Economic Opportunity Grant Program is sponsored by Nasdaq Foundation. Drives impact through regional revitalization, access to capital, employee and community ownership, financial literacy, and investor identity.

The Nasdaq Foundation's Economic Opportunity Grant Program drives impact through five key areas—regional revitalization and rural wealth building, access to capital, employee and community ownership, financial literacy, and investor identity. Empowering individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed financial decisions, thus cultivating financially resilient communities.

Supplying financial resources that catalyze the growth of businesses and projects originating from revitalized regions, supporting both new and established ventures. Cultivating a new generation of investors equipped to shape the future financial markets.

​ ## Employee and Community Ownership​ Enabling individuals to directly control assets and promote shared ownership to achieve fairer distribution of wealth, resources, and economic opportunities. ## Regional Revitalization /​ Rural Wealth Building​ Promoting community development, improving infrastructure, and offering workforce training to strengthen economies and increase market opportunities. ​ ### 1.

Read the Grant Guidelines Start by reviewing the Grant Guidelines. They include eligibility requirements and detailed information about the Nasdaq Foundation’s areas of impact, so you’ll know if your organization and project align with our priorities. ### 3.

Invitation to Submit a Full Proposal After reviewing EOIs, select applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal. **Please note that not all applicants will move to this stage. ** ### Frequently Asked Questions The Nasdaq Foundation will accept grant requests from: * Organizations designated as tax-exempt according to §501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service code.

* A for-profit business or consultant acting on behalf of a qualified tax-exempt entity or through a fiscal sponsor that is tax-exempt. Please note that if the grant is awarded, a representative of the tax-exempt entity must sign the grant agreement, and the grant will be paid to the tax-exempt entity.

Entities specifically ineligible for Foundation support include: * For-profit businesses – generally, entities not designated as tax-exempt according to §501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service code. * Entities and individuals designated as “disqualified persons” as defined in §4946 of the Internal Revenue Service code.

* Former grant recipients who did not fulfill the terms of a previous grant from the Nasdaq Foundation or another tax-exempt entity. * Organizations that present a potential conflict of interest with Nasdaq, Inc., Nasdaq Philanthropic Foundation, Inc. or any of their officers or directors Expressions of Interest will be accepted bi-annually before two deadlines in 2026—February 13 and July 31.

More information about the timeline can be found in our grant guidelines. Reasonable overhead costs may be included in the grant request but must be specified. Unless otherwise specified and agreed upon, all grants have one-year terms.

The Nasdaq Foundation will consider a multiple-year commitment if the grant seeker can demonstrate the necessity or benefit of multiple-year funding in the grant proposal. There is no limit as to the number of Expression of Interests a single entity may submit at one time. For questions about the Economic Opportunity Grant Program, contact us at foundation@nasdaq.

com. ### 2025 Grant Recipients ### National League of Cities The Legacy Forward project will build capacity of municipal governments to identify and support legacy businesses and second-stage firms facing growth, transition, or market challenges. Future Founders will empower 100+ entrepreneurs ages 18-30 to launch and grow their own businesses and contribute to the prosperity of society.

The GO Project Families Financial Literacy Workshop Series promotes smart financial decision-making for families and students from underserved areas in NYC. Legacy Lab, is a multi-year initiative supporting community-owned and traditionally structured businesses in strengthening their infrastructure, accessing non-extractive capital, and advancing collective ownership as a path to economic justice.

### Ownership Capital Lab The Employee Ownership Fund Accelerator will build a pipeline of fund managers that will move employee ownership investing from a niche approach into the mainstream of investing. Project Equity will scale employee ownership in the Atlanta and Birmingham regions to equip under-resourced communities with access to wealth building opportunities.

The Palmetto Prosperity Initiative: Expanding Access to Capital for Small Businesses Throughout South Carolina” will expand access to capital for small businesses throughout South Carolina, focusing on women, veterans, and rural small business owners.

### Maryland Philanthropy Network and Community Wealth Builders In partnership with Community Wealth Builders, the “Resilient by Design: Growing Community Financial Education & Investing to Fuel Local Prosperity” will grow community financial education and investing to fuel local prosperity in Baltimore through an innovative financial empowerment program.

### Urban League of Louisiana The "Scaling Entrepreneurship Across Louisiana" will provide early-stage women-owned firms in rural parts of Louisiana with the education and resources needed for scalability and profitability.

