Glossier announces grant program for Black-owned beauty businesses

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Jun 22, 2020

Glossier has launched a new grant program to support Black beauty entrepreneurs in the U.S. 

On May 30, the company announced that it would donate $500,000 to a variety of organizations focused on fighting racial injustice, in addition to dedicating another $500,000 to creating a grant fund for Black-owned beauty businesses.

On June 11, the company announced the grant fund's launch. With applications open, Black beauty entrepreneurs based in the U.S. can apply for grants amounting to $10K, $30K and $50K, "depending on the stage of their business." 

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The grant program is focused on companies that sell physical beauty products like cosmetics, skincare, and products or tools for the face, body, and hair, the company said. 

"We recognize that this is only one facet of the beauty world, but we believe it’s where we can have the most impact, especially when it comes to sharing what we’ve learned," Glossier founder and CEO, Emily Weiss, said in a written statement. 

According to the company, submissions will be evaluated based on each applicant's "message", or how the business "aspires to broaden the conversation about beauty and lead with purpose", how the company "shows up in the beauty space" and what makes it unique, and the applicant's "plan," or how the business plans to grow and how the grant would help it achieve this growth. 

Businesses that are selected will further have the opportunity to connect with team members at Glossier for 1:1 advisory support and monthly calls with experts on domains like supply chain, packaging and content strategy, the company said.

The grant program's applications will be evaluated by a panel with members from Into The Gloss, the blog founded by Weiss, as well as Glossier's creative, finance and community departments. The panel will be lead by the company's community manager, Kim Johnson. 

Applications will be open until July 3, and Glossier plans to inform all applicants on decisions in August. The company said it expects to award "roughly 15 businesses."

Award winners will also be announced via Glossier's social media channels.