SOUP

Project Summary Why does this project matter to your local community? How will the grant funding help realise your project? What is the time frame? How could you share your progress/outcome at an upcoming SOUP?

Project Plan

Current situation What is the problem you want to address? Your Project What do you offer? How do people benefit? Is your project unique? Customers/Clients Who does your project benefit? Marketing/Outreach How will you market your project? To who? What do you need to make this project work? Resources, networks, staff/volunteers, location etc. Actions What does your project entail to make this work? An event/entertainment? Outcome How do you measure if your event was a success? Has it done what you intended/reached your target audience? What benefits has it brought as a result? Project expense What will the money be spent on? How much will this cost? Could you get it for free? Project revenue

Project Plan Breakdown

Current Situation What are you trying to achieve/is the problem your trying to solve? Why is it important that you achieve/solve this problem? What happens if you don’t achieve/solve this problem?

Your Project How does your project achieve/solve the problem? How do people benefit? What makes your project unique? – Done before? – Effectivness – Accessibility – High performance – Low cost

Customer/Clients What will your project achieve? If there is a problem, who is affected by the problem and by your solution? Does it affect specific people or everyone? If specifically, tell us about the people you want to benefit – Age – Gender – Income – Education level – Geography – Health

Marketing How will you market your project? To who? – Think about how you will reach your target audience. Where are they most likely to read/hear about your event? What will you need; – Flyers, posters etc. Where/how can you get these? – Who do you need to involve? – Local media – Social media

What do you need to make this project work? Think about who you know and what they could add Money – What could you get for free Where will your project take place? Branding What other resources you need? – Computers, printers etc. Staff – Volunteers – Paid staff

Action What action will you be taking to make this work? What will you actually do? Will you: – Solve problems? – Deliver goods or services? – Build community?

Outcome How do you measure if your event was a success? Has it done what you intended/reached your target audience? What benefits has it brought as a result? What has it changed? If it wasn’t a success, why not? Make sure you log everything!

Project Expenses What will the money be spent on? How will you prioritise your expenses? How much will this cost? Running costs – Up front or ongoing? Could you get it for free?

Project Revenue How will the SOUP grant help? – Is it enough? If not where will the rest come from? How will you get a constant flow of money if needed? From the event/activity you put on? Projected revenue

Helpful tips for a successful pitch Short and sweet If we can't understand your concept in a short time span, then why will your target audience understand it. Facts, not fiction Facts always give confidence to the audience and investors. Knowing your project inside and out shows you know and understand what you are doing. Be sensible Excite people will your idea, but be reasonable and responsible. Ambition is great, but avoid making over- projections or no-one will take you seriously. Be cheap Understand your expenses. Being cheap is great. Ask yourself ‘what can I get for free?’. Who do you know that could help you out? Rome wasn't built in a day. Make sure you have a senisble time scale for your project and don’t bite off more than you can chew. Can you demonstrate how your business will work? Have you tried it out? Know your limits Don’t pretend to know something you don’t, people can tell. Don’t worry, at SOUP you will meet the right people to help your idea – it’s not all about the money as meeting new people can prove vital!

Storytelling from Detroit

Detroit Storytelling You only have a few minutes to appeal to strangers for their money! How can you do it? What a good story can do – Connect with your audience – Make your idea memorable – Evoke empathy – Motivate action What a story can’t do – Make a bad idea seem good – Create your idea for you

Questions Your Story Should Answer Who is the story about? – Give the audience a person, idea, a thing it can relate to What problem is your main character is facing? – Communicate the facts through a compelling narrative Where do you fit in? – Why do you care? This allows you to establish trust with the audience and prove your ability to tackle the problem What can we do to help fix the problem? – Create a sense of shared purpose with the audience: we’re in this together – Help the audience understand what they’re contributing besides money: “It’s not $5 I’m asking from you, it’s a bucket of paint, a box of pencils, wood to build fences, etc. What's the resolution? – Outputs and Outcomes – And they lived happily ever after…

GOOD LUCK!