BUFFALO, N.Y. — You can raise money for local causes with a different kind of pitch competition called "Buffalo Soup".
The event is similar to "soups" in other cities. Just pay what can you can at the door, enjoy a meal of soup and salad, and listen to pitches from three WNY non-profits.
At the end of the night, everyone votes to decide which organization should earn the proceeds from the event.
Co-Founder and 2023 Univerity at Buffalo grad Annabella Bogart says the idea was born out of a class project.
Their first event in the spring raised $655 for Project Mona's House. While that might not sound like a lot of money to some, Bogart says these "micro-funding" events can have a big impact.
“What you see a lot of time is that some organizations have trouble receiving grants, because there are strings attached. They might not have all of the necessary registrations and requirements to get these grants, and so something like $500 can go towards a random project that they needed funding for and just couldn’t receive money for," she said. "So even though $655 might not seem like a lot, the projects that it’s going towards are benefitting the community and could really use that cash.”
Sarah Verwij-Wood, a graduate student in UB's online master of public health program, organized Thursday night's event.
It's happening at Resurgence Brewing on Chicago Street from 5:30 pm until 8:00 pm on Thursday, November 16. The presenting organizations are the Tool Library, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, and the Big, Big, Table Community Café.
For more information and to register, visit the Buffalo Soup website.