Dream Makers Founder Grant

The Dream Makers Founder Grant is a $1 million multi-year fund established by entrepreneur Nancy Twine in partnership with the Fifteen Percent Pledge. It is specifically dedicated to supporting underrepresented female founders in the consumer goods industry to help them scale their businesses.

The program aims to bridge the funding gap for historically excluded founders by providing non-dilutive capital (meaning they take 0% equity).

Key Benefits:

• Cash Grant: The program awards five $25,000 grants annually.

• No Equity Required: This is a pure cash award; the Pledge does not take any ownership stake in your company.

• Structured Disbursement: Funds are paid out in quarterly installments to support sustained business growth.

• Restricted Use: Grant money must be used specifically for Marketing, Manufacturing, or Research & Development (R&D).

• Ecosystem Access: Winners are integrated into the Fifteen Percent Pledge community, which works to increase Black-owned business representation on major retail shelves.

The grant has very specific requirements regarding business size, category, and ownership.

1. Business Requirements

• Membership: You must be a member of the Fifteen Percent Pledge Business Equity Community.

• Revenue: Annual revenue must be at least $100,000 but no more than $1 million.

• History: The business must have been generating revenue for at least two full years.

• Team Size: Must have between 1 and 10 employees, including the founder.

• Location: The business must be based and legally operating in the United States.

2. Product Category (Strict Exclusions)

• Requirement: Must sell a physical Consumer Packaged Good (CPG).

• Beauty Exclusion: Businesses in the Beauty category are NOT eligible. This includes skincare, makeup, hair care, body care, nail care, and fragrance.

• Wellness Exclusion: Supplements, ingestibles, and nutritional powders are also ineligible.

3. Ownership Profile

• Gender: The business must have at least 51% women ownership.

• Identity: While open to all underrepresented communities, the fund places a spotlight on Black and BIPOC founders.