Black women business owners have a fresh shot at real money this month. H&R Block opened its third annual Fund Her Future grant on September 1, offering four women business owners $45,000 each, and the application window closes September 22. The Fund Her Future grant also comes with a year of the back office help that trips up so many small businesses: tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll.

Grants matter more when loans are harder to get. According to the Federal Reserve Banks’ 2026 small business credit survey, as summarized by NerdWallet, only 32 percent of Black-owned businesses were fully approved for financing in the prior 12 months, compared with 57 percent of white-owned businesses. Money you do not have to pay back can fill part of that gap. Here is how this grant works, who can apply and how to put together a strong application in the next two weeks.

What the Fund Her Future Grant Offers

According to the company’s September 1 announcement, four recipients will each receive $45,000, for a total of $180,000. Each winner also gets one year of small business services, including tax prep, bookkeeping, payroll and an analysis of whether their business structure still makes sense.

There is something in it for applicants who do not win, too. New for 2026, every applicant gets a year of community programming built around needs that surfaced in past applicant surveys. In those surveys, nearly 60 percent of owners said tax prep, bookkeeping, compliance, payroll or incorporation were where they needed the most support, and nearly a third said they needed a mentor.

Who Can Apply for the Fund Her Future Grant

The official Fund Her Future page lists these requirements:

• The business must be women owned and based in the United States, and the owner must be a U.S. resident.
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old (19 in Alabama and Nebraska).
• The business must have brought in at least $20,000 in revenue in 2025.
• Full time and part time owners qualify, whether you are a sole proprietor or have employees.
• The program is for existing, established companies. Nonprofits are not eligible.

Applications opened September 1 at 9 a.m. Eastern and close September 22 at 6 p.m. Eastern. Winners will be announced in October. The application itself runs through Hello Alice, a small business platform that hosts many corporate grant programs, so you will need a Hello Alice account to apply.

How to Build a Strong Application

The program’s frequently asked questions say applications are judged on three things: how clear and doable your growth plan is, how financial and business support would improve your operations, and your commitment to your community. Reviewers also consider business size and revenue. The FAQ notes that finalists take part in a virtual interview. Here is how to work each piece.

Put numbers on your growth plan

“Grow my business” is not a plan. Say what $45,000 would buy and what it would produce. For example: a second commercial oven that lets you take wholesale orders, projected to add a set amount of monthly revenue by a specific month. Specific beats inspiring.

Show exactly how the services would change your operations

This grant is built around tax, bookkeeping and payroll help, so tell reviewers where the gaps are today. Maybe you do your books at midnight once a quarter, or you have held off on hiring because payroll feels risky. Connect the help to a result, like hiring your first employee or getting clean financials ready for a loan application.

Make your community ties concrete

Name the people you serve, hire or train. Mention the neighborhood organizations, churches or schools you work with. Numbers help here too, such as how many local customers you serve each month or how many young people you have mentored.

Get your paperwork ready before you start

Pull your 2025 revenue documentation now, whether that is a tax return, a profit and loss statement or bank statements. Draft your answers in a separate document, have someone you trust read them, and submit a few days early. Portals get slow near deadlines, and 6 p.m. Eastern comes early for owners on the West Coast.

More Grants With September Deadlines

If you are putting together one strong application, reuse that work. Two other programs for women owners close at the end of the month:

• Amber Grant: WomensNet awards three $10,000 Amber Grants every month to women-owned businesses, and monthly winners become eligible for one of three $50,000 year end grants. The official Amber Grant page lists September 30 as the next cutoff.
• High Five Grant for Moms: Open September 1 to 30 to mothers (including expecting, step and foster moms) who own at least 50 percent of a for-profit business with $10,000 to $500,000 in revenue over the past 12 months. The High Five Grant page says judging runs October 1 to 19, followed by a public voting round, with winners named October 27. Applicants are also asked to share their story on social media.

For a wider list of funding open to Black entrepreneurs, see BCN’s guide to small business grants for Black founders in 2026. If you need a loan rather than a grant, our explainer on CDFIs and Black-led lenders covers where to turn when a bank says no.

What to Know Before You Apply

Read every program’s official rules before you submit, and check whether a program charges any fee to apply. Never pay someone who promises to guarantee you a grant. Real grant programs pick winners through their own review, and a fee to “unlock” a guaranteed award is a red flag. Ask a tax professional how a grant would affect your return before you spend it.

Grants will not close the funding gap on their own, but $45,000 and a year of clean books can change the trajectory of a small business. If you qualify, block off an evening this week, write the plan you have been carrying in your head, and get it in before September 22.