Meet neighbors, fund community-based ideas at Cincinnati SOUP

The Cincinnati Human Relations Commission hosted its first Cincinnati SOUP event last month and awarded $132 dollars to Elevate Walnut Hills, which is a coalition of individuals working to ensure engagement and knowledge throughout the community’s revitalization efforts.
 
SOUP is a model based on something done in Detroit, where individuals join together over a potluck dinner to bond and share ideas, which they then vote on and fund something they care about by combining small donations.
 
“We were interested in how this initiative that was started by four or five people became a citywide movement that’s literally led to the funding of dozens of projects,” says Christina Brown, CHRC’s community outreach and engagement coordinator. “It’s a way to find unique projects that individuals can literally pay for themselves within their communities.”
 
The CHRC plans to host SOUP events bi-monthly to give individuals opportunities to find ways to fuel creativity and make a real difference within the City of Cincinnati.
 
And the best part, according to Brown, is that anyone can get involved.
 
“It can be startup funding. If you want to start a dads and donuts club where you have dads come together and give donuts to kids, you don’t need a nonprofit for that, but they need money to purchase the donuts,” Brown says. “You don’t have to be affiliated with a 501c3. You can just be a concerned citizen.” 

Do Good:

• Keep up with the CHRC website so you know when the next Cincinnati SOUP event will take place. Plan to attend or potentially present your idea.

• Get to know your neighbors.

• Like the CHRC's page on Facebook.

By Brittany York

Brittany York is a professor of English composition at the University of Cincinnati and a project manager for Charitable Words. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.