Grant
Examples of Successful Seed Money Grant Projects
Seed money grants have proven to be instrumental in launching successful projects across a range of fields. Here are a few examples of projects that received seed money grants and went on to achieve great success:
One notable example is the StoryCorps project, which received a seed grant of $50,000 from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. StoryCorps is a nonprofit organization that records and preserves stories from everyday people, often featuring interviews between family members or close friends. Since receiving the seed grant, StoryCorps has gone on to become a major media outlet, with its stories being broadcast on National Public Radio and published in various books and online platforms. The project has impacted the field of oral history by making it more accessible to the public and by highlighting the power of personal storytelling. Read more about this at https://www.carnegie.org/news/articles/nine-years-after-its-initial-grant-carnegie-corporation-report-recounts-storycorps-own-story/
Another successful seed grant project is the Urban Death Project, a nonprofit organization that aims to create a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional burial practices. The project received seed funding from the Awesome Foundation and has since gained national attention for its innovative approach to end-of-life care. The project has impacted the field of funeral and burial practices by raising awareness about the environmental impact of traditional burial and offering a new, more sustainable option for families. Read more about this at https://echoinggreen.org/news/upstart-with-katrina-spade/
A third example is the Khan Academy, an educational platform that offers free online courses and tutorials on a range of subjects. The project began in 2004 when Salman Khan began tutoring his cousins in math via online videos. The project received seed money from the Ann and John Doerr Fund, and has since grown into a major educational resource with over 120 million registered users worldwide. Khan Academy has revolutionized the field of education by offering free, accessible resources to learners of all ages and backgrounds. Read more about this at https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/17/us/elon-musk-khan-academy-5-million-donation-trnd/index.html