Target to Invest $2 Billion in Black-owned Businesses
Target has pledged to invest $2 billion in Black-owned businesses by the end of 2025. Since the pledge, the retailer has increased investments by more than 50% with Black-owned brands, companies and suppliers.
Now, more than ever, there are numerous funding opportunities available to BIPOC small businesses. GrantWatch.com is the leading grant listing directory and hosts more than 200 verified grants open to BIPOC-owned businesses.
Investing in the future with the ‘Forward Founders’ program
Recognizing the need to further support historically underrepresented founders, Target has recently launched the Forward Founders program. This accelerator program engages diverse early-stage companies looking to better understand retail.
Aiming to increase the next wave of wealth-building companies, Forward Founders helps BIPOC businesses navigate critical stages, including brainstorming, product development, and scaling for mass retail. Since launching, Forward Founders has supported more than 30 Black entrepreneurs and a total of 60 BIPOC founders.
Jasmin Foster was a part of the inaugural Forward Founders class. Her business, Be Rooted, is an inclusively designed stationery brand, which is now carried by Target.
“As a solo founder, the early-stage support, mentorship and insight the program offered was invaluable in bringing my vision to the next level,” said Foster.
What is an Accelerator Program?
An acceptance into an accelerator is a huge accomplishment! Additionally, these programs give young startups funding opportunities and mentorship. The key benefits of a startup accelerator include:
- Seed funding
- Training
- Networking
- Private space/offices
- Pitch to potential investors
Furthermore, accelerators are playing an increasing role in startup communities. Unlike a standard grant, accelerators have the ability to teach valuable skill sets and proper management traits.
To view more accelerator programs that are currently available to startups and entrepreneurs, visit GrantWatch.com.
About GrantWatch
A trusted resource since 2010. For more than 16 years, GrantWatch has helped nonprofits, small businesses, schools, government agencies, and individuals discover funding opportunities and navigate the grant process with confidence. Thousands of organizations rely on GrantWatch's extensive database of verified grants and funding resources to identify opportunities and secure support for meaningful projects.
Today, GrantWatch supports organizations across the full grant lifecycle through a single, streamlined platform. In addition to access to more than 11,000 active, verified, and human-curated grant opportunities, the platform includes a centralized Dashboard that serves as the command center for the GrantWatch Full Grant Lifecycle Platform, giving users a centralized view of opportunities, deadlines, research, and workflow activity across the 12-stage Grant Pipeline. Users also benefit from integrated tools including the AI Grant Finder, AI Grant Writing Tool, My Grant Calendar, Grant Alerts, Foundation Search, and Awarded Grant Search, helping move funding efforts from discovery to award and measurable impact.
GrantWatch, founded by Libby Hikind, is the author of The Queen of Grants series, including The Queen of Grants series: The Queen of Grants: From Teacher to Grant Writer to CEO and The Queen of Grants 2: GrantTalk Secrets for the New Era of Writing. Drawing on decades of experience in the grants industry, GrantWatch was created to simplify how organizations discover, evaluate, and pursue funding opportunities.
