Cleveland, OH
2nd Annual Christmas Gifting & Dinner
By Toniqua Walker December 2024Chess Tournament
By Trayvon Porter December 2024Creative Babywearing
By Paula Coggins for Oh Sew Powerful, Inc. December 2024Turning Wheels
By Kenneth Perdue September 2024The Tree of LIfe
By Veronica Robinson September 2024Puentes del Pasado
By Lex Cuevas September 2024Natural Clay Plaster Workshops
By Em Good June 2024Superhero Project Touring Exhibit
By Lisa Kollins June 2024[CodeHers CLE]
By Ella Witalec June 2024Slavic Village Bike Fix-a-thon
By Kate Christian March 2024Cleveland Sews' Community Sew-A-Thon
By Sharie Renee March 2024Reading Rehabilitation
By Heather Hanstein March 2024Every Child Deserves a Good Knight
By Rachel Safick December 2023Rust Belt Linen Project
By Jess Boeke December 2023Sistah-Djiguene: Bridges to Sisterhood
By Marlene Morris December 2023ROAR Initiative
By Lengitu Hovanic September 2023One Set: 10-month School Based Program
By Madena Green September 2023Sophisticleveland Steppers and Drumrow Drumline
By Hudson Lee June 2023A.I.M (Art. In. Mindfulness) Project
By Sirwilliam Cofield June 2023Show Your Colors
By Shannon Scott-Miller June 2023Americans Making Immigrants Safe (AMIS)
By Samantha Ryder March 20233MB AfterSchool
By Faith Lloyd-Smith March 2023Peter Rabbit Project
By Selena Awesome Vicario March 2023KIDShakes: Shakespeare for Families!
By Khaki Hermann December 2022Playroom Restoration for Education
By Lexi Kilcoin December 2022Reflections of Me!
By Margaret Craig December 2022Bridge the Gap Initiative
By Varuni Chopra September 2022Bluestone Court Coalition Mentorship Program
By Emily Holody September 2022Saving Young Women through the Arts
By Angela Douglas September 2022Coit Road Apiary
By Chris Bush June 2022Waterloo Banners
By Sarah Gyorki June 2022Hydroponic Gardening
By Vel Scott June 2022Moble Sensory Bus
By Michael Ingram March 2022Wellness Awareness & Outreach!
By LaToya Logan March 2022POPCE Community Garden Come Back
By Gordon Martin March 2022Clenagers
By Shana Black March 2022ListenCLE - Busking Initiative
By Amanda Nyx December 2021Splash and Friends
By Andre L Morton December 2021Keep the Critters Out Campaign
By Giovanna Mingrone September 2021Yoga Teacher Scholarship
By Alysia McKean September 2021Garden of Life Uplift
By Community Yahoos contact person Odetta Fields June 2021Outdoor Connection Kits & Outside Discovering Me!
By Mary Macias, Footpath Foundation June 2021Tablets, Hotspots, Training for Low Income Seniors
By Tom Hlavin March 2021Art Block
By David Van Horn March 2021Young Leaders Program
By Lavont White December 2020Feed the Soul
By Alesia Corpening December 2020Virtual Opening of Cozad Bates House
By Restore Cleveland Hope September 2020Let's Stop Gang Violence in Cleveland Ohio
By Laron Douglas September 2020The Nandily Tea Lounge
By Rachel Clark June 2020ALIEN CSI 21st Century STEM Experience
By Organic Connects, Inc. June 2020Microgrid Engineers of Tomorrow Network or MET Net
By Philip Hewitt March 2020A bee-utiful and egg-cellent urban farm
By Kyla Werlin, Program Coordinator, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants Cleveland Field Office March 2020BRSH: B. Riley Sober House.
