Project Stomper energizes fundraising and jobs

On one hand, you have the traditional nonprofit way of raising dollars: fundraisers and grants. On the other hand, you have The Geek Group, an organization that typically can be expected to "zig" when everyone else  "zags."

Their latest creation, born in their lab on the west side of Grand Rapids, goes by the name of Project Stomper. It is unique on several levels.

First, it is amazing science. A high-energy electrical impulse generator that holds a charge of 6,000 volts when discharged sends over 100,000 amperes flowing through a work coil. But to what end?

When this impulse is applied to a quarter, the result is a shrunken coin roughly the size as a dime, but with the same weight as the original quarter. In the words of Chris Boden, founder of The Geek Group, you can now have "a lightening bolt in your pocket."

Boden is using this science lesson as part of larger project: Small Change, Big Difference. 

The shrunken quarters are sold online in commemorative packaging for $25.   "This is going to build our endowment" says Boden. "We can't rely solely on foundations to keep The Geek Group sustainable."

Project Stomper also is a job creator. Boden has hired around 11 individuals to shrink the quarters (known as "quarter crushers") and to package and sell the distinct reshaped coins.

To learn more about Project Stomper, you can view a video by clicking here.  To purchase the commemorative package, you can visit The Geek Group's website here.

Source: Chris Boden, The Geek Group
Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor