Economic Justice Fund Repeats as CDFI Fund Grant Winner
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From 2007 to 2018, the number of U.S. businesses owned by women increased by 58 percent.01 Nevertheless, women are still far less likely to start businesses than men are. In 2018, 240 out of every 100,000 women became new entrepreneurs each month, compared to 410 out of every 100,000 men.02
Women entrepreneurs also are less likely to obtain external financing, such as loans and venture capital. According to a report by the National Women’s Business Council and the Library of Congress, men raise significantly more funds at startup and throughout the life of their businesses than women do.
The Economic Justice Fund is committed to ensuring that women entrepreneurs have equal access to capital. Learn about the services we provide.
40%
of all privately held businesses in 2018 were owned by women.03
2.8%
of venture capital funding in 2019 was invested in firms founded solely by women.04
- Understanding the Landscape: Access to Capital for Women Entrepreneurs. Prepared by the Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, under an Interagency Agreement with the National Women’s Business Council. 2018.
- 2018 National Report on Early-Stage Entrepreneurship, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, September 2019.
- The 2018 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, Commissioned by American Express, 2018.
- “The VC Female Founders Dashboard,” PitchBook, February 28, 2019.