UNITED STATES — Women who own established US small businesses can apply for one of four $45,000 Fund Her Future grants, with applications closing at 6 p.m. Eastern Time on 22 September 2026.
H&R Block opened the third annual round on 1 September. The four grants total $180,000, and each winner will also receive one year of specified services covering small-business tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll and a review of business structure.
Applicants must be US residents and meet the programme’s definition of a woman-owned business. The business must already exist rather than remain an idea, and it must have generated at least $20,000 in revenue during 2025.
The owner must be at least 18, or 19 in Alabama and Nebraska. Both full-time and part-time businesses may apply, and eligibility is not limited to companies with employees. Nonprofit organisations are excluded.
Those conditions make the grant unsuitable for a pre-revenue founder or a woman seeking support for personal study. Applicants should read the official rules and the Hello Alice application portal before preparing answers, particularly where ownership is shared.
The cash is substantial for a small firm, but its best use will differ by business. A strong application should connect the grant to a measurable constraint: equipment that expands capacity, inventory tied to confirmed demand, certification required for a contract, or working capital that allows a carefully costed hire.
Founders should avoid describing ordinary expenses as transformation without showing the mechanism. A budget, timeline and realistic estimate of additional revenue or customers will be more persuasive than a broad promise to “scale.”
Applicants should also calculate the value and fit of the service package. Payroll support may be useful to an employer but irrelevant to a sole proprietor; bookkeeping and tax services still require the owner to provide accurate records. Winners should confirm any tax consequences of the grant itself with a qualified professional.
The organisers plan to interview a shortlist and notify four winners in October. Selection is competitive, and no applicant should spend money or disclose unnecessary sensitive data to anyone claiming that payment guarantees success. The official application runs through Hello Alice from the H&R Block programme page.
Women-owned businesses often face a finance gap, but four awards cannot correct the lending and investment systems that create it. This is a targeted opportunity, not evidence that capital access has been solved.
For eligible owners, the practical task is narrower: verify the 2025 revenue threshold, assemble financial figures and explain exactly what $45,000 would change before the 22 September cutoff.
Deadline: 22 September 2026, 6 p.m. ET.
Award: Four grants of $45,000, plus one year of specified business services.
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