On Friday, February 6, Boss Mares, Inc. will open applications for the charitable organization’s 2026 Business and Education Grant cycle. The grants will fund the dreams of cowgirl entrepreneurs and allow them to call in personalized support where they need it most, providing a targeted leg up in key areas that impact professional success.
In 2024, nine recipients were funded to a tune of $40,000 after the selection committee reviewed 49 applications from 24 states. In 2025, the Boss Mares, Inc. Board approved the committee’s recommendation to fund 12 grants totaling nearly $55,000, more than $15,000 more than the 2024 fund total. The five-member selection committee sorted through the 53 applications, with 14 education grant applicants from eight states and 39 business applicants from 16 states, to make the 2025 awards.
“It’s amazing how fast the financial support from donors and the awareness of the grant program has grown so quickly,” said Patti Colbert, co-founder. “There is an obvious need to support women in agriculture and the Western lifestyle industries, and Boss Mares is doing just that!”
Donor support of the mission was received early on, and especially when Boss Mares, Inc. was officially designated as a charitable non-profit in fall of 2023. While many seek to aid others in the Western industry, charitable status provides tax benefits for supporters of Boss Mares, Inc. Charitable donations will further the Boss Mares, Inc. goal of providing workshops and grants to female business owners and entrepreneurs in the Western industry.
Following her marketing presentation at the 2026 Lead the Herd Workshop, speaker Lorinda Van Newkirk pledged her family’s VNK Investments as a Blue Hen donor, fully funding a $5,000 grant, because she saw the affect the workshop had on participants firsthand. Additionally, she met the five previous recipients in attendance and was moved to be part of the herd.
“I’ve spoken at a lot of events, but [Lead the Herd] was the real deal,” Van Newkirk said. “It’s not about influencers or fake businesses; it’s women trying to find their way and really do it. It is no ‘BS.’ I have told everyone, get involved! It is not smoke and mirrors, it is the real nitty gritty of the hustle and grind we go through as small business owners.”
Applicants can begin the process at bossmaresinc.org/grantapplication. From there, they will answer questions related to their business plan, how they will utilize funds, and more. Guidance for applicants will be available through 2025 Lead the Herd speaker Melanie Scharton’s presentation, which took a deep dive into the practical business formation needs for a new company.
Applications are open through end of March and then will be reviewed by a selection committee. Committee members will carefully evaluate each application to make funding recommendations to the Board of Directors. Applicants are encouraged to take their time and provide as much detail as possible when completing their application. Grants will be awarded beginning in June 2026.
Co-founded by Anna Morrison, PhD, Patti Colbert and Kate Bradley Byars early in 2023, and supported by Board Member Ellen Bell, Boss Mares, Inc., a 501(c)(3), is offering cowgirl entrepreneur empowerment “Lead the Herd” workshops and awarding business and education grants again in 2025. For more information on Boss Mares, Inc., including how you can support or apply for a grant, visit bossmaresinc.org.
Media Contact:
Kate Byars
kate@bossmaresinc.org