Creative AAPI Business Owners Can Apply for Grants and Prizes from JOANN

Starting a creative business requires access to quality supplies. One of the top destinations for many creative businesses, JOANN, recently launched a program to support creative business owners. Read about the opportunity and other small business grants below.

JOANN Minority Creative Grant Program

JOANN, the nationwide chain of arts and crafts stores, is currently running its third Minority Creative Grant program. The program is open to Asian American Pacific Islander creative entrepreneurs, with more than $100,000 in JOANN cash and prizes available. Specifically, 20 qualified entrepreneurs will receive $5,000 in JOANN credit, a product bundle valued at around $350, and marketing and promotion support from JOANN. The Minority Creative Grant Program is in its third year of supporting creative entrepreneurs. The first iteration of the program offered grants to Black creative business owners, and the second was open to Hispanic creative business owners. April 29 is the deadline to apply for this year’s program.

Rushville COVID-19 Phase 3-Small Business Grant Program

Rushville, Indiana recently announced the details of its new COVID-19 Phase 3-Small Business Grant program. The city is offering pandemic relief grants of up to $10,000 per business. To qualify, companies must have gross receipts less than $1 million per year and 100 employees or less, the majority of which must be low to moderate income. Microenterprise businesses with five employees or less are also eligible. Applicants must also outline how funds will be used for pandemic recovery and commit to remain open through at least July of 2024. Grant applications are currently available and will remain open through April 28.

Tri-Cities Small Business Incentive Program

Tri-Cities, Washington is about to launch its Small Business Incentive Program, which offers $30,000 in total funds. Through the program, 30 local small businesses will receive $1,000 from the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce and Washington River Protection Solutions. To qualify, applicants must have at least 18 months in business and less than 30 full-time employees.The program originally launched in 2011 and has provided $380,000 to local businesses in that time. Eligible uses of funds include marketing campaigns, website upgrades, furniture, and more. The application period opens May 1 and will close June 2.

Cecilia Russo Marketing Grants

Cecilia Russo Marketing is celebrating 15 successful years in business by supporting new and emerging businesses across Georgia with a new grant program. New businesses across the state can apply by submitting a written pitch of up to 1,000 words explaining their business and how it would benefit from extra funds. Three applicants will receive $5,000 grants. Interested businesses can apply on the company’s website now through October 1.

Northern New Mexico RDC Micro-Grant Program

The Regional Development Corporation in Northern New Mexico is offering up to $3,000 to local small businesses to help them diversify, sustain, and grow their revenue. To qualify, businesses must be operating for at least six months and be headquartered in Los Alamos, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, or Taos counties. Additionally, businesses in rural areas and those that haven’t already received funds will be prioritized. In addition to this grant program RDC provides technical support to help local businesses access and apply for other funding opportunities, even those that don’t receive a micro-grant. The deadline to submit an application is May 12.

Veteran Business Outreach Center Grants

The U.S. Small Business Administration recently announced $3.5 million in grants to support veteran small businesses. These grants don’t go directly to the businesses themselves, but they will fund Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs) in Alaska, California, Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, and South Carolina. These centers provide training, counseling, and support services for aspiring and existing veteran and military spouse small business owners. In fact, centers may provide guidance and resources that help veteran business owners receive other funding opportunities. This announcement expands the VBOC program from 22 to 28 locations, meaning this support is now available throughout all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.

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This article, "Creative AAPI Business Owners Can Apply for Grants and Prizes from JOANN" was first published on Small Business Trends