SOUP Participatory Budgeting is a simple way for a community to come together, share food, and decide how to support local ideas that benefit people and the planet.
The practice began in Detroit during a time when money was scarce but people still wanted to create positive change. Someone makes or donates soup, and everyone is invited to gather. The event is open to all, not just those with money. People are welcome to give a small donation if they can, and all the donations go into one shared pot. In some instances, there is additional funding given by local businesses or other funders, which makes the pot bigger.
After eating together, a few pre-selected community members present short pitches for projects that aim to improve the local community: for example, starting a garden, running a repair café, or creating a youth event. At the end of the evening, everyone votes on which project they would most like to support. In the original model, the project with the most votes receives the full pot. In some places, sponsors ensure that all presenters receive something. This process has been adapted in various small ways to meet the specific needs of a community.
You can learn more about Detroit soup in this video to get a better sense of the process and intention of Soup.
The money helps ideas get started - it is the bait, NOT the fish. The real purpose is deeper. SOUP shifts people from being passive consumers to active engaged citizens. It keeps local money circulating locally. It builds trust and connection. Over time, as gatherings happen regularly, people grow more confident in shaping their community together.
SOUP is not just about funding - it is a simple, practical way to practice democracy and collective decision-making in everyday life. The community soup touches on something deep in humankind, that together we are stronger and that sharing resources together is really the basis of society. Within the SOUP event there are no powerful people, just a process where we can really come together and act as a community.
Join the events
During the first week of each month, there is a webinar on a Transition Practice led by a guest facilitator, designed as an interactive workshop to explore a specific approach or tool in depth.
Sharing the Pot: Exploring the SOUP Process of Participatory Budgeting
Thursday, 2nd April at 15:00 - 16:30 UTC
Diving deeper
Additional Resources to learn more about SOUP
- Your Pots, Your Say: Building a regenerative economy through Participatory Budgeting (Shared Future 2025): https://sharedfuturecic.org.uk/your-pots-2025-pb-now-with-added-online-voting/
- Introduction to Green Participatory Budgeting (Shared Future 2025): https://sharedfuturecic.org.uk/resources/briefing-paper-an-introduction-to-green-participatory-budgeting/
- The City that Ended Hunger (Francis Moore Lappe, 2009) https://changeagent.nelrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/The-City-that-Ended-Hunger.pdf
- Detroit Soup, (Episode 1: funded. AOL 2013): https://youtu.be/tXmINnWAGpw
- The Soup Revolution: changing cities over dinner from Detroit to Liverpool (Ian Wylie, Guardian, 2016): ( https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/aug/01/soup-revolution-changing-cities-over-dinner-detroit-liverpool
- Mossley Soup: https://soup.the-vale.co.uk/
- Five step guide to SOUP ( Change X): https://www.changex.org/us/soup/guide
- The contributions of Participatory Budgeting to climate change adaptation and mitigation (Yves Cabannes 2020): https://www.oidp.net/docs/repo/doc792.pdf
Stay engaged
Opportunities to keep connected and learn more
If you are in Scotland, and close to Polmont Community Hub - go and participate in the SOUP event that they are hosting
Follow up with the speakers:
- Kenny - pch773301@gmail.com
- Jez - jez.hall@sharedfuturecic.org.uk
Join the Day of Transition Practice (DoTP)
Happening ALL DAY April 24th (Online) - schedule below - you are welcome to come to just one session, or all, or anywhere in between, as you wish ... : ) ... please help us to spread the word and share this invitation with anyone that you think might be interested!
Support the movement
If you value the work we do and would like to support the amazing communities implementing Transition in their places and the world, please consider making a donation.
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