Linda Peavy, the owner and CEO of LiPav Consulting, LLC, has vowed to provide 23,000 Black groups with free online grant training. Her company has received over $17 million in grants and business development funds and believes that too many minority groups, particularly for-profits, are passing up free money.
COVID-19 and the George Floyd incident resulted in grant monies for black organizations that were previously unheard of. COVID-19 led thousands of small enterprises to lay off staff or close their doors entirely. According to a Forbes report, Black small company owners were particularly vulnerable due to a lack of financial assets and acquired wealth. Foundations and huge corporations took note and started developing free grant tools for Black-owned businesses.
The George Floyd event had an impact on funding as well. Many organizations and corporations began contributing cash to help solve racial inequities in America, especially in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion. “More grant opportunities are available for black-owned organizations now than in the 15 years I have written grants,” Peavy says. I want to help level the playing field by teaching black-owned businesses and black-led charities how to conduct research, prepare grant proposals, and secure funding. I hope to provide free training to 23,000 black-owned businesses in order to educate them on financing opportunities and show them a route to increased financial stability through free grants.”
Many small businesses rely on grants to stay afloat but cannot afford to engage a professional grant writer. As a result, Linda founded the LiPav Writing Academy in 2019 to teach grant writing skills to businesses in need. “Millions of dollars in free grant funds are available to organizations whether they are a start-up, scaling, or operating with an all-volunteer staff,” according to Peavy. Giving from foundations will exceed $90 billion by 2021. It is vital to demonstrate vision, strategy, and impact.”
Peavy also sells items such as an in-depth grant writing course and the Million Dollar Grant Roadmap, a $5 resource that details the exact processes she took to earn millions in donations.