About Us

Making our world more awesome $1,000 at a time.

Overview

Applications are open to all awesome projects in the greater Melbourne area. We are an active chapter which awards a $1,000 grant on the last Tuesday of each month (submissions close 12pm on the Sunday prior).

The Melbourne chapter consists of 10 board members who meet each month to review every submission. Each board member contributes $100 to the winner's grant. So why should ten strangers give you their money?

Please read the information below to give your application the best chance of success.

We love:

• Exciting and kooky projects.
• Exciting and impactful projects that make Melbourne more aewsome.
• Having a "tipping point" of $1000 or less and our grant is what's needed to make it happen.
• Ideas that will be a catalyst to kick-start something bigger.
• When you clearly explain where the money will be spent (Hint: "marketing" or "website" is not specific enough).
• When your story pulls on our heart strings.
• When you include the word "dinosaur" at the beginning of your application to show us you can follow instructions.
• Brief pitches with a weblink and one really good photo.
• When you follow us on social media and help us celebrate awsome projects by linking, commenting on and sharing some of our posts.
• Instagram, Facebook, Twitter / X

We are not so keen on:

• Paying for operating or personal expenses.
• Funding your book, video, blog, website, social media, advertising, etc.
• Giving money to a people who earn a lot more money than we do. We're not rich. We're teachers, retirees, and students.
• Funding projects for an organisation that already has revenues and/or grants of more than $8000 in the past year.
• Long pitches.
• Funding non-Melbourne area projects. If you are from another area, sorry, try your local chapter.
• Grant applications where the applicant has not read or followed this page of guidelines.

After you submit

• Winners will be emailed within 3 business days of the last Tuesday of each month.
• Wheny our project has been completed and the impact is clear, you will send us a short write-up (75-100 words) and photos demonstrating the impact and success of the project, for sharing on this website and social media.
• Money will only be transferred to Australian bank accounts. If you are from overseas, sorry, try your local Awesome Foundation.
• You are welcome to resubmit an application for the same (or a different) project in 3 months.
• If you have won a grant, please wait 12 months before applying again.