Nassau, The Bahamas
An invitation to invest in Bahamian women.
Educational scholarships, entrepreneurship grants, and mentorship for women and young Bahamians, investing in people the way others invested in us.
The Bahamian paradox
Bahamian women outperform on every funding metric, yet access far less capital.
$1.74
in sales generated per $1 of funding by Bahamian women-owned businesses, versus $1.68 for men
92%
financing approval rate for Bahamian women, versus 85% for men
42%
less capital accessed by women on average, the gap this Foundation exists to close
Source: Bahamas Small Business Development Centre economic impact data, cited by the Inter-American Development Bank, reported December 2024.
The global evidence is settled
Investing in women is among the highest-return investments a society can make.
$12 trillion
in potential global GDP gains if women's economic equality advances (McKinsey Global Institute modelling).
up to 90%
of their income women reinvest in family and community, versus 30 to 40 percent for men. Every award compounds.
12%
higher earnings for each additional year of a woman's schooling, outpacing the return for men (World Bank).
Sources: McKinsey Global Institute, The Power of Parity; widely cited UN and development-agency estimates; World Bank, Returns to Schooling.
Why The Bahamas needs this now
The barriers are documented. The instrument is proven. What is missing is capital.
20.9%
youth unemployment, nearly double the national rate. Early capital and credentials change trajectories.
2 in 3
women-led firms across the Caribbean report financing as a major obstacle, citing collateral demands and rates.
17.2%
poverty in the southern Family Islands, about five points above the national average, where the Family Island Grant invests.
Sources: Bahamas National Statistical Institute Labour Force Survey, Q1 2025; IDB and Compete Caribbean firm surveys.
This cycle's grants
Six entrepreneurship grants of $1,000 and three education scholarships of $5,000.
Beyond My Field Grant
Women 18 and over
For women building a business in a male-dominated industry: construction, technology, transport, maritime, energy, fishing, landscaping, and the like.
View & apply →Junior Start Grant
Ages 15 to 18
A first step for young entrepreneurs aged 15 to 18, with guardian consent and a simple business concept.
View & apply →Second Start Business Grant
Women 40 and over
For women aged 40 and over building a new chapter, turning a life transition into a business.
View & apply →“Everything I have achieved in life is because people invested in me. When others pour into you, there comes a time when you must pour into others.”
Senator the Honourable Latrae Rahming · Founder
The founder personally funds the entire inaugural cycle of $21,000. Not one partner dollar is needed to keep this promise. Every partner dollar creates additional awards.