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Route 66 Extraordinary Women Micro-Grant Program (Round 3)

This grant is provided by Route US 66 The Road Ahead Partnership

  • Grant Amount

    Up to $60K

  • Open date

    July 8, 2024

  • Application Deadline

    August 26, 2024

About This Grant

The Route 66 Extraordinary Women Micro-Grant program is part of the Road Ahead Partnership’s efforts to celebrate the upcoming Route 66 Centennial by helping the millions of people who live, work, and travel the Mother Road. Through private fund-raising efforts and a major gift from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Preserve Route 66 Initiative, the Road Ahead Partnership will award up to $60,000 via the Route 66 Extraordinary Women Micro-Grant program.

Goals of the Route 66 Extraordinary Women Micro-Grant program include:

  • Keeping women-owned or operated Route 66 businesses and attractions in operation.
  • Helping women-owned or operated Route 66 businesses and attractions reopen.
  • Preserving, restoring, and/or expanding women-owned or operated Route 66 businesses and attractions, per Secretary of the Interior Standards.
  • Helping open new, women-owned or operated Route 66 businesses and attractions.

Awards

Three program rounds will be conducted, with the first in 2023 and two in 2024. Maximum grant awards will be $2,000.00, with up to 10 grant awards made per each round of the program.

How You Can Use the Funds

  • Business/Organization Improvement/Sustainability:
  • Purchase of equipment or furnishings.
  • Materials and services such as printing, photographs, telephone, and supplies.
  • For non-profit organizations, organizational capacity building activities such as hiring fundraising consultants, conducting board training, etc.
  • Development of promotional materials (either physical or virtual).
  • Updates to websites for better operations and communications.
  • Mailing costs for distribution of materials or merchandise.
  • Historic Preservation Planning/Work:
  • Fees for consultant services (such as architect, preservation architect, contractor, consultant to produce a business plan or marketing plan, web or app designer, landscaper or landscape architect, etc.)
  • Building, construction, repair, or maintenance activities (work needs to meet preservation standards and/or maintain the historic integrity of the building).
  • Public-facing improvements to the business or attraction, including, but not limited to: murals, awnings, lighting, signage upgrades, painting or cleaning of interior or exterior, creation of indoor or outdoor seating areas, etc.
  • Telling the Story:
  • Acquisition of objects designed for public display, and that relate to the history/heritage of the property.
  • Fees for speakers or trainings.
  • Partnering with local artists for a community event or mural.
  • General support for community meetings and gatherings, such as sponsoring a community gathering or community educational event to celebrate a historical or cultural moment that is meaningful to the neighborhood. Can include costs for catering, food & beverage, entertainment at these gatherings or meetings.
  • Accessibility/Community Outreach:
  • Enhancing a building or space to align it with ADA accessibility standards.
  • Language translation of menus, websites, or other materials to be more inclusive and accessible to diverse local customers and audiences.
  • Sustainability: Innovations to improve sustainability of a building or attraction, such as reducing energy consumption or food waste.

Documents Required

  • Applications must be submitted onlline
  • Registered not-for-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) status must provide their IRS letter of determination.
  • The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion [creed], gender, gender expression, age, national origin [ancestry], disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status in any of its activities or operations. Decisions regarding grant awards are based on guidelines that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • Only fully completed grant applications, received on time per program deadlines, will be processed and reviewed for consideration of a grant award.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Businesses and attractions that are eligible to apply include those that:
  • Are wholly or majority (at least 51%) women-owned or women-operated.
  • Are physically located on a Route 66 alignment (i.e., a “brick-and-mortar” location) and/or operate in a Route 66 neighborhood or community.
  • Employ fewer than 20 full-time employees (including the company owners).
  • Are a registered business entity in good standing in the state where they were formed and the state in which they do business.
  • Independently travel the road, serving other businesses/attractions along Route 66, including, for example: small tour operators, suppliers with Route 66 as their sales region, etc.
  • Small, locally owned franchises with 5 or less locations.
  • Not eligible: Digital-only businesses (digital includes, without limitation, online and application-based businesses or attractions).
  • Not eligible: Part of a large national franchise (i.e. 6 or more locations and/or a chain that serves areas primarily outside of the Route 66 corridor).