Mastercard Strive USA Small Business Grant

Who qualifies

Mastercard Strive USA Small Business Grant is a private grant from Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, open to businesses nationwide, with a published award of Up to $250,000 (to partner organizations). Deadline for Mastercard Strive USA Small Business Grant: Delivered through local partner organizations — application windows apply to those organizations, not to individual small businesses. Check mastercardcenter.org/strive for current active partners.

The Strive USA grant itself goes to organizations, not small businesses. Eligible applicants for the grant are nonprofits, CDFIs, chambers of commerce, and nonprofit lenders that propose a financial-health or digital-inclusion program for small businesses in underserved communities. A small business cannot apply for this grant on its own behalf — the criteria below describe who can benefit from a funded partner's resulting program, not who receives the Mastercard grant.

• Small business owner in an underserved community (benefits from a partner's program, not a direct grant recipient)
• Preference for women-, minority-, or veteran-owned businesses
• US-based business
• For-profit entity
• Demonstrated financial need or lack of access to traditional capital
• Specific eligibility criteria vary by local partner organization

What it covers

Mastercard Strive USA Small Business Grant is a private grant from Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, open to businesses nationwide, with a published award of Up to $250,000 (to partner organizations). Deadline for Mastercard Strive USA Small Business Grant: Delivered through local partner organizations — application windows apply to those organizations, not to individual small businesses. Check mastercardcenter.org/strive for current active partners. Mastercard Strive USA Small Business Grant covers 5 categories of eligible expense and excludes 4. Mastercard Strive USA Small Business Grant pays out as a lump sum. Mastercard Strive USA Small Business Grant is listed as active in the GrantCompass catalog as of August 24, 2026.

How to apply

Applying to Mastercard Strive USA Small Business Grant takes 4 steps and about 4 hours in total; the award is Up to $250,000 (to partner organizations) from Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, open to businesses nationwide. Deadline for Mastercard Strive USA Small Business Grant: Delivered through local partner organizations — application windows apply to those organizations, not to individual small businesses. Check mastercardcenter.org/strive for current active partners.

1. 1

   Find a Strive USA partner in your area

   Visit mastercardcenter.org/strive to identify active partner organizations in your geography. Partners include CDFIs, chambers of commerce, and nonprofit lenders.

   ~1 hrs

2. 2

   Contact the local partner

   Reach out directly to the partner to confirm current grant availability and eligibility requirements for your area.

   ~1 hrs

3. 3

   Complete the partner's application

   Each partner has its own application form. Typically includes business overview, ownership demographics, financial need description, and intended use of funds.

   ~1 hrs

4. 4

   Review and award

   The local partner reviews applications and notifies recipients. Timeline varies by partner — typically 4–8 weeks.

   ~1 hrs

Deadline & timing

Mastercard Strive USA Small Business Grant is listed as active in the GrantCompass catalog as of August 24, 2026. Deadline for Mastercard Strive USA Small Business Grant: Delivered through local partner organizations — application windows apply to those organizations, not to individual small businesses. Check mastercardcenter.org/strive for current active partners. Mastercard Strive USA Small Business Grant awards Up to $250,000 (to partner organizations) to businesses nationwide through Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. The Mastercard Strive USA Small Business Grant application runs to 4 steps and about 4 hours of work in total.

Strive USA is not a single national application — it operates through a network of local partners (community development financial institutions, chambers, nonprofits). Each partner runs their own application window. Monitor mastercardcenter.org/strive and subscribe to updates from local CDFIs in your area to catch open cycles.