Part of the Goodness Festival 2015.

GeroSoup is an innovative event that crowdfunds support for local innovations and ideas. Inspired by SOUP in Detroit, this event will showcase, celebrate and fundraise for community projects and ideas aligned with the Goodness Festival themes.

On one Friday night there will be more than a dozen ideas and projects ‘pitched’. Every person in the room not only hears about great ideas, but can also be their own micro-investor by committing $20, $50, $100 or more to each of these exciting new ventures.

To participate you can:

1. Nominate a project, idea or innovation you want support for using this form We aim to raise between $500 and $2000 for each of the pitches, with the added benefit of exposure to potential volunteers, mentors and further funding.
2. Buy a ticket to enjoy the pitches, dinner (soup and dessert!), late-night Festival Bar and be ready to be tempted to pitch in some additional dollars to some awesome local projects.
3. Be a sponsor by pre-committing a minimum investment of $500 on the night, which you can allocate to any venture.

Purpose:

• Showcase the best of local and guest’s innovations and ideas aligned with the Goodness themes,
• In-person crowdfunding for local ideas and ventures

Audience:

• Local Community organisations that want to pitch for small amounts of funding — $500-$2000
• Funders who want to see a cross-section of the region’s innovations and ideas that they might fund
• Citizens who wouldn’t mind investing a few dollars in some interesting social ventures
• Citizens who just want a good night out with interesting speakers

Format:

• Each pitch / presentation must be 10 minutes in total e.g. 5 min talk + 5 min questions, 5 min pitch + 5 min questions, or 15 minute talk (only for really super-interesting presenters)
• There will be up to 6 pitch sessions, with up to 3 pitches in each session, running in parallel across multiple venues — CityHive, Mercantile Club and and Young’s building. Audience members will have to choose which sessions to attend and won’t be able to attend all.

Notes:

• All participants must purchase a ticket, including those pitching,
• Electronic payment systems will be available on the night to process additional donations,
• We are likely to receive more nominations to do pitches than slots available, and those confirmed will be notified by 6th August and invited to attend compulsory ‘training’ on Wednesday 13th August.

Other ingredients:

• Soup will be served — SJOG Geraldton Hospital
• $$ will be contributed or available as a ‘seed’ e.g. people in the audience who have money to invest on behalf of their organisation, funder or to match what is raised. This guarantees a certain minimum amount that can be raised
• Very charismatic / charming MCs who can really get the audience motivated
• Visual (projector) way to show amount being raised as it is occurring
• On-the-spot payment processing systems e.g. PayPal Here on multiple devices and/or Bendigo EFTPOS and/or cash
• Festival ‘Bar’ as a meeting point for before, during and after all the pitches

Agenda:

• Everyone ‘checks-in’ at the same venue e.g. Festival Bar and are given guide, agenda,
• First presentations occur in a group of 3:
• 1) 30 minutes — A — 10 mins, B — 10 mins, C — 10 mins
• 2) 30 minutes — Those pitching leave the room. Someone (a ‘sponsor’) speaks on behalf of the person pitching, and starts the fundraising. MC encourages people to put up their hand and pitch in $$. Then, after all done, invite those people back into the room.
• Break and changeover — 20 minutes
• Second presentations occur in a group of 3:
• 1) 30 minutes — A — 10 mins, B — 10 mins, C — 10 mins
• 2) 30 minutes — Those pitching leave the room. Someone (a ‘sponsor’) speaks on behalf of the person pitching, and starts the fundraising. MC encourages people to put up their hand and pitch in $$. Then, after all done, invite those people back into the room.
• Post-event drinks at the same venue e.g. Festival Bar.

Tickets costs $16.50 and can be purchased HERE

Who to contact for enquiries: Phone: (08) 9965 5371