Boundless Futures Foundation — EmpowHer Grant
Boundless Futures Foundation
Up to $50,000 (EmpowHer)
Researched for this program: 4 rejection traps · 3 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
Funding women founders doing good
The Boundless Futures Foundation EmpowHer Grant provides unrestricted funding to US-based women founders whose businesses put social impact at the center — either as part of the business model or as the 'why' behind the product. Grantees may request up to $50,000 in business support, paid as reimbursement against business-expense receipts (the March 2026 round awarded $30,000 to $50,000 per founder) plus access to an Advisory Circle of seasoned female entrepreneurs offering optional leadership development, skills-building, mentorship, and networking. Eligible applicants are female founders aged 22 or older with a US-registered, operating business that is early stage (up to about five years old) and that addresses a social issue. Applications are accepted in two windows a year; the Fall 2026 window opens November 1, 2026.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Foundation
- Amount range
- $10,000 – $50,000
- Realistic amount
- Direct EmpowHer awardees realistically receive on the order of $25,000–$50,000 in business support (recent round: $30K–$50K), provided as reimbursement against business-expense receipts, plus optional Advisory Circle support and a possible $2,500 Learning Grant.
- Deadline
- Round-based — multiple grant cycles per year (e.g. a 2026 round opened ~May 1); confirm the current open cycle on Submittable.
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- reimbursement
Who qualifies
- Founder must be female and 22 years of age or older
- Business must be registered and operating in the United States
- Business must be early stage — up to about five years old
- Social impact must be fundamental to the business, whether as part of the business model or as the 'why' behind the product
- Funding is unrestricted (general use)
Hard requirements
- Reserved for women owned businesses
- Must be women-owned
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Any legitimate business expense (unrestricted funding)
- Working capital and operations
- Marketing and growth
- Equipment and inventory
- Hiring
Ineligible expenses
- No published ineligible-expense list — EmpowHer funding is unrestricted
How to apply
-
1
Confirm eligibility
Verify you are a female founder 22+ with a US-registered, operating business up to ~5 years old whose product or model centers a social impact.
~0.5 hrs
-
2
Prepare your social-impact narrative
Articulate the social issue your business addresses and how impact is woven into the business model or motivation. This is the heart of the EmpowHer evaluation.
~2 hrs
-
3
Apply via Submittable
Submit the EmpowHer Grant application through the foundation's Submittable portal during the open rolling cycle.
~1.5 hrs
-
4
Advisory Circle access
Selected grantees receive the unrestricted grant plus optional access to an Advisory Circle of seasoned female entrepreneurs for mentorship and networking.
~0.25 hrs
EmpowHer is explicitly an impact-first grant: applications that clearly show social impact is woven into the business model — not bolted on as charity — stand out. Because funding is unrestricted and the application is short, the value-add is also the Advisory Circle; frame your ask around growth and impact outcomes. Confirm the live cycle on Submittable, since Boundless runs multiple grant programs (EmpowHer for individuals, 'Her Village' for organizations) with different amounts.
Deadline & timing
EmpowHer Grant applications are accepted and reviewed within multiple grant cycles per year (round-based, not continuous rolling); deadlines are posted on the Submittable application page. A 2026 round opened around May 1. The previously stated 'June 16, 2026' single date is cycle-specific and should be treated as illustrative. Verify the live cycle on the foundation's Submittable portal.
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