London is about to get a lot more awesome ? or at least, that?s the goal.
The Awesome Foundation is giving away monthly $1,000 grants to people who come up with awesome plans to improve the community.
The group was founded in Boston in 2009, and has since spread worldwide, but this is its debut in London. The foundation website says $374,000 has been granted thus far by its 61 chapters.
But they?re not giving the money away to just any idea.
?Just crazy, awesome ideas,? explained Chris Moss, an event organizer.
Moss said entries must follow three rules: the money can?t be for personal use, it can?t go to established charities and the application has to be specific.
To decide which London idea is most impressive, a 10-member board of trustees will vote on each application.
Each trustee puts up $100 of his or her own money, she said. There are 40 trustees signed up, and more on a waiting list, each will pay $100 three times a year in hopes of making the grant program sustainable.
?We?re hoping to go forever,? said Moss. ?We have to stay awesome. We want the city to be amazing.?
Shawn Adamsson is a trustee, and his company Rtraction has donated as well. He?s excited about the potential to change London?s culture.
?What I hope it will do is nudge people out the door with their crazy ideas and it doesn?t matter if they work or they fail or what happens to it, but that we try,? he said. ?We don?t have a really great culture of failure in this city. And failure goes with innovation and trying to move things forward.?
Though the Awesome Foundation is new to London, it?s being welcomed by at least one well-established local foundation.
?I think it?s great,? said Martha Powell, president of the London Community Foundation. ?This is a space that?s nice to fill.?
Powell said many groups only offer grants to registered charities, so a project like the Awesome Foundation can help with ideas that normally wouldn?t get funding. She also hopes it will inspire more Londoners to get involved.
?If it engages a younger demographic in giving to their community, then that?s wonderful,? she said.
Deadline for submissions is Jan. 14. The top three candidates will pitch their ideas in person and a winner will be chosen at a public event at Joe Kool?s restaurant, 595 Richmond St., on Jan. 28, said Moss.
All about Awesome
- The Awesome Foundation was founded in 2009
- The group gives out grants to help get awesome ideas off the ground
- Applications can range from clubs and social justice projects to public art and science experiments ? anything ?awesome?
- Though new to London, the group has given out $374,000 to support 374 ideas in 12 countries
- Check out twitter.com/awesomeldn
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Source: http://www.lfpress.com/2013/01/05/the-awesome-foundation-making-its-debut-in-london
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