Case Study: How DigitalFundHub Helped Date My Make-Up Secure a Grant to Scale Its "Safe Beauty" Mission
Client Background
Date My Make-Up is a pioneering beauty-tech startup founded by a woman of color to solve a critical gap in the industry: tracking makeup expiration. Originating from a simple idea in 2010, the company created the first-ever expiration labels for cosmetics, later expanding into an innovative tracking app. Despite its unique “safe beauty” mission and media features, growth was hindered by funding gaps. Seeking to scale its app launch, B2B partnerships, and marketing, the founder turned to DigitalFundHub for grant-writing expertise.
With a potential 20M-user market, the business needed strategic funding to amplify its impact—making it a perfect candidate for the Fearless Fund grant.
DigitalFundHub's Approach
DigitalFundHub crafted a winning strategy for Date My Make-Up by first identifying mission-aligned grants like the Fearless Fund. We highlighted the founder’s innovative solution—expiration labels and a tracking app—while emphasizing the untapped “safe beauty” market. Our proposal wove data (20M potential users) with storytelling, showcasing scalability and social impact.
We structured a clear budget for app development, hiring, and marketing, proving ROI to funders. By aligning Date My Make-Up’s goals with the grant’s focus on women-of-color-led businesses, we secured funding opportunities to accelerate growth.
Our tailored, research-driven approach turns client visions into compelling narratives that unlock funding opportunities.
- Limited funding stalled app development and scaling.
- No prior grant-writing expertise to compete for opportunities.
- Low brand awareness in a niche market (“safe beauty”).
- Founder lacked resources to hire key staff (marketing, customer service).
- Needed to prove scalability to attract investors/grants.
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$20,000 grant opportunity secured
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Proposal positioned the app for completion (launch target: July 2024).
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Projected 1M+ users within a year post-launch.
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Laid groundwork for B2B partnerships (e.g., beauty brand collaborations).
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Enhanced credibility through a competitive grant application process.
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Revenue Growth: Achieved a projected revenue of 441,746 in the first year, with steady growth expected to reach $684,077 by the fifth year.
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Market Penetration: Successfully established a presence in the wedding glassware market, both online and through pop-up shops.
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Customer Satisfaction: Built a loyal customer base through high-quality products and exceptional service.
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Brand Recognition: Increased brand awareness through strategic marketing and participation in bridal expos.
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Operational Efficiency: Streamlined operations to ensure a seamless customer experience, from order placement to delivery.