Dove Chocolates is awarding three grants to women-owned businesses this holiday season. The Dove Chocolates InstaGrants program is open now through December 19. And applicants can win $10,000 just by submitting a video about their business idea.
Dove Chocolates InstaGrants Program
The Dove Chocolates InstaGrants program originally grew out of the company’s partnership with CARE. The international humanitarian agency and Dove work together to support women in West African cocoa growing communities.
However, the company’s work has since expanded to support women-led businesses around the world, including those in the U.S. This is the second official year of the Dove Chocolates InstaGrants program.
Last year, winners included:
- Lehia Apana of Polipoli Farms, a native-run farm that uses regenerative forestry techniques
- Brittany Rhodes of Black Girl Mathgic, a math subscription box to help girls improve their confidence
- Shreya Nuli of Mobile Memory, a cost-effective Alzheimer’s screening tool
Michelle Deignan, Senior Director at Mars Wrigley said in a statement, “With the great success of last year’s program, we wanted to inspire moments of everyday happiness again by relaunching DOVE InstaGrants and offer even more women a chance to live out their business and entrepreneurial dreams.”
This year’s contest runs online from December 5 through 19. Three businesses will receive grants of $10,000, along with business promotion opportunities.
The contest is open to women-led businesses in the U.S. that meet the eligibility criteria. And Dove Chocolates places an emphasis on those with female-first missions or sustainable methods.
How to Enter
To enter the Dove InstaGrants contests, women entrepreneurs just need to submit video of 30 seconds or less. The video should include your business idea, explain why it’s innovative, and explore what you would do with the grant money.
There are two specific ways to enter: First, you can just upload your short video to your Instagram feed and include #DOVEInstaGrantsEntry and @dovechocolate in the caption. Your Instagram account must be public. And videos included in Stories or Reels will not count as an entry.
Alternatively, you can submit your short video online using the entry form on Dove Chocolate’s website. There’s a short form included with the video uploader to share some simple details about your business and/or idea.
Dove Chocolates provided the following tips for those interested in entering:
- Be genuine when explaining your business and idea
- Speak directly to the camera in a well-lit, quiet spot
- Explain how the grant would benefit your business
- Consider what sets your product or service apart
- Keep your target audience in mind
- If applying on Instagram, include your business social media handles and LinkedIn page if you have them
Entries will be judged by a panel based on several factors, including business originality, pitch quality, business success, values aligned with Dove’s purpose, and business size. Dove will then verify the three winners with the highest overall scores and contact them to distribute funds.
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Image: dovechocolateinstagrants
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