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Explore Our Founders First Grant Programs
Regional Grants

Southern California

The Southern California Job Creators Quest Grant awards a total of $50,000 to 10 businesses in Southern California.
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Chicago

The Chicago Job Creators Quest Grant awards a total of $50,000 to 10 small businesses across the city of Chicago.
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Philly & New Jersey

The Pennsylvania/New Jersey Job Creators Quest Grant awards a total of $50,000 to 10 diverse-led small businesses in the region.
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Texas

The Texas Job Creators Quest Grant awards $50,000 in grants to 10 small businesses across the state of Texas.
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National Grants

Pride Fund

The LGBTQIA+ National Grant provides eligible small businesses the chance to receive one of 25 grant packages totaling $25,000. Founders First is committed to increasing the number of diverse founder-led businesses generating over $1 million dollars in revenues and creating wage jobs.
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Kitty Fund

The Kitty Fund Grant provides eligible small businesses the chance to receive one of 25 grant packages totaling $25,000 to moms who run employer-based small businesses with two or more employees. The award was created to honor Founder First CEO Kim Folsom’s mother, Catherine “Kitty” Abrams Tadlock Webster, who passed away in early 2020.
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Stephen L. Tadlock Grant

The Stephen L. Tadlock Fund was established in honor of our founder and board chair’s brother, Stephen Tadlock. Stephen Tadlock was a U.S. Navy Veteran and passed away in June 2019. This grant provides eligible Veteran small businesses the chance to receive one of 25 grant packages totaling $25,000.
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Regional Grant Requirements

  • The founder has a commitment to growth as a small, employer-based business in their designated region and an interest in applying for this grant.
  • Must be a for-profit company with annual revenues between $100K and $5 million
  • Current staff of 2+ full time employees
  • Will have the ability to add 1-2+ net new premium wage jobs in the next 12 months
  • Current business model Business-to-Business (B2B) or Business-to-Government (B2G) only​​

Grant recipients are also selected based on their demonstrated ability to maintain and grow their workforce and their ongoing commitment to creating premium wage jobs in their communities. 

National Grant Requirements

Stephen L. Tadlock:

  • Must be a U.S. military Veteran.
  • Must be a CEO, President, or Business Owner.
  • Must have an active U.S. based business.
  • Must have between 2 to 50 employees.

Kitty Fund:

  • Founder identifies as a mother.
  • Business must be located in the United States.
  • Business annual revenue does not exceed $5M.
  • Grant money can be used in whatever way Founders need to use it.

Meet Our Program Graduates

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