Awesome Foundation

Overview

The Awesome Foundation gives small, no-strings grants to ideas that make a community better. It is not one organisation handing out money from a central pot: each chapter is autonomous, and a group of volunteers pool their own contributions and pick a recipient, usually monthly. Chapters are mostly tied to a city, though a handful organise around a theme. Anyone can apply, from individuals to established organisations, and the foundation claims no ownership, takes no equity and does not ask for repayment.

Who it's for

It suits someone with a concrete, self-contained idea and a small budget: a neighbourhood project, a public event, a piece of equipment, a printed run of something useful. Because the sums are modest, the strongest applications are ones where a little money changes something soon. Purely personal projects, or existing efforts that would carry on unchanged without the grant, are usually a poor fit. Chapters tend to favour work that benefits their own area.

What you get

The grant is unrestricted cash, which is rare: it can pay for materials, venue hire, printing or a first production run with no reporting attached. Just as valuable is the local contact: the chapter that funds you is a group of people in your city who already understand the idea. Winners also join a public project archive that other chapters read. The amount is small by design; treat it as a first push, not a budget.

How to apply

Choose a chapter, then use its application form. Most ask for a short description of the idea, who it serves, what the money would buy and how much you need; some chapters add their own questions or run a live pitch evening instead of a written review. You may apply to several chapters, but the foundation asks which others you have approached. If you hear nothing after a few months, the usual reading is that the chapter passed, though many keep earlier applications in view.

Timing

Rolling. Applications are accepted continuously, but decisions follow each chapter's own rhythm: most review monthly, and some decide at public pitch events. There is no shared annual deadline. Check the chapter you are applying to for its current schedule and decision practice.

How to stand out

Read the chapter's funded projects first, because each has a personality: some back arts and music, some neighbourhood infrastructure, some a specific theme. Ask for the amount the chapter actually gives. Describe one deliverable with a date, and say what changes for the people involved. If the idea is digital, explain the local component; a global-sounding project with no visible community is the classic rejection. Apply early in the month if review is at month end.

FAQ