Awesome Bend, the local chapter of the global nonprofit The Awesome Foundation, announced Monday that it will be accepting applications for its fourth quarterly pitch night. The applicants will have a chance to win a $1,000 grant to make Bend a more awesome place.

Founder Pam Stevenson said each of the three prior pitch nights featured five finalists, and the upcoming one likely will as well. The applicants are narrowed down by a board of 10 trustees who vote on each proposal, Stevenson said. The finalists will each have three minutes to pitch their idea to the trustees. The pitch night has been scheduled for Jan. 19 at Deschutes Brewery & Public House.

While Stevenson said the projects must be completed within three months of the grant being awarded and cannot involve an established charity, the main purpose is that the proposal must help the local community. Applications can be found at www.awesomebend.org, and the deadline to submit them is Jan. 1.

“The definition of awesome rests in the eye of the beholder,” Stevenson said.

The Awesome Foundation has more than 80 local chapters worldwide, and provides small grants for proposals that improve local communities.

—By Stephen Hamway