I Secured $300k In Grants For My Neighborhood-Based mostly Enterprise


Becoming a member of a neighborhood accelerator program was an vital consider efficiently securing grants for my community-based enterprise.

Becoming a member of this program was actually eye-opening.

Accelerator packages have the aim of serving to companies (normally start-ups) speed up their enterprise development.

If you be a part of a program like this, you get entry to advisors who will provide help to additional develop your thought, get clear on your small business mannequin, and join you with traders.

Within the early spring of 2022, I joined a neighborhood accelerator program known as SCAPE and began studying extra about grant funding and outdoors traders.

Earlier than that, I wasn’t actually conscious of grants, and I undoubtedly wasn’t conscious that this may very well be a actuality for my enterprise.

Dilutive Vs. Non-Dilutive Funding

I knew about funding corporations, personal fairness, and angel traders, the place one other enterprise invests cash into your small business with a view to have fairness or a share of possession.

That is thought-about dilutive funding.

For instance, if I had been to take cash from an outdoor investor, they, in return, would get a share of my enterprise. So that may imply I now not owned 100% of my firm, and subsequently have diluted my possession.

Whereas grants are successfully free cash.

There are some strings connected to grants, however for probably the most half, grants are non-dilutive.

They grant you cash for a objective, however they’re not getting any possession stake in your small business.

I by no means in one million years thought that this could be one thing that was out there to my firm. Now that I cease to consider it, I’m unsure why, however I simply didn’t.

Till I joined SCAPE and realized in regards to the AI (Superior Industries) Grant in Colorado.

Grant Funding Functions

I used to be conscious of the AI Grant in Colorado however didn’t severely think about it as a result of I simply assumed I wouldn’t be eligible. In any case, “superior industries” sounds tremendous fancy.

That modified once I overheard a dialog between a enterprise proprietor and a member of the general public.

It was the top of Could 2022, and I used to be with my husband at this occasion in Flagstaff, Arizona, known as the Overland Expo. We had been there taking a look at an in-bed camper made by an organization known as Supertramp Campers.

I keep in mind I used to be strolling across the facet of the camper once I overheard the dialog, through which the person was speaking about how the corporate had just lately been awarded $250,000 in free cash from the state of Colorado.

At that second, my ears perked up – hold on, what’s he speaking about?

I instantly Googled it, and certain sufficient, it got here up. The exact same grant that SCAPE had been telling me about.

The exact same grant that I didn’t actually assume I might be eligible for.

At the moment, I hadn’t determined whether or not I’d go for it or not.

However once I overheard him say that they acquired it, I believed to myself: if an organization that makes campers acquired an Superior Industries grant, possibly GeekPack may, too.

At that time, I made a decision to look into this in additional element.

And so I did.

Colorado Superior Industries Grant

After a variety of analysis, I made a decision: I’m doing it. I’m making use of for a $250,000 state grant.

It was September 1st, 2022.

This primary software was very time-consuming. It’s a really lengthy grant, and this primary time round, I did it utterly on my own.

I had by no means utilized for a grant earlier than, and regardless of getting some recommendation from SCAPE and having a letter of help from them, I didn’t actually know what I used to be doing.

I felt like there was a variety of momentum round that point, from ending the SCAPE Accelerator program to signing a partnership with Udemy and launching our new membership.

I had good letters of help and heard from different folks conversant in this grant that it was a really sturdy software. They thought I had a very good likelihood.

So there was nothing extra to do besides anticipate the outcomes.

The Speed up(HER) Fund

Whereas engaged on my Superior Industries Grant software, I obtained an e mail from Brittany, certainly one of my advisors in SCAPE.

She forwarded me an e mail about one other grant alternative by a company known as Good day Alice, sponsored by Tiger World Influence Ventures.

It was known as The Speed up(HER) Fund, and it was for $50,000.

As I had finished all of that work for the AI grant software, I made a decision to use utilizing the identical copy.

I’m superb at procrastinating and doing issues final minute (the truth is, I do a few of my greatest work final minute). And for each of those functions, I undoubtedly left it right down to the wire.

So it was an enormous reduction to hit submit as a result of it was such a giant factor taking on a variety of my time.

The Outcomes

Although I submitted the AI grant software first, Good day Alice’s outcomes got here in earlier than AI’s.

I used to be caught off guard on a name with this system officers after they requested me: What would you do if $50,000 simply appeared in your small business checking account?

My speedy reply was – I’d rent extra workforce members for GeekPack.

And to that, they replied, “Properly, you’d higher get your job descriptions prepared, since you’ve acquired the grant.”

Similar to that, I had $50,000 further {dollars} to convey GeekPack nearer to our long-term imaginative and prescient.

This second and this grant had been a turning level for me, making it potential to achieve the following degree. I used to be so overcome with pleasure and gratitude (and shock, frankly) that I began crying proper there on the telephone.

The information from the Superior Industries grant got here a number of weeks after that.

I keep in mind this very clearly – I used to be sitting in a chair in the lounge once I noticed the e-mail are available on a Friday afternoon.

It was not what I hoped for; I obtained a devastating no.

I instantly burst into tears and felt like I had upset everybody round me. I felt like I upset my workforce and the neighborhood.

I felt like this was a giant setback within the enterprise development.

And it was only a actual knock to my pleasure. I used to be certain I had such a robust software.

