Visible Voice Fund

Fund Opportunity Overview

Visible Voice Fund was created to help support transformative projects currently being worked on by JumpStart’s Small Business Impact Program Alumni.

Thanks to a generous anonymous donor, we are able to offer this funding opportunity for the seventh year in a row and have over $100,000 to distribute.

The overall amount available this cycle: $100,000+
Applicants can request any amount of funding between $10,000 – $50,000*
- Grants greater than $10,000 will be recoverable – the grant will need to be paid back into the Visible Voice Fund if your business achieves an ambitious revenue amount in the future
- $10,000 grants will not be recoverable – the grant will not have to be paid back.
  - Only businesses with annual revenue in 2023 of less than $100,0000 are eligible for a $10,000 grant.
  - JumpStart will only offer two $10,000 grants this cycle.
Applicants are encouraged to provide additional information about the project or their business by sending supplemental information to [email protected]
Prior Visible Voice grant recipients are not eligible to reapply this year

Ideal applicants demonstrate:

A clear and compelling vision for how to use the funding to grow their business
A history of successfully leveraging JumpStart’s support
A commitment to socially and economically impact the local community

Funding recipients are required to work with an assigned JumpStart advisor post-investment to provide additional support.

To apply for this unique funding offering, please complete the form below.

*Visible Voice Fund was created as a “Pay it Forward” fund intended to replenish itself when Impact Alums achieve significant growth leveraging this funding. When awarded, they are treated like grants until the entrepreneurs meet an agreed-upon revenue threshold (usually 3X current revenue) at which point they start to pay it back into the Visible Voice Fund for future graduates to take advantage of. If the revenue goal is not achieved at any point in the future, then the funding never has to be paid back.

Visible Voice Fund Application

Contact Information

First Name

Last Name

Email

Phone

Company Information

Business Name

Business Address

City

State

Zip

Country

Business Phone

Website

Business Concept

Industry Categorization

How long have you been in business?

Is the business already selling its products or services?

YesNo

How much revenue has your business generated in the last 12 months?

What progress have you made in the last 6 months? (i.e. product development, followers gained, # of customers, revenue, general progress, etc.)

What specific goals do you have for your business over the next 12 months?

How many employees does your business support? Founders are included in this count. Part-time employees can be counted as 0.5

How does your business intend to impact the city of Cleveland over the next 18 months? (i.e. possible headquarters in the city of Cleveland, job creation sales revenue, social impact, environmental sustainability, etc.)

Use Of Funds

Up to a $50,000 maximum grant amount, how much money does your business need?

Is there an alternative amount that can work ?

Please clarify what you would use the money for AND what impact that would have on your business.

For example, "I would purchase equipment and this equipment would allow me to cut my production time by more than half which would give me an extra 8 hours week to focus on marketing & sales. With an extra 8 hours of marketing & sales per week, I estimate that I can conservatively sell to 10 additional customers each month which would be roughly an incremental $1,000 per month in revenue.

What areas of support could JumpStart offer to ensure that you make best use of any funding that you are awarded (i.e. finance, marketing, talent, etc.)?

Roughly, how much outside funding has your business raised in the past? What was the use of those funds? How did the use of those funds impact your business?

Program Agreement

Please feel free to provide any questions/comments you might have about this opportunity.

PLEASE READ BEFORE HITTING THE SUBMIT BUTTON

In order to serve you, JumpStart personnel will need to familiarize themselves with your business and financial status. By agreeing to these terms, you agree to provide JumpStart with the business and financial information necessary to carry out its assessment. JumpStart will treat this information carefully and confidentially, and will share it publicly only when aggregated with other clients (unless you have previously made the information public). As part of JumpStart's normal collaborative work, the organization will share information with its partner organizations only if it believes it will benefit you and your business. Advice and opinions given by JumpStart to you and your company are intended solely for your benefit. JumpStart disclaims and you waive all warranties related to the assistance it provides to you. Neither JumpStart nor its directors, officers or employees shall be liable to you for damages, including, without limitation, loss of profit or business opportunity.