$200K in grants to small business entrepreneurs is on the table this spring, courtesy of the second edition of the L’Oreal USA Inclusive Beauty Fund.
The beauty industry giant will again award the funds in partnership with Global Giving. L’Oreal is collaborating with the NAACP and Hispanic Federation to administer 20 one-time grants of $10K each.
Beauty businesses, hair stylists, extension artists, braiders, estheticians, barbers, salon owners, suite owners, and students nationwide are invited to apply through the NAACP (here) or the Hispanic Federation (here).
Awardees will be announced April 2024.
The Inclusive Beauty Fund began in 2021, after it became apparent that small beauty businesses were among the hardest hit from the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, L’Oreal partnered with the NAACP to award grants and business mentoring to 33 awardees, which used the funding to grow their inventories, improve their marketing strategies, and open new locations.
“The grant provided by L’Oréal USA and NAACP came at the perfect time for us. It truly provided us with the fuel to invest in inventory, as well as marketing,” said LaToya Stirrup, CEO and co-founder of Kazmaleje, a hair tool company that received a grant in 2021.
“As a business it provided us with a gateway to connect with salon owners and stylists in a whole new way,” she said.
“We value the role small businesses play in bringing vital products and services to consumers across all backgrounds and lived experiences,“ said Liliahn Majeed, chief of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in at L’Oreal Groupe North America, “and we want to do our part to support beauty businesses and entrepreneurs who are working to navigate economic challenges.”
