What would you do to promote “awesome” in the universe? Not just “cool,” mind you, or even “positive” – both of which I like a lot – but awesome!

Do you have an awesome idea to make the world a better place, but need a little help to get it started?

Ever heard of The Awesome Foundation?

I was listening to WABE-FM, the Atlanta affiliate of NPR, on my way home from Atlanta one night last week, when I heard a story about The Awesome Foundation. Originally started in Boston in 2009 and now spread to chapters all over the world, small groups of people work together to give $1,000 grants to fund small projects to pull off “crazy or brilliant” ideas to promote awesomeness in the world. The funding group claims no ownership for the idea and exerts no control over how it’s carried out. According to the website, one of the foundation’s trustees described their work as giving “a micro-genius grant for flashes of micro-brilliance.” This is micro-philanthropy not just in developing nations, but right in our – your – back yard.

Some things that The Awesome Foundation has funded recently, pulled pretty much at random from the website:

• The Montreal group’s first grant recently went to Bobbi Jo Hart, who has a project called Alley Kids – they plan to use the $1000 grant to promote closer (and more “awesome”) community relationships as people work together to beautify the neighborhood’s alleys for use by children and families. You can read about that project here.
• The DC group funded Code Now, a nonprofit that teaches under-represented high school students basic technology skills. Read about it here.
• The LA group is sponsoring a project to create small farms at urban high schools in LA, to help kids learn about raising food and all that goes with it. Check it out here.
• In London, a grant went to sponsor the People’s Kitchen, which collects just-out-of-date food (there’s a lot of it) from stores. Once a week, the first 20 people to show up uses that food to cook a meal for the first 50-100 people who show up. Why? To promote community. Awesome, no? Look here.

Have an awesome idea and want some help to make it happen? Apply here.

Better yet, have some time and/or a little money that you can pool with a few other people to spread awesomeness through the universe? You can join a group or apply to start your own here.

Those of you who read my work know that I am a huge believer in making small efforts to promote good will in the world. Imagine how excited I got to discover that there are groups of people out there who are banding together to review ideas for spreading awesomeness and actually doing something about it! I’m looking for a few people to join me in starting a chapter, but more importantly I am just excited to think there are ideas out there for promoting positive energy in the world, just a little at a time.

What would you do promote awesomeness in the world?

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead

Les Kertay, Awakened Moments

Related articles

• Have a great idea? The Awesome Foundation might give you $1,000 to make it real (redferret.net)
• Make Washington more awesome through microphilanthropy (digiphile.wordpress.com)
• €1,000 from Awesome Foundation Berlin – Apply by July 10 (thornet.wordpress.com)

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