However even amongst all these emotions, once I noticed that I didn’t get it, I knew instantly that the AI grant opens twice per yr, and I might reapply.

And I keep in mind pondering to myself, “They’re going to get sick of seeing me reapply, and reapply, and reapply – as many occasions because it takes.”

Reapplying For The Colorado AI Grant

It was disappointing to get a no, however it was additionally very reassuring to know that one other group had believed in us.

We had $50k from Good day Alice, and that was an unbelievable increase to try to get the AI grant once more.

So on March 1st, 2023, I submitted this software for the second time.

A few month later (one yr after I overheard that dialog), I obtained an e mail saying we had been awarded the grant.

For this second software, two issues made an enormous distinction:

1. B2B | Wyoming Ladies’s Enterprise Middle

Round November 2022, certainly one of my mentors from SCAPE launched me to somebody at Wyoming Ladies’s Enterprise Middle (and once more, the whole lot comes again to how precious this accelerator program was).

We obtained on a name, and I informed her about our new membership program, The GeekPack Collective, and the way we’re increasing.

We had simply signed a partnership with Udemy in September, and we needed to work with different organizations and begin our B2B facet of the enterprise.

We launched The GeekPack Collective in January 2023, and we additionally signed a B2B contract with the Wyoming Ladies’s Enterprise Middle, which has put ladies by this system with customized digital advertising and marketing cohorts based mostly on the wants of their neighborhood.

This was the start of GeekPack Companions.

This second grant software was very particular to our B2B program and the way we’d dedicate a full-time workforce member to operating it.

2. Working With A Skilled Author

It was additionally round that point that I began working with Ashley, who was performing some copywriting for the membership and who additionally was a grant author.

This time round, I had her work on the applying copy with me, and her abilities made an enormous distinction. I keep in mind Ashley telling me that the grant software wanted to inform a narrative.

She did an outstanding job at making use of for funding by telling a narrative about the place we’ve been, the place we at the moment are, and the place we’re going.

Due to this, I had a a lot stronger software with a B2B case examine and a really particular aim for this funding.

And this second software was not solely accepted however it was fast-tracked.

I didn’t have to go earlier than the board. I didn’t have to current or justify to anybody.

They actually believed within the GeekPack Companions Program and needed it to occur. So they really fast-tracked the applying, which was an enormous validation, particularly after not getting the grant within the first spherical.

Why You Ought to Take into account Grants For Your On-line Enterprise

It’s secure to say that these grants had a huge effect on my enterprise.

Listed below are a number of the explanation why I believe you also needs to get thinking about this for your small business.

Grant Cash Is Non-Dilutive Cash

As I discussed earlier than, grants don’t dilute any of your possession. You get the cash, and also you get to maintain 100% of your organization.

Functions Copy Can Be Repurposed

The language we used for the second AI grant software, particularly in regards to the B2B, has been repurposed for thus many different issues.

  • Different grant functions.
  • Making use of for native, nationwide & worldwide enterprise organizations.
  • Becoming a member of one other accelerator program (TVX-W).

Companions Program

Getting this grant was additionally how we arrange our B2B, the most recent initiative of the enterprise.

With out this cash, we wouldn’t have been capable of begin the GeekPack Companions program, and we now have a full-time worker operating it.

Elevated Credibility

When you’re awarded a grant, different organizations usually tend to say sure to you.

As a result of another person already believed in you and validated your thought, it’s much less dangerous for them to do the identical.

This brings us to the final one.

Enterprise Validation

One of many greatest takeaways from this course of has been the validation; all these outdoors organizations see the worth in my enterprise.

Whether or not it’s a privately funded group, reminiscent of Good day Alice, or a state fund, such because the Superior Industries Colorado grant, all of those folks imagine in what we’re doing, wish to help it, and see it come to fruition.

That’s an enormous increase of confidence. And that’s in all probability been one of many greatest impacts these grants have had on me as a enterprise proprietor.

The Influence Of $300,000 And What It Means For GeekPack

Getting $300,000 of free cash means loads.

It allowed me to put money into workforce members and canopy some exhausting prices, however probably the most impactful outcome was gaining the flexibility to fund a brand new program earlier than we truly had any income from it.

GeekPack has a giant imaginative and prescient: We are altering the face of tech endlessly by bringing over 1 million voices into the dialog by 2030.

Our B2B arm of the enterprise companions with mission-driven organizations, reminiscent of Financial & Workforce Improvement and employers striving to uplift communities and shut the digital abilities hole.

This permits us to broaden our attain and impression different communities as properly.

So GeekPack Companions is how we are going to attain 1 million folks, and these grants are serving to us get this new enterprise off the bottom and scale it earlier than it truly begins to become profitable.

Ultimate Ideas On Grant Funding

This entire course of was not solely validating for me – it validated our enterprise mannequin.

It was validating for the GeekPack workforce and what we’ve constructed up to now.

It was validating for our neighborhood.

And a variety of this comes again to my private why and our firm’s mission – which is attain and impression.

I wouldn’t have this superb workforce if each single certainly one of us didn’t imagine in what we’re doing and the impression we’re having.

As a result of, on the finish of the day, GeekPack is larger than me. GeekPack is larger than each particular person on the workforce. It’s greater than our neighborhood.

And one of the best half? Everybody will get to be part of it.

Extra sources: 


Featured Picture: Antonio Guillem/Shutterstock

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