Grant Process
The grant process is uber-simple. And it follows the same formula every month. You know, because keeping it simple is awesome. Take a read to get the full scoop:
Grant applications are due by 11:59 pm on the 15th of the month when they will be awarded. In other words, if you want to be considered for February’s grant, you must submit your idea by the 15th of February. Submit on the 16th and you’ll be considered for the next month’s grant.
Click the Pitch NOW link at the top of this page to, well, submit your idea.
Once all applications for the month have been received, the Trustees choose their top four ideas. Only those ideas will be considered for the $1,000 grant that month.
The “owners” of top four ideas will be invited to make a pitch to the Trustees on the last Wednesday of the month. You have to be able to make the pitch in order to be considered. You can appoint someone else to pitch for you, but someone MUST participate in the live pitch.
Those who weren’t selected as part of the top four will be notified and invited to re-submit their ideas in future.
An idea can be submitted up to five times before they will no longer be considered.
The live grant event will take place the last Wednesday of every month at 7 pm. The location of the event will be announced on the home page of this site, on our Twitter feed, and on our Facebook page.
The top four will each get four minutes (not a second more!) to pitch their ideas to the Trustees and a live audience. The Trustees then get four minutes to ask questions, followed by four minutes of questions from the audience.
Once the pitches are complete, the Trustees will meet to make their decision.
One winner will walk away with $1,000 cash. Hard cold money. On the spot. Groovy, right?
Grant Events
Giving away $1,000 a month is no fun without a show and some hype, which is why the public is always invited to attend our live and virtual grant events. The events happen on the last Wednesday of the month at 7 pm. The location will be announced on the home page of this site, on our Twitter feed, and on our Facebook page by the 15th of the month. If you’d like to attend, simply show up and bring your awesome cheerleading skills with you.
At every grant event, the top four finalists get the chance to pitch their ideas to a panel of Awesome Trustees and that night someone walks away with $1,000 cash to implement their idea…no strings attached! It’s always an awesome way to spend a Wednesday night, right?!
Pitching Rules For The Top Four
If you’ve been lucky enough to make it to the top four, there are some basic rules you’ll need to follow:
- No visual technology allowed. In other words, no overhead projectors and absolutely no PowerPoint; it makes us yawn.
- Other props (i.e. drawings, music) are allowed and encouraged, provided they don’t take any more than three minutes to set up. That’s all the time we allow between each presenter.
- You’ll get four minutes to deliver the pitch of your life. Exceed that time limit and expect to hear the air horn.
If you haven’t guessed by now, we’re big fans of awesome. Use your four minutes wisely and really show us why you and your idea are awesome!