Awesome Bend, a new local chapter of the Awesome Foundation, will award a $1,000 grant to a project proposal that is most likely to make a positive impact in Central Oregon. A group of ten trustees who each donate $100 to form the collective grant will select the winner at a Pitch Night, which will be free and open to the public on April 21, 6-8:30pm at the Deschutes Brewery Tap Room, Bend.
“It’s going to be like Shark Tank for community good,” said Pam Stevenson, who co-founded Awesome Bend with fellow Bend resident LeeAnn Kriegh. “We believe Bend is brimming with leaders, dreamers, artists, inventors, movers and shakers with do-good ideas that can make Bend an even better place to live, work and play. Our mission is to inspire and support those ideas with some money and mentorship to help turn them into reality.”
What Is Awesome Bend?
Awesome Bend is a local chapter of the Awesome Foundation, which has more than 109 chapters worldwide that have given away over $1.4 million.
The guidelines for grant selection include:
1. The project must be feasible and completed within three months of the award.
2. The money cannot be used for personal expenses or general operating expenses for an established charity.
3. Grantees agree to return to the next Pitch Night and tell the community about their project, inspiring future awesomeness.
