Small Business Grant Programs in California 2026

The Gottlieb Emergency Grant is designed to offer interim financial support to painters, printmakers, and sculptors facing unforeseen, catastrophic incidents such as illnesses, accidents, fires, floods, or natural disasters. It focuses on assisting professional visual artists who have been working in a mature phase of their craft for at least a decade.

Matching reimbursement grants for Carson business tenants and property owners to improve storefront aesthetics and attract visitors along major commercial corridors. First come, first served. Complimentary architectural services and application assistance are available. Funding is only guaranteed once a formal agreement is executed with the City.

The City of Santa Monica offers matching grants to improve storefronts for small, brick-and-mortar businesses along Pico Blvd, funded by HUD CDBG, with a focus on LMI areas and historically capital-constrained owners. ​

A quarterly disaster relief grant for active U.S. Etsy sellers impacted by a federally declared natural disaster within the past year, administered with nonprofit CERF+ to help rebuild operations.

The Hey Helen Grant is a privately funded initiative by Visionaries that invests in women entrepreneurs building impact-driven, for-profit businesses in the U.S. Each cycle, one founder receives a $10,000 unrestricted cash award to fuel whatever moves their business forward — operations, growth, marketing, hiring, or infrastructure. The grant is named in honor of the founder’s grandmother, Helen Roberts, who believed in people before the rest of the world caught up.

The Liu Shiming Artist Grants support early-career visual artists during the first decade of their careers, funding the creation or completion of new projects that explore the interplay between traditional cultural or historical influences and contemporary artistic practice.

Giving Joy offers small microgrants to women entrepreneurs worldwide whose projects create social and economic impact for women, girls, and families in their communities. They prioritize innovative, creative ideas with strong potential for community benefit rather than polished applications.

The Breva Thrive Grant is a quarterly $5,000 grant program that provides catalytic funding to early‑stage and growing U.S. small businesses that are generating positive, measurable impact in their communities, with particular interest in those serving underrepresented or historically underserved areas.

Spectrum Reach’s Pay It Forward Program gives selected small businesses a free TV and streaming ad campaign, a produced 30‑second commercial, and access to marketing education and mentorship to support local business growth.