Grant Funding for Small Businesses: How to Find and Win Free Capital

Date and Time

Wednesday Mar 25, 2026
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM CDT

Location

Zoom

Fees/Admission

Free

Website

SCORE Registration

Contact Information

Lauren Barker
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Description

Securing capital is one of the biggest hurdles for any entrepreneur—but you don’t always have to trade equity or take on debt to grow. Small business grants offer a powerful way to fuel your venture with "free" capital, yet many founders find the process of finding and applying for them to be a full-time job in itself.

In this webinar, we strip away the mystery of the grant world. Whether you are in the "idea phase" or running an established business, this session will teach you how to think like a grant reviewer and how to build a repeatable system for finding opportunities that actually fit your mission.

You’ll learn how to:

Understand the Grant Landscape: Distinguish between federal, state, and private corporate grants.
Master the Application Basics: Learn the "must-haves" for a winning proposal and how to avoid common pitfalls.
Streamline Your Search: Get a live demo of the FundingTrail Grant Database and Newsletter to see how to find relevant grants in minutes, not hours.
Build a Submission Strategy: Create a roadmap for staying organized and hitting deadlines without the burnout.

This is a practical, high-impact session designed to move you from "searching" to "applying." You’ll leave with a clear understanding of where the money is and the digital tools you need to go after it.

Featured Guest Speaker

Sam Shanley

Sam Shanley is the founder of FundingTrail, a platform he built to help fellow entrepreneurs skip the headache of searching for business grants. Sam’s perspective on small business comes from both sides of the table; he spent six years as a VC at Adams Street Partners before moving into the trenches to build, run, and eventually sell his own hospitality business, Off Map Glamping.

Having experienced the highs and lows of the "founder life" for four years, Sam is doing his best to make capital more accessible to small business owners. When he isn’t working on FundingTrail, he volunteers as a mentor with SCORE Chicago, helping entrepreneurs navigate the same hurdles he faced. He’s here to share the tools and shortcuts he wishes he’d had when he was starting out.

Host

Velvetta Young

Velvetta Young is the Vice Chair of Education and Events for SCORE Chicago. She is also a Network Marketer with Legalshield and has been in business since 2009. She can be found at most SCORE Chicago vending events at the table with a smile and information. She is also the In-Person Lead for Grief Share for Bright Star COGIC and has helped hundreds of businesses with her in-person networking events which can be found on Alignable throughout the city.