Boston - 8/1/2009
The Big Hammock was the first application to sway the Boston trustees to award a $1000 Awesome Grant. An enormous 33 foot long hammock on a self-supporting steel frame was located in a Boston park offering swinging good times to the public. Six years later, it is woven through Awesome lore, and continues to be regarded as one of the best projects. Since then, chapter after chapter has been roped in the world over to suspend boring notions of urban life, and distribute Awesome across the globe.
Orlando - 12/1/2013
Distance Music was designed to take advantage of the delay caused by the speed of sound over distance by placing sound sources far away from the audience. Members of the audience walked around a lake, while a series of air hornes and brass bands played music at different points. The music an audience member heard was dependent on which sounds reached them first.
Boston - 3/1/2011
This project provides a sticker to modify the International Symbol of Access, the standard white-on-blue image of a person in a wheelchair, to show a person being more active. It has gained so much popularity, that it is now part of the permanent collection in the Museum of Modern Art.
NYC - 4/1/2013
On most days of the year, you pass by your fellow pedestrians without noticing them, but on Nametag Day, you'll have a chance to break the ice with total strangers. Volunteers stand at certain corners, give out nametags and encourage people to say hi to anyone else with a nametag during the day. What started as an Awesome Grant in NYC back in 2014 has now spread to other cities in the US and to Brazil.
Ottawa - 2/1/2014
#PopScope is short for Pop Up Telescope, and they have instigated a rash of public astronomy viewings across North America. When neighbours kept on asking to see through the founders' telescope, they wondered what would happen if they gave the same opportunity to people across the city. The intial Ottawa award was followed by Awesome grants in Baltimore and Philadelphia for their own #PopScope chapters.
Liverpool - 11/1/2014
What happens when you hide money in pink envelopes all over a city? The city of Liverpool found out, with a campaign called Awesome Fivers. Designed to encourage social sharing, the envelopes contained a £5 bill and a note asking recipients to share the awesome story with 10 people they know. The project has since been replicated in many other cities.
Washington DC - 8/1/2011
Who would turn down a chance to re-enact the famous Indiana Jones scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark? Thanks to this Awesome Grant, some lucky people got that chance, complete with giant rock and swinging on ropes.
Portland - 8/1/2013
Recipients of this Awesome grant placed four pianos in public spaces around the city. In addition to inviting the public to play them, concerts were organized around each piano over a two week period. At the end of the summer, the pianos were presented to students that could not afford their own instrument, as well as community spaces.
YEREVAN - 2/1/2015
A project to bring together strangers in Armenia by inviting people in public spaces to share in some traditional tea. The stories told in these sessions get shared on Facebook for other people to experience. Tea With Strangers intends to bring the experience to other cities in Armenia and Artsakh and help erase borders.
Read about more awesome projects
There are thousands more awesome projects our chapters have funded. Check them out!

Apply for an Awesome Grant!

What would you do with $1,000? We want to fund projects that delight people and spark discussion or that attempt something important in a new way. We fund beginners, small projects and experimenters with a dream or scheme. How can you use $1,000 to make your community or the world more Awesome?

The application is short (we promise!) and will be submitted to your local chapter. Please check out your local chapter's page for more details.

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Join a Local Chapter

Want to support local Awesome happening in your community? We're always looking for passionate folks to join our growing band of Awesome as micro-trustees. Be a part of an amazing network, and support members of your community in spreading their whimsy and delight!

Most chapters meet once a month or every other month. Each chapter is independently run and has its own flavor, so check out your local chapter's page to get a feel for your local Awesome. If you're interested, please reach out to your local Dean for more info!

Find your chapter

Start a New Chapter

You just found out that The Awesome Foundation exists, and are super excited to get involved, and the nearest chapter is... a million miles away. Why not start your own local chapter? The chapter founders who take this on are generally interested in building community and rallying people around a cause. You'll need to get 9 other micro-trustees on board, and the rest is easy! We'll help set you up and be thrilled to welcome you as the newest chapter of Awesome.

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