The Hey Helen Grant will begin charging a $15 application fee starting Monday, August 11 at 8am EDT. As long as you start your application prior to that time, you will have access to the fee-free application until August 29.
Presented by
Funding your vision. Fueling your future.
The Hey Helen Grant gives $10,000 in financial support to women founders building impactful, mission-driven businesses in the USA. Deadline to apply: December 30, 2025.
Open to US-based, women-owned businesses making less than $1,000,000 per year.
What Is the Hey Helen Grant?
The Hey Helen Grant is a privately funded initiative by Visionaries that invests in women entrepreneurs building impact-driven, for-profit businesses in the U.S.
Each grant cycle, one founder will receive a $10,000 unrestricted cash award — designed to fuel whatever moves your business forward, whether that’s operations, growth, marketing, hiring, or infrastructure. Grant cycles close at the end of April, August, and December.
This grant is open to businesses that are 100% women-owned, generate less than $1M in annual revenue, and are legally registered in the United States. Nonbinary applicants assigned female at birth or who feel aligned with the intent of the grant are also welcome to apply.
If you’re building something with purpose, grit, and integrity — and just need a little extra backing to take the next leap — you’re in the right place.
How It Works
Step 1: Submit your entry form
We’ll ask a few quick questions about your business, revenue, then ask you to tell us more about your vision, how you’re making an impact, and what this funding would help you do next. This round of applications closes December 30, 2025 at 5pm EST.
Step 2: We’ll review all submissions
Our internal team will assess applications based on clarity, alignment with values, and demonstrated potential.
Step 3: Winners are notified and funds are distributed
The recipient will be selected and announced by January 30, 2026, with funds distributed via ACH by February 13, 2026.
What You’ll Get
One founder will receive $10,000 in unrestricted cash as as grant to use in whatever way supports the next chapter of their business—whether that’s operations, growth, marketing, hiring, or whatever is most needed over the next six months.
You’ll also receive:
- A feature on Visionaries platforms
- Optional opportunities for press and visibility
Who Should Apply
This grant is open to founders who:
- Identify as women and own 100% of the applicant business
- Are legal U.S. residents, age 18 or older
- Are actively operating a for-profit business generating less than $1 million in annual revenue
- Have a U.S.-based business bank account capable of receiving ACH transfers and impact
Nonbinary applicants assigned female at birth or who feel aligned with the intent of this program are also welcome to apply.
We welcome applications from across industries. At this time, non-profits are not eligible.
Meet Helen
Meet my grandma, Helen Roberts. She was equal parts sass and class, fiercely loyal, independent (sometimes to a fault), and incredibly generous — the kinda gal who’d give you her last dollar and then offer to share her plate of PB & crackers. To everyone — my friends, my students, my colleagues — she was gma.
I ran my first business out of her house for many years, and she was an eternal supporter of what I was building. As a kid, she supported my crazy dreams of helping pop musicians get discovered and growing a music magazine, driving all over the country with me to festivals and concerts before I could drive myself. (Which my grandpa and mom weren’t always thrilled about, to which she’d stubbornly reply, “I’m a grown woman and I’ll do what I want!”)
She wasn’t a traditional entrepreneur, but she understood what it meant to believe in people before the rest of the world caught up. She taught me how to follow my instincts, back my ideas, and never let anyone else define what’s possible.
The Hey Helen Grant is named in her honor because she embodied the kind of support and belief that every founder deserves. She didn’t need a pitch deck to back you — once she believed in you, she was in.
This grant does the same.
You’ve got questions? We’ve got answers.
Who can apply for the Hey Helen Grant?
Anyone who meets the eligibility criteria: You must identify as a woman and own 100% of the applicant business, be a legal U.S. resident aged 18 or older, operate a for-profit business generating less than $1M in annual revenue, and have a U.S. business bank account.
How are recipients chosen?
We select recipients based on five key factors: the founder’s drive and determination, a clear and realistic plan for how the funds will be used, evidence the business can sustain and build on that work, a solid business foundation, and a compelling vision for the future. While values alignment and broader social impact are considered, our priority is funding women founders we believe can execute, sustain, and grow well beyond the grant itself.
Will I need to verify my revenue?
What can I use the grant money for?
Pretty much anything that supports your business growth — marketing, hiring, tech, operations, inventory, etc. You’ll need to have a plan for how you want to use it when you apply (nothing overly detailed, just a summary).
Why is there a fee to apply? Are there any fees if I am awarded a grant?
There is a small fee to submit your application for the Hey Helen Grant. This helps us cover the operational costs of running the grant program — including things like paying independent reviewers to thoughtfully read and assess applications, and maintaining the software and systems that support the process.
This isn’t a money-making endeavor but rather about sustainability and fairness. If there are surplus funds left at the end of the annual grant cycle (after the December round closes), they’ll be rolled directly back into future grant awards — either by increasing the funding amount or adding additional recipients.
There are no fees whatsoever if you’re selected as a grant recipient. You’ll receive the full award amount, paid directly to your business bank account. However, note that all grant recipients are responsible for reporting the award as income and paying any applicable taxes as is standard with most business grants.
What’s the deadline to apply?
Applications for the next grant award close on December 30, 2025 at 5pm EDT. No late submissions will be accepted.
When will winners be announced?
Recipients will be notified notified and announced by January 30, 2026.
Will I be notified either way?
As long as you remain on our email list, yes, all decisions and final outcomes will be sent to subscribed audience members.
Who are the past winners?
Do Visionaries Collective members or Visionaries clients get preference?
Who selects the winners?
Can I get feedback on my application?
Due to anticipated volume, we’re unable to provide individual feedback.
Are nonprofits eligible?
I haven’t started my business yet. Can I still apply?
Can I apply again if I’m not selected this time? If I’m not selected, should I reapply?
Yes, you’re absolutely welcome to reapply in a future round, as long as you still meet the eligibility requirements.
That said, all applications are automatically reconsidered for the next round, so you don’t need to resubmit unless something has changed.
We recommend reapplying if:
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You feel you could significantly strengthen your application
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Your business has meaningfully evolved
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The way you’d use the funds has changed since your last application
Every round is reviewed with fresh eyes, so if you’ve had a shift in direction, impact, or clarity, it’s worth updating and resubmitting.
Where can I see the full rules rules, eligibility requirements, and details?
Click here for full terms and conditions.
Ready to do this? Say Hey Helen, and let’s get started!
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