Hey Helen Grant: $5,000 for Women-Owned, Mission-Driven Businesses

Grant Overview

A Cash Grant Fueling US-Based Female Founders with Proven, Impactful Ventures

Donor: Visionaries

About: This isn’t your typical corporate grant. It doesn’t come from a faceless foundation; it started with a story about a grandma named Helen. She was, by all accounts, a woman who believed in people long before the world caught up, the kind who’d back a dream without ever needing to see a pitch deck. The Hey Helen Grant channels that exact spirit. It’s a $5,000 cash award designed to give a woman founder that crucial infusion of belief and capital to take her next big leap. It’s a financial opportunity rooted in a personal story, a quality that makes it stand out among other grants for women.

What This Grant Is Really About

At its core, the award is $5,000 in unrestricted cash. Think of this less as seed money and more as potent fertilizer for a business that’s already sprouted. The word “unrestricted” is everything here; Visionaries trusts you to know where to direct the funds for maximum impact, be it a brilliant marketing campaign, hiring a key team member, or finally upgrading that piece of vital equipment. This level of flexibility is a rare and powerful asset, a stark contrast to grants with rigid reporting requirements. If your strategy demands this kind of agility, you might find similar freedom in other unrestricted grant programs.

Are You Who They’re Looking For?

The grant eligibility appears to be designed to pinpoint businesses at a specific, critical inflection point. This isn’t for ideas on a napkin. It’s for women building impactful, mission-driven, for-profit ventures in the U.S. that are already operating and, crucially, generating revenue between $25,000 and $1 million annually. This revenue window suggests they want to back proven concepts that are ready to scale, not just survive. If your business creates a ripple effect of good and you have the numbers to prove your model works, you are precisely the kind of founder they hope to find. This is a chance to get back without giving up equity.

Telling the Story That Wins

So, how do you capture their attention? The application process seems to value clarity and purpose above all else. You’ll be asked about your vision, your impact, and what this money helps you do next. This is where you connect the dots. Don’t just list your accomplishments; build a narrative. What problem are you solving? Who benefits? What specific milestone will this $5,000 help you crush? Weaving a compelling story seems just as vital as meeting the baseline criteria, a quality often seen in successful applications for narrative-heavy awards like The Amber Grant for Women. Your mission must connect to the grant’s own mission: backing founders who build with integrity.

Preparing for a Standout Submission

Beyond the numbers, your application needs to resonate. The selection panel is looking for a clear vision and an intentional plan for the funds. You don’t need a 20-page budget, but you must articulate how this grant will catalyze real growth over the next six months. This is where sharp preparation can make all the difference. Polishing your story and defining your next strategic moves is critical. For founders who want to leave nothing to chance, getting a second set of eyes on your proposal through a professional business plan review can provide invaluable, objective feedback before you hit that final submit button.

Maximizing Your Chance of Success

Winning a competitive grant like this takes more than just a great idea; it demands a flawless application. Every word matters. From the punch of your opening sentence to the clarity of your financial ask, your submission is your one shot to make an impression. Many ambitious founders discover that partnering with professional grant writers provides a decisive edge. These specialists can help translate your passion into a persuasive proposal that speaks directly to the funder’s values. As you prepare for the Hey Helen Grant or similar opportunities, it’s worth considering if that expert guidance is the key to turning your application from one of many into the one they simply can’t ignore.

Focus: Women Entrepreneurs, For-Profit, Mission-Driven Business, Social Impact, Community

Region: United States

Eligibility:
– Identify as a woman and own 100% of the applicant business.
– – Nonbinary applicants assigned female at birth or who feel aligned with the grant’s intent are also welcome.
– A legal U.S. resident, age 18 or older.
– Actively operating a for-profit business registered in the U.S.
– Generating between $25,000 and $1,000,000 in annual revenue.
– Must have a U.S.-based business bank account.

Benefits:
– $5,000 unrestricted cash award.
– – An additional $1,000 award may be unlocked if more than 1,000 qualified applications are received.
– A feature on Visionaries’ platforms.
– Optional opportunities for press and increased visibility.

Deadline: August 29, 2025

Terms:
– Unrestricted Cash: The funds can be used for any legitimate business expense, such as operations, marketing, hiring, or infrastructure, without strict limitations from the donor.
– Mission-Driven Business: A for-profit company that aims to achieve a specific social or environmental goal alongside its financial objectives.
– Annual Revenue: The total income generated by the business from its sales of goods and services over a 12-month period, before deducting expenses.