The Awesome Foundation Expands to Birmingham and opens $1000 Monthly Grant Window

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Dec. 4, 2016 - PRLog -- The Awesome Foundation for the Arts and Sciences is part of an international network of people who find and reward Awesome in the world. The Birmingham chapter was created to celebrate ideas and projects that spread goodness in The Magic City. Every month Awesome chapters award a $1000 grant to a project that impacts their community. To date, Awesome Foundation chapters have given out a wide spectrum of grants, including towards the creation of public artwork, mobile applications or scientific experiments. The organization, founded in Boston in 2009, has grown to over 80 chapters, from Boston to London, to Paris and Nairobi, Kenya.

Like other chapters, Awesome Birmingham will give a $1000 grant each month. The submission window for the inaugural grant will be open through December 20, 2016. The funds will be awarded next year, January 26, 2017 during the chapter's launch event. The monthly $1000 grant is obtained from contributions by the chapter's trustees who make a monthly contribution to fund the award. Trustees also vote on the submissions to determine the winner each month. Proposals are simple: 350 – 1500 words submitted using a simple online application that explains why the project meets the foundation's standard for awesomeness and how the project will immediately impact the city.

"Organized channels sometimes neglect the folks with the greatest need. Red tape and bureaucracy often prevent small artistic, creative, innovative, educational, environmental and other notable projects to go without sponsorship because they are not part of an organized charity or large non-profit organization," said founding trustee, Dr. Dionne Mahaffey.

Mahaffey, a Birmingham native, who lives in Atlanta, launched Awesome Atlanta 3 years ago.  She partnered with local creative and entrepreneur, Max Rykov, to bring the concept to Birmingham.

"I love the fact that Awesome Foundation Chapters do not consider 501c3 status exclusively as the starting point for assessing a project's "awesome quotient," Rykov added.

The Birmingham Chapter's grants will support projects in sciences, arts, civic engagement, media, entertainment … just about anything, if it contributes to making The Magic City, more awesome. The grants can go to groups, individuals, small non-profit organizations, almost any entity.

"We've already identified a few dedicated trustees who have made the conscious choice to foster Awesome out of their own disposable income. We have a few more slots to fill to complete our diverse roster of micro-trustees for the Birmingham Chapter," she concluded.

Marcia Pruitte-Coleman, one of the first trustees to join Awesome Birmingham decided to come on board because of "the fulfillment that comes from being a volunteer agent of positive change in the Birmingham community. It's like getting together with a group of friends each month and agreeing to help launch a great idea or complete an impressive and impactful community initiative, " she said.

Awesome Birmingham's trustees include: Dr. Dionne Mahaffey, Bart Crawford, Apryl Fort Kelly; Bernard Frei, Dee Linson Watson, Marcia Pruitte Coleman, Bruce Lanier, Russ McClinton and Kenya Walton.  The group is seeking one addional trustee.  Max Rykov will serve as the chapter's Dean.  The Trustee obligations are simple, but serious:

•  To be willing to commit no more than $100 per month in the interest of Awesome.
•  To participate in a monthly grant application review session.
•  To play an active role in reviewing grant-applications and collectively deciding who gets them.
• To commit to finding a replacement micro-trustee, if one leaves the board.

About The Awesome Foundation:  The Awesome Foundation for the Arts and Sciences is an ever-growing, worldwide network of people devoted to forwarding the interest of awesomeness in the universe. Created in the long hot summer days of 2009 in Boston, the Foundation distributes a series of monthly $1,000 grants to projects and their creators. The money is pooled together from the coffers of ten or so self-organizing "micro-trustees" and given upfront in cash, check, or gold doubloons. The chapters are organized by a founder and trustees around geographic areas or topics of interest. www.awesomefoundation.org

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