A Propos

We're all into one thing: seeing good ideas go from idea to completion. Especially the kooky ones.

Overview

Applications are open to all awesome projects in the greater Melbourne area, we are an active chapter which awards a $1000 grant on the last Tuesday of each month (Applications close 12pm on the last Sunday).

The Melbourne chapter consists of 10 board members who meet each month to review every application. Each board member contributes $100 to the winner's grant. This means you're asking strangers to give you money out of their pocket with no strings attached. Keep that in mind as you write your application.

• Winners will be emailed within 3 business days of the last Tuesday of each month.
• Unsuccessful applicants will not receive feedback on their submissions or be notified of the outcome (we are volunteers and simply do not have the capacity, sorry).
• 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.
• For the best chance of success please read and follow the guidelines below.

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

We love:

• Innovative, exciting and unusual ideas.
• Seriously, we're here to fund the ideas that other foundations won't, so weird is great!
• Applications that clearly explain where the money will be spent. (Hint: "marketing" or "website" isn't specific enough.)
• Ideas filled with passion.
• Projects where the grant will be a catalyst to kickstart something truly awesome.
• People who are so dedicated to doing something awesome that they'll read all of the bullet points before applying. Please include the word "dinosaur" at the beginning of your application to show us you're serious.
• Brief pitches. Must fit on 1 A4 page.

We are not so keen on:

• Paying for your rent or living expenses.
• Funding marketing for existing projects.
• Giving money to a project that already has a load of funding; we want to make something happen!
• Funding travel expenses or for "experience"
• Proposals that are not clear what the impact would be of the grant - tell us what SUCCESS looks like.
• Long pitches.

Bonus hint: Our decision often comes down to how well you've answer the question 'How will you use the money?' Please make sure you take some time to be really clear and specific about what the grant would be spent on and what that would achieve.