The Merchants Fund is committed to providing for the economic needs of the merchant community with modest grants. Merchants must be located in Philadelphia for a minimum of three years. Business Stabilization grants of up to $10,000 are available to help small businesses remain stable and viable in the face of economic challenges, changes, opportunities, and crisis.

The application process is competitive. There is no guarantee of an award. We recommend that merchants explore other funding sources simultaneously to the grant application process. Please make sure to read the entirety of this page before you submit your Stabilization Grant application.

The Merchants Fund does not support:

• New ventures
• Home businesses moving to commercial real estate and the related expenses
• Businesses holding only an off premises liquor license
• Working capital grants
• Excluded businesses: lawyers, doctors, accountants, brokers (insurance, real estate, stock), consultants, and other professionals. Please call if you are unsure whether your business is qualified to be considered for a grant.

The Merchants Fund does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or disability.

Eligibility Requirements

• Operate in Philadelphia
• Have been in business no less than 3 years
• Be a Sole Proprietor or the majority owner and an active employee of an incorporated business
• Depend upon the business as a primary source of income
• For examples of past grantees and their projects, please visit our Grantee Stories page.

Instructions & Application Process

If you meet all of the qualifications on page one of the application, please complete and submit the rest of the application form (PDF or online) by the deadline. NOTE: You must call 215-399-1339 to review your project proposal with our Executive Director and determine your eligibility. Fill in all the blanks and answer all questions. If a question does not apply to you, answer ‘Not Applicable.’

You will be asked to submit supplemental materials with your application. Please send all required supplemental materials via email to info@merchantsfund.org, or by mail to 1528 Walnut St. Suite 1004, Philadelphia, PA 19102. Please note: All supplemental materials must be submitted the same day as your application, whether it’s an online submission or a mailed submission. If you are mailing documents to our physical address, please make sure the post-marked date coincides with the date of your electronic submission. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Supplemental Materials due with your application MAY include a:

• Current Year-to-date profit and loss statement
• List of depreciated assets
• Detailed project description
• Any licences or permits we may request
• And any other supplemental materials request at the time of the applications submission

Successful applicants for grants from The Merchants Fund demonstrated some or all of the following qualities:

• strong ties to the community
• a partnership with a sponsoring agency such as a community development corporation (CDC)
• assisting the merchant before and after the grant process
• a clear plan for the use of the grant with details about short term and long term goals for
• stabilization, improvement and growth i.e. solutions to problems or concrete plans for the business
• the capacity to generate increased revenue or other new business opportunities as a result of the grant
• improvements made to the merchant’s business are also good for the surrounding community, corridor, or are part of a plan for the neighborhood
• realistic budgets or good estimates of the cost of projects, capital improvements, equipment purchases, etc. which equal the grant amount requested including loans or personal funds or contributions from state, city and agency funds
• in the case of facade improvements there should be an understanding of aesthetic conventions such as attractive signage, neighborhood color schemes, involvement of a designer or other professional, visual marketing, see-through security grates, respect for existing architectural detail, etc.

Stabilization Grants

Business Stabilization Grants up to $10,000 to help small businesses remain stable, viable and grow in the face of economic challenges or to respond to opportunities. We do not make grants for working capital. Grants must be spent by August 31, 2017.

Business Loan Match Grants up to $20,000 to match accredited government programs or bank loans at least dollar for dollar ($20,000 minimum loan matched by a $20,000 grant). This is a more competitive program because the dollar amount is higher. TMF does not make loans. Grants must be spent by August 31, 2017.

http://www.merchantsfund.org/grants/grant-pre-qualification-application/

The next grant deadline for The Merchants Fund (TMF) is Thursday, September 15, 2016 (postmarked or completed online). Grants are competitive and there is no guarantee of funding. We have about $160,000 to dispense in this grant cycle.

TMF has two core grant making areas for businesses that have been legally established for at least three years in Philadelphia:

Business Stabilization grants up to $10,000 to help small businesses remain stable and viable and to grow in the face of economic challenges or respond to opportunities. TMF does not make grants for working capital. Grants must be spent by December 31, 2016. Requirements, online application, and PDF of application

http://www.merchantsfund.org/grants/stabilization/

Business Loan Match grants up to $20,000 to match accredited government programs or bank loans at least dollar for dollar ($20,000 minimum loan matched by a $20,000 grant). TMF does not make loans. Grants must be spent by August 31, 2016. Requirements, online application, and PDF of application

http://www.merchantsfund.org/grants/loan-matching-grant/

Please contact TMF at info@merchantsfund.org or call 215-399-1339 if you have any questions.

We have created an online application. We prefer this method but we have kept the PDF so you can print it to see what is required. We are committed to access so we will accept paper applications.

The next grant deadline for The Merchants Fund is Monday, February 29, 2016 (postmarked or completed online). Please forward this email to your clients, colleagues, business owners, community partners, etc. If you would like to join the listserv, send an email with the subject line “join the listserv” and include your contact information. TMF’s listserv is best suited to those who work with small business on a regular basis.

Grants are competitive and there is no guarantee of funding.

IMPORTANT: The first check off on the application indicates that you must discuss your project with staff at TMF before filing an application. Please take this step seriously and understand it leads to stronger applications. Almost unilaterally skipping this step means you will be turned down because the application is off target for our goals or the company is not qualified under our requirements.

TMF has two core grant making areas for businesses that have been legally established for at least three years in Philadelphia:

Business Stabilization grants up to $10,000 to help small businesses remain stable, viable and grow in the face of economic challenges or to respond to opportunities. We do not make grants for working capital. Grants must be spent by August 31, 2016.
http://www.merchantsfund.org/grants/grant-pre-qualification-application/

Business Loan matches up to $20,000 to match accredited government programs or bank loans at least dollar for dollar ($20,000 minimum loan matched by a $20,000 grant). TMF does not make loans. Grants must be spent by August 31, 2016.
http://www.merchantsfund.org/grants/grant-pre-qualification-application/

Please visit our web site http://www.merchantsfund.org/ for printable applications and detailed guidelines or contact us directly at info@merchantsfund.org or call 215-399-1339. I try to answer phone messages within 24 hours and I answer emails more frequently.

The next deadline will be in September 2016.

Our Mission is to provide financial assistance to current and past merchants in Philadelphia.

The Merchants Fund offers grants of up to $10,000 to help small businesses remain stable, grow, and respond to new opportunities and loan matches of up to $20,000 to match accredited government programs and bank loans.

http://www.merchantsfund.org/grant-areas.html

Grants due February 27, 2015