A Propos

Awesome Buffalo awards $1000 no-strings-attached cash to projects that make Buffalo more awesome.

Awesome Buffalo isn’t a grant, a foundation, or a non-profit. Cash comes straight from the pockets of our trustees. We give our money to ideas deemed too outrageous, to projects that make people laugh, or something that makes people think in a new way. If you’ve got an unconventional idea that needs some support, you’ve come to the right place.

Once you submit an application, it'll be considered throughout the calendar year. We’ll give out awards typically every other month. If you’re selected as a winner, you’ll hear from us around mid-month.

#BuffaloIsAwesome

Apply For a Grant

What makes a project Awesome?

Here're some loose guidelines to help you understand what we're looking for.

►►Impact: Does it help people? Does it increase happiness in Buffalo? How will you be able to measure its success?

►► Joy and surprise: Does it make people smile?

►►Innovation: Is it a totally new idea?

►► Staying power: Will it stick around after the money is gone?

►►Environmental impact: Needless waste is not awesome.

►►Bigness: Is there potential to reach a lot of people?

►►Value: Will $1000 be able to make your project happen?

►►Local: How will this help the city of Buffalo?

We don’t typically fund:

►► Personal use: We think you’re really awesome, but we can't give you $1000 for a car/vacation/rent payment/home repair/pony

►► Charities and foundations: We’re primarily interested in new ventures and not the continuation of an existing organization. But existing organizations with a specific, creative $1000 project can apply!

►► Promotion: We want to hear all about your awesome idea and how we can help fund its happening, not just its posters.

►► Vague causes: The more specific you are in your application about what you’ll use the money for and why, the more likely we are to fund it! Good luck!

Need some help writing your proposal? We've broken it down into 8 easy steps here!

Participate

Interested in becoming a trustee? Drop us a form here!

Want to put in some cash to make Buffalo even more awesome? Head to Venmo, where we collect donations. Just like us, you can't deduct what you contribute on your taxes, but we appreciate you joining the Awesome movement in Buffalo.

Media Coverage

• Buffalo Business First
• Buffalo Rising
• Buffalo Spree
• Latitude - The 43North Podcast
• News 4, WIVB-TV featuring Feed Buffalo
• Niagara Frontier Publications
• WBFO coverage of Be Awesome Day
• WBFO featuring Rainbows on Allen