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AWS St. Joseph County Fund

US$250,000 · St. Joseph County, Indiana
The AWS St. Joseph County Fund will help you apply for up to $10,000 to start or expand a community project in St. Joseph County, Indiana. This initiative is part of AWS' long-standing commitment to being a good neighbor by supporting and helping deliver innovative programs that will have a lasting impact in communities where AWS has a presence.

Proven ideas and funding for your community

Join our global community of changemakers by starting a project. You’ll get everything you need to make an impact in your community.

  • £ ¥ $
    Up to US$10,000 in funding per project
  • Expert guides, step by step plans and other resources
  • Advice and support from our team

Eligibility criteria

  • Projects must address at least one of the following themes: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math (S.T.E.A.M.) Education, Sustainability & Environment, Economic Development, Community Revitalization, Food Insecurity or Housing.
  • Projects must take place within St. Joseph County, Indiana
  • If applying for grant(s) totaling more than $5,000, the applicant must be a registered charity in the United States (EIN number will need to be provided)
  • Applicants must be at least 18 years old or have the permission of a guardian to apply for funding

See full terms & conditions.

How it works

If you apply with a proven idea...

  1. Choose an idea from the list below, and apply to create your project page.
  2. Complete a 30 Day Challenge to unlock funding.
  3. Receive the first portion of funding and use it to make your project happen!
  4. Share the impact of your project to unlock the final portion of funding.

Funding is allocated to those who successfully complete the challenge on a first-come, first-served basis.

OR

If you apply with your own project...

  1. Apply by completing our form before the closing date of 8 Nov, 2024 (EST).
  2. Wait for your application to be reviewed. We'll let you know if it was successful by 16 Dec, 2024 (EST).

  3. If successful, complete some simple steps within 30 days before starting your project.
  4. Receive the first portion of funding and use it to make your project happen!
  5. Share your project's impact to unlock the final portion of funding.

Funding is allocated after the closing date, when we review all of the project applications. We'll let you know if your project was successful by 16 Dec, 2024 (EST).

Explore proven ideas

Choose an idea to start in your community. See terms & conditions.
This fund has closed for applications. You can still start ideas without funding, or check for other live funds in your area.
  • Open Orchard

    Organise an Open Orchard to bring people together, provide free fruit to local residents and green our urban environments.

  • Murals for Communities

    Using mural art to build and nurture creative communities

  • Rigamajig

    Rigamajig is a comprehensive system for creative learning designed to foster creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving through hands-on STEAM projects. It engages girls and boys equally, helping address the STEM gender gap. Designed by Cas Holman and featured on Netflix.

  • Community Fridge

    Start a community fridge in your community to share good food that would otherwise go to waste.

  • Community Composting

    Divert your community's food waste from landfill, reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions

  • Playground for Entrepreneurs

    The Playground for Entrepreneurs is a coaching tool that supports coaches and entrepreneurs on their journey to success, in a collaborative way.

  • Repair Café

    Organise a free meeting place in your community to repair things instead of throwing them away.

  • Hour of Code

    Organize an Hour of Code™ and join a global movement introducing tens of millions of students worldwide to computer science.

  • Neighborhood Forest

    Growing the Indoor Forest – Building, Sharing, and Caring for Indoor Plants

  • Little Free Pantry

    A grassroots movement of neighbors feeding neighbors through the creation of little free pantries.

  • Pollinator Partnership

    Invite pollinators to your neighborhood by planting a pollinator friendly habitat in your garden, farm, school, park or just about anywhere!

  • Books for Bright Futures

    Get beautiful Book Dash books to children in your community to bring them joy, support their health and happiness and build their future -- all you have to do is send our book files to a copy shop or printer and they will do the rest!

Frequently asked questions

  • How does the application process work?

    We aim to make the application process as quick and easy as possible.

    • If applying to start a proven idea in your community, you will be asked for details such as the address of your project, and your motivation for starting the project in a short application form. Once you apply you will start the 30 Day Challenge. Funding is allocated to applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. Learn more.

    • If applying with your own project, you will be asked to share a project description, its potential impact, and scope, along with some other details in an application form. We will review your application in the context of the fund criteria and other applications. If it is allocated funding, you will then have to complete one or two very simple steps within 30 days. Learn more.

  • What are the reporting requirements and funding process?

    You are required to share the progress and outcomes of your project with us, the impact data will be shared with our partners.

    Funding is allocated to applicants that start a proven idea on successful completion of the 30 Day Challenge on a first come, first served basis. Applicants who submit their own project will undergo a review by our team before being allocated funding.

    The funding allocated to your project is divided into two payments.

    • If applying to start a proven idea, the first payment (usually 70% of the total funding amount) is unlocked upon successful completion of the 30 Day Challenge. If you do not complete the 30 Day Challenge within the allocated time (30 days from registration) your funding will be reallocated to another group.
    • If applying with your own project, this funding is unlocked once your project has been approved by our Team.
    • The second payment (usually 30% of the total funding amount) will be unlocked after you have completed a brief impact survey and shared a project summary and photos that demonstrate the outcome of your project. This is usually required 2 to 6 months after the first payment, although the timeline may vary and will be highlighted to you throughout the process.
  • What can and can’t funding be used for?

    Funds can be used to cover:

    • Direct costs for the set-up or maintenance of the project, e.g., space rental, insurance fees, seeds and planting materials, tools, training fees.
    • If applying with your own project, some funds may be used to pay those working on the project.

    Funds cannot be used to cover:

    • Cost of work that has already been carried out or anything that is not related to the setup and maintenance of the community project.
    • If applying to start a proven idea, funds may not be used to pay those working on the project.
    • Promotion of religious causes, non-charitable activities, sponsorship, or fundraising events.
    • Promotion of or engagement in criminal acts of violence, terrorism, hate crimes, discrimination based on various grounds, or support of any entity that engages in these activities.
  • How will I receive the funding?

    You must have a bank account to receive funding. Once you’ve successfully completed the required steps within 30 days, you can enter your bank details on the ChangeX website to facilitate the bank transfer through a secure payment provider. ChangeX will then review your application to make sure all elements have been completed successfully before making the payment transfer to your account.

  • How much funding will I get?

    The amount of funding available for your project depends on the idea you choose or the needs of your project. For proven ideas, funding amounts align with the cost of starting each project in your region. The maximum amount of funding available per project is stated in the green box above.

  • How many projects can I apply for?
    • Individuals and informal organisations can apply for and receive funding for one project at a time. You must report back on the impact of any previously funded projects to be able to apply to start a new project. Informal organisations include groups or associations that are not legally registered organisations.

    • Legally registered organisations can apply for and receive funding for up to three different projects at a time, as long as each application and the resulting project is submitted and led by a different member of the organisation's team. If multiple projects will take place at the same location, they must be different.

    • Organisations must be legally registered in the country where they operate, they often include non-profits, schools, libraries, and other legally registered community groups.

    • If you have applied previously and failed the 30 Day Challenge or your project was not selected to receive funding, you are eligible to submit a new application. If you received funding in the past and did not report back on the impact of the project, you are not eligible to apply again.

  • How can I ask for accessibility support?

    If you require any additional support to complete the application process or access resources please contact [email protected] and we will help.

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