By Rafael (Tony) Correa December 2019Donté's Gift Express
By Donté Gibbs December 2019I'M ALIVE YOU BASTARDS AND I ALWAYS WILL BE
By Casey Venema and Colin Anderson (Nightbloom Theatre Company) September 2019Motogo Mobile Shop Class
By Molly Vaughan September 2019Building Furniture to Build Futures
By Anthony DiPiero June 2019Delivering joy through recycled flowers
By Sue Buddenbaum June 2019About Us
Recent press about our local chapter: https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/01/kindland-grassroots-micro-philanthropy-big-impacts-propel-awesome-foundation-cleveland.html
Interested in becoming a Trustee? Contact Allison Lukacsy-Love (alukacsy@gmail.com)
Submit an application, below, before 11:59pm on March 1, 2025 to be considered for the next grant cycle. (We will award three (3) $1,000 grants within 3 weeks of the above deadline. We have more Trustees than ever before and as of September 2024, we've awarded $55,000 to awesome projects - how cool is that?!
This chapter of the Awesome Foundation began four years ago in spring 2019 and awards quarterly $1,000 no-strings-attached cash to projects and programs that bring maximum awesomeness to Cleveland, Ohio (projects outside of Cuyahoga County are discouraged).
Check out the list of projects that we have funded on our chapter website to get a better sense of the scope and diversity of the "shovel-ready," creative, and totally awesome projects that have already bettered the lives of the residents of Cuyahoga County, Ohio. In each case, the prospective grantee convinced us that an infusion of $1000 would make a significant & immediate impact. Our grantees have used the money to buy things like industrial flower coolers, gloves and garbage bags for cleaning up parks, an accessible commode, lumber for building bee houses, etc...but not for publishing a book or paying their rent.
…..more TIPS for applying to our chapter: - include PHOTOS! - Keeping the money local is our priority! Make sure your project is in Cuyahoga County and benefits others (ie, if you are looking for cash to open a for-profit business or fund your own salary, this is not the grant for you). - Think about the impact: is it sustainable? Will our gift be distinguishable amongst your other funders? Will our funds launch your project or be the last dollars in to make your idea a reality? - Be creative and specific - we love projects that stand out in a sea of 50+ applications each cycle and with so much to read, the best contenders for funds have succinct and specific plans to spend the cash. Tell us exactly what you will do with the funds and when. Details count!
Awesome Cleveland isn’t a foundation or a non-profit. Cash comes straight from the pockets of our passionate trustees and directly into the hands of the dreamers and doers making our community awesome. The definition of "Awesome" is left open-ended on purpose but it amounts to that intangible combination of social impact and fun. If you’ve got an innovative idea that needs support, you’ve come to the right place.
WHAT WE FUND: We fund real projects and programs that will make a real impact on the lives of those in the Greater Cleveland area.
WHAT WE DO NOT FUND: We do not fund programs that do not specifically impact those living in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. While we appreciate the good work you’re trying to do, please do not apply for funding in any of those cases. And we DO NOT FUND FOR-PROFIT BUSINESSES.
OUR PROCESS: The trustees meet during the second week of the last month of each quarter (March, June, September, December). Directly after, we vote, announce the winner, and hand over the money! We take you at your word that you’ll finish the project within a few months time. Keep us in the loop along the way. Even if you don't get a grant, our volunteer Trustees strive to connect you with people or organizations who share your interests and pursuits. We occasionally plan ‘Awesome Happy Hours’ so stay tuned to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/awesomeCLE) for updates. We want everyone to know #ClevelandIsAwesome
Meet the Trustees
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Allison Lukacsy-Love
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Steven Aviram
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Caroline Barni
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Jennifer Bivens
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Elise Braverman-Plotkin
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Joanne Brown
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Carrie Ann Campbell
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Noelle Celeste
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Katy Corrigan
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Marc Ehrenreich
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Sharon Fagin
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Matt and Alyson Fieldman
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Alyson Fieldman
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Adrian Griffin
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Doc Harrill
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Amanda Horner
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Jen Jones Donatelli
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Phil Kidd
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Luke Kim
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Leah Kubiak
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Kevin Leeson
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Cathi Lehn
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Laura Lewis
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Linda Longvillle
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Paul Longvillle
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Stephen Love
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Bridget McHugh
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Marilyn McHugh
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Christine McIntosh
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Scott Muscatello
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Scott Nogi
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Judy Payne
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Amanda Savitt
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Kristen Trolio
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Pam Turos
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Tara Vanta