NAACP Awards Business Grants to Entrepreneurs of Color
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 28, 2023
WASHINGTON — Today on GivingTuesday, the NAACP awarded 20 U.S. small business owners of color micro-grants from the Keep It Local Business Fund. In partnership with the Nextdoor Kind Foundation, and Hello Alice, the free platform helping over one million small businesses launch and grow, today's grantees join the Keep It Local grant program, which has awarded a total of $200,000 in micro-grants this year to community entrepreneurs.
"The NAACP extends a heartfelt congratulations to the recipients of this year's Keep It Local Business Fund," said NAACP President and CEO, Derrick Johnson. "This grant initiative further underscores the transformative power of a thriving community through its small business owners. We celebrate not only the achievements of these 20 entrepreneurs but also the potential they hold to inspire and uplift their communities."
During the application period for this grant round, more than 11,000 applications were received from across the country. Unified by a vision for growth and a commitment to their communities, this period's grantees represent a diverse spectrum of proposals and industries spanning real estate and preservation, wellness and beauty, counseling and educational services, culinary and more.
Below are the November 2023 Keep It Local Grant Recipients:
Adara Spa | Raleigh, North Carolina
The Daisy Refillery | San Francisco, California
Delivery Team USA | Charlotte, North Carolina
Eddie Wright BBQ | Jackson, Mississippi
His Kingdom Carriers | St. Louis, Missouri
JJ RE Group | Atlanta, Georgia
I Know a Place | Los Angeles, California
Kindness and Mischief Coffee | Los Angeles, California
The Maven School for Early Childhood Development | Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Paramount Pediatrics | Atlanta, Georgia
Progression's U Steam Academy | Davie, Florida
Sharpe Session | Lithonia, Georgia
Skin 360 Beauty Institute | Brandon, Florida
Trust Your Grind LLC | Upper Marlboro, MD
UpTopFunnelCakes | Clinton, MD
Vie Beauty | Atlanta, Georgia
Walk With Me Counseling Center | Chicago, Illinois
"What I love most about being an entrepreneur is the knowledge that every minute I invest in my business is a value-added contribution. It's a gift to work for myself and a blessing to build and support my community. Every day, I get to invest in my community and provide jobs to skilled individuals in property maintenance," said Brittany Walsar, founder of Delivery Team USA. "We are THRILLED that Delivery Team USA has been awarded this grant that means the world to us and our community. With this funding, we're creating jobs and preserving property values, all while strengthening our local community from within."
"These 20 entrepreneurs demonstrated not only a clear vision and plan for their businesses, but a drive to create solutions, opportunities and positive change for their communities," said Shireen Santosham, Executive Director of the Kind Foundation. "It's a privilege to introduce these innovative business owners as Keep It Local Business grant recipients, and connect them with financial resources and a network of cohorts to help fuel their ongoing growth."
In addition to the grant, recipients will receive resources and tools to grow their business including access to personalized training.
The NAACP believes that neighbors are the best source of ideas to improve their own communities. Through the Keep It Local Business Fund microgrant program and ongoing initiatives, The Association continues its efforts to support individuals, nonprofits, and small businesses to solve challenges and positively impact their own neighborhoods and communities.
To learn more about the Keep It Local Business Fund, visit our website.
To read more about 2023 grant recipients, visit here.
###
About NAACP
Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. The NAACP has over 2,200 units and branches across the nation, along with well over 2M activists. Their mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.
About Hello Alice
Founded by Carolyn Rodz and Elizabeth Gore, Hello Alice is a free platform serving more than one million small business owners across the United States. Committed to equitable access to capital for women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, veterans, and entrepreneurs with disabilities, Hello Alice offers funding, education, tools, and curated opportunities. Working with enterprise business services, ecosystem partners, affiliates, and government agencies, Hello Alice provides its growing community with everything they need to grow their businesses. To learn more, visit www.helloalice.com, as well as Twitter, LinkedIn,Instagram, and Facebook.