Happy International Women’s Day! Introducing: The Cocokind Impact Foundation

Our mission statement is to provide clean, accessible skincare that empowers women. Today, on International Women’s Day, we are taking another step towards our goal of empowering women through the launch of the Cocokind Impact Foundation.

Through our foundation, we will be providing financial grants of $2,500 to $10,000 to female entrepreneurs in the health, wellness, and sustainability industries.

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What is the Cocokind Impact Foundation?

We’ve designed the Impact Foundation to help women-owned businesses that are too young to have raised institutional capital, but that need capital to get off the ground. We will be providing financial grants of $2,500 to $10,000 to female entrepreneurs in the health, wellness, and sustainability industries. This Foundation is currently solely funded by cocokind.

But that’s not all! In addition to the financial grant, the program will offer:

  1. An initial 1-2 hour face-time coaching session with member(s) of the Cocokind Impact Team! We want to help you plan out executable steps to take once you receive your grant, and offer any help and support that we can. Cocokind started in a small rented kitchen – trust us, we’ve been in your shoes!
  2. A matched Impact Mentor. As we’ve grown, we’ve been lucky enough to add some pretty incredible founders and business leaders to our network. We want to share that network with you! The mentor will be available for four one-hour calls with you for the year after receiving your grant! More on who our Impact Mentors are below.
  3. Features on our website and social media channels! As a cocokind “Woman of Impact,” we want to show you off! Additionally, you and your business will have access to our exclusive PR network.

 

Okay, but am I eligible to apply?

Good question. In order to be considered for a grant through the Cocokind Impact Foundation, you and your company must meet the following requirements (don’t worry, it’s not too hard!)

  • You must be a female-identifying entrepreneur in the health, wellness, and/or sustainability industries.
  • You must be a US resident, and must be 18 years or older.
  • Your business must have a goal to create greater social impact.
  • You must NOT have raised institutional capital yet. This is because we feel many founders are held back by not having the initial capital to launch, or further the stage of their businesses. On top of not having enough financial history to be accepted for a business loan, these obstacles prevent many amazing ideas from succeeding.

What constitutes as “social impact,” you ask?

While businesses approach and define “social impact” in various ways, we are searching for businesses that have a greater social mission rooted in their business model. This may mean that your company is financially supporting social causes directly or indirectly through your core business, or that your business is somehow helping move society forward through the company’s offering or product. Whatever it is that you believe in, we want to hear about it!

Who will be your Impact Mentors if you are selected? 

Every grantee will be matched up with one Impact Mentor in the first year after being selected. All of our mentors have significant experience building businesses. While all of our Impact Mentors are leaders in the wellness space, we’ll match you up with a specific mentor who we believe can have the greatest impact on your business.

Our Impact Mentors are:

 

How will our Women of Impact be selected?

Our selection committee is comprised by the administrative team at cocokind. During each round, the Committee Chair will rotate amongst the team.

The committee reviews all applications submitted on time. The following criteria will be taken into consideration with each application:

  • Demonstrates leadership and innovation in the wellness industry
  • Provides a clear and immediate goal for how the grant will be used to further the business
  • Demonstrates ability to get things done effectively and efficiently
  • Demonstrates a desire to create social impact
  • Demonstrates entrepreneurial and creative problem-solving skills
  • Demonstrates a committed dedication to furthering their business in the long-term

 

What is required of me if I am awarded the grant?

All that we ask is that you help us pay the goodness forward! Again, the whole mission is to help empower women in business.

We will facilitate a one-hour networking call with one other recipient every quarter for you. Our goal is to help you develop a strong network of female entrepreneurs who have supported you and whom you have supported. You’ll be matched up with a fellow grant recipient every quarter by a member of the Cocokind Impact Foundation team!

We will also ask that you submit a one-page business update to us one year after being awarded the grant! We genuinely want to know how and what you’re doing, how our funds helped further your business or social impact, how your mentor has impacted you, or any feedback you may have about the Cocokind Impact Foundation!

 

Sound good? Apply for our grant in this form.

In this form, we’ll be asking you to attach the following files. 

  • Send us a video of yourself (three minutes max, please!) explaining your business and why you think you should be a recipient of our grant.
  • Write a proposal of what you would do with the funds granted. Our grants range from $2,500 to $10,000. Please provide an itemized projection of how you would use that money, or provide as much detail as possible on how you plan to use this. Submitting a detailed breakdown of how you plan to use the funds will help us decide how much we can grant to you.
  • Provide a one-page write-up of your social mission and what impact you hope to have on your greater community.
  • Send a sample of your product (where applicable) to Cocokind at 498 5th Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, ATTN: COCOKIND IMPACT FOUNDATION

When can I apply?

Our first Grant Cycle is now open!

Application window: March 9 – April 30

Review window: May 1 – June 30

Grants Awarded / Recipients Announced: July 2018

Apply here….now (we’re all about action)!

 

We are SO excited to hear about all of your brilliant ideas and business plans! The entire cocokind staff is looking forward to reviewing your applications and playing a tiny part in your success. 

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