Knoxville SOUP kicks off its 2017 season with a return to South Knoxville’s lovely Dara’s Garden for its April 27th dinner. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and presentations start at 6:30 p.m.

Proposals are currently being sought to compete for funding. Knoxville SOUP is a dinner and micro-funding event designed to raise money for creative projects that are proposed, voted on and enacted by members of the community. Applications for a community project proposal can be completed online at KnoxvilleSOUP.org.

The most recent Knoxville SOUP, held October 6th, raised over $500 for the SEEED Inc. for their People in the Garden project. This project kick-started community involvement with their community garden at SEEED, located on Dandridge Avenue in the heart of one of the city’s food deserts, with a parent-child oriented weekend workshop that was open to the community.

The top vote getters are not the only winners however. Past Soup presenters have also seen their projects funded, simply through the platform that Knoxville SOUP provides to get the word out regarding local projects.

The proposal application is simple. Just answer four questions about the project and why the project matters to Knoxville. Project proposals should be submitted online no later than April 20th. Up to four individuals or teams will be selected to present their project at the dinner; they will be notified no later than April 24th. If a project is chosen, the presenters will give a brief four-minute oral presentation and answer a few questions at the dinner. Winners will be invited back to report on the success of their project at future dinners.

Proposals can be for anything that will benefit the community or society in general. Past winning projects have improved parks and greenways, provided funds for an event honoring a legendary sognwriter/labor organizer, purchase of a new treadmill for a Knoxville Community Center, provided startup capital for an organization, and supported other charitable endeavors with a social focus. There are no hard and fast rules to what a proposal should be, only that someone envisions it, asks for it and the diners vote for it.

Doors open at 6 p.m. on April 27th for the dinner at the Dara’s Garden, at 2637 Maryville Pike - in South Knoxville. The evening’s dinner will be provided by Rothchild Catering. Suggested donations of $5 are collected at the door. Proposals will be presented at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner. Diners will have about an hour to eat, share and connect with others while voting for the project they like best. By 8:15, the votes will be tallied and the winning project will be awarded all donations raised at the door.