Soup, salad, & micro-funding

Several Detroit artists have started what they call “an experiment in micro-funding.”  Once a month they host a public dinner that costs five dollars. During the dinner, several local groups pitch ideas for a creative project they’d like to do.  Diners vote on the proposals and at the end of the night the winning project takes home the money raised from dinner.

Kate Daughdrill  is co-founder of the project, known as SOUP. “We’re really interested in practically supporting different creative projects in the city. But we’re also interested in being some sort of relational hub that brings people together from different creative communities throughout the city.”

They have funded things like a food cart that teaches people how to cook with food found in liquor stores, and a greenhouse project. SOUP happens the first Sunday of every month.