### The Center on Rural Innovation The Center on Rural Innovation will launch the AI Forward Studio, a free, 12-week, hands-on experience designed to help rural entrepreneurs build, test, and implement AI-driven solutions for their startups. ### Community Investment Corporation The Arizona Capital Access Program will grow a local funder base in Arizona by activating a new generation of investors through peer-led investor groups.

### Business Council for Peace The Breaking the $1M Barrier Program helps 25 underrepresented businesses in the Southeast U.S. scale beyond the startup stage. Restore's Entrepreneurship services support survivors of trafficking in exploring business ownership as a pathway to economic independence.

Launch Tennessee will bring information about the InvestTN fund directly to TN entrepreneurs and provide guidance as they seek to grow and scale their startups. ### Accion Opportunity Fund Community Development The Startup Learning Pathway is a digital curriculum designed to equip under-resourced prospective and early-stage small business owners with tailored financial education and resources.

### 2024 Grant Recipients GOODProjects will launch a financial literacy and entrepreneurship program in Washington, D. C.' s Ward 6, offering a combination of financial education, small business training, and personalized mentorship to single mothers.

The GO Project Families Financial Literacy Workshop Series promotes smart financial decision-making for families and students from underserved areas in New York City. ### Cooperacion Santa Ana Cooperacion Santa Ana is a worker cooperative developer that offers high-touch incubation support for individuals in the early stages of business development.

The Sabias, Empresarias, Resilientes program supports women entrepreneurs in Valle del Cauca and Cundinamarca, Colombia with training, mentorship, and direct matchmaking with buyers through BuMa Academy and BuMa Match.

### Young Black Leadership Alliance The YoPro Wealth Building Program offers financial education for under-represented Black professionals aged 21 to 35 in Charlotte and Atlanta, providing essential investment knowledge and hands-on experience in a supportive community.

### Mujeres Latinas en Accion Empresarias Del Futuro (Entrepreneurs of the Future) is a training program and curriculum designed for Latina women who want to initiate or expand a small business and improve their financial literacy skills. Defy's Pathway to Entrepreneurship program provides formerly incarcerated men and women across 9 states with the tools to develop a business concept and launch a small business.

Dog Tag Inc. empowers veterans with service-connected disabilities, military spouses, and caregivers to find renewed purpose and community through an innovative business and entrepreneurship-focused fellowship program. ### Penny Forward and World Services for the Blind Penny Forward will create the first investing courses specifically designed for people who are blind or have low vision.

Building on the success of over 120 Invest for Better (IFB) Circles, this initiative aims to establish a pilot regional hub in Philadelphia to enhance financial literacy and promote values-aligned investment among women.

Capital Access Communities is an initiative designed to foster collaboration and access to capital for underrepresented entrepreneurs in key cities across the United States, including Baltimore, DC, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, LA, and San Francisco MicroMentor aims to diversify entrepreneurship in Mexico by making mentorship, training and financial resources more accessible for 10,000 women entrepreneurs - supporting them to improve the resilience of their businesses via skill acquisition, improved wellbeing and access to financial resources.

The Legal Aid Society will provide through its Community Development Project (CDP) legal trainings and technical assistance to small businesses, especially those that are BIPOC- and women-owned. Start Studio is two complementary accelerator programs run twice annually that are building an inclusive pipeline of diverse tech founders in Detroit.

### Opportunity International The Women as Agents of Change program empowers women in India by equipping them to become financial service agents within their communities. ### San Francisco Disability Alliance The Future Entrepreneur Program is an 8-week cohort-based program that provides individuals with the knowledge and skills to start a small business.

3rd Decade's free education and mentoring program teaches the basics of financial security, investments, retirement, debt and more to underserved communities. Money Talks is a financial training and peer support program for Black women in Pittsburgh. Through a custom designed curriculum and live support sessions, participants learn about money values, debt management, retirement planning, and ways to invest.

Future Founders will empower diverse entrepreneurs ages 18-30 to launch and grow their own businesses through their Startup Bootcamp, Fellowship, and FounderCon. Green America will expand their Responsible Finance Program, which teaches people across the country how to get started with investing for retirement and how to use their banking choices to benefit local communities.

Each year, they educate hundreds of thousands of people about investing and banking. ### Hmong American Partnership Building capacity of Southeast Asian-, immigrant-, and refugee-owned small businesses through an introduction to accessible, digital business development tools. ### Past Grantees & Reports Use the dropdown to access our Nasdaq Foundation Reports highlighting our partners’ achievements over the years.