Grant foundation seeks ‘awesome’ project ideas

Tracey Stott Kelley, a real estate agent from Kailua, admits she’s been using the word "awesome" a little too much these days. But she’s hoping it will be cropping up in more conversations around town as word of the Awesome Foundation Oahu spreads.

The foundation, which is active in 30 cities across North America, Europe and Australia, was founded in Boston in 2009 to empower ordinary people to improve their communities $1,000 at a time. Projects to receive funding have included school farms, murals painted by professional artists and kids, a documentary film, and the design of a stronger surfboard made from broken boards to reduce pollutants.

Kelley heard about the foundation on a public radio report and felt compelled to start a local chapter that so far has 11 trustees, all women. Each trustee commits to donating a set amount of cash each month to reach the $1,000 goal.

The group is looking for "awesome" projects on Oahu that are useful to the community, make an impact by helping other people or create a better environment.

"We hope that some grants will be smaller, some will be frivolous, and others a stepping stone toward something larger," Kelley said.

The local chapter will provide its first grant in April and applications have already been submitted, she said. The money is awarded with no strings attached.

"We are looking for projects that are creative and as far-reaching as possible," said Joyce McCarthy, one of the trustees. She said she decided to join the group to help "inspire people to be creative."

"The concept has a ripple effect. People get excited that they have the power to do something," said McCarthy, a Kailua resident who works as an assistant director in film and television.

"I’m also excited to meet monthly with a group of 10 other people," she added.

The members of the local group range in age from the early 30s to early 60s. "We are an eclectic group with all sorts of expertise," Kelley said.

When choosing trustees, diversity was important, she explained. "We all like different things. We don’t want to keep funding the same projects each month."

Other trustees are Andi Fujii, a stay-at-home mom; Brenda Jensen, a professor and associate dean at Hawaii Pacific University; Carolyn Thibault, a tennis instructor; Diana Hirsch, a nutritional coach; Keri Shepherd, branch manager of Prospect Mortgage; Laura Phillipson, owner of Sand People; Melissa McGuire, a real estate agent; Suzy Churchill, a community volunteer; and Tanya D’Avanzo, a clinical neuropsychologist. Volunteers for the organization, Donna Ambrose, Tara Boone and Lokahi Valentine, assist with the website and other tasks, but do not vote on grant winners.

There’s no age requirement for submitting a proposal for an Awesome grant, and Kelley said she hopes kids will submit their ideas.

The straightforward application takes about 15 minutes to complete, she said. Projects not chosen for the initial grants will be kept on file for further consideration.

» To apply for grants, awesomefoundationoahu.com

» For more information, awesomefoundation.org