Headlines and Highlights
Thank You Shari!
Our incredible Co-ED Shari Davis has transitioned from their role at PBP. We’re so thankful for their leadership, their drive, their passion, their imagination, and their commitment to justice and democracy. They have been a fantastic leader and collaborator over the past eight years, and we miss them already!
2023 PB2 Winner
Each year, the Participatory Budgeting Project invites our partners, supporters, and donors to decide how a portion of our budget is spent – it’s our own participatory budgeting process, called PB².
We are excited to announce the winning project from our 2023 PB2 process: Trainings for Young PB Leaders.
The project will create a training “fund” for graphic design, filmmaking or community organizing trainings (or similar) for young people connected to or advocating for a PB process. Young people connected to PB process advocacy who are looking to participate in skill building will be able to apply to the “fund” for resources to learn new skills related to bringing PB to their community.
A huge thanks to everyone who participated in this PB process! We have reserved $20,000 of our organizational budget to implement this project. Next, we plan to take some time to reflect on and review this past year’s PB² process. Read more about the process and results on our PB² results announcement blog.
PB Seeds – New Jersey Cohort
We’re seeding participatory budgeting across New Jersey! With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the PB Seeds – New Jersey program connects and equips leaders and advocates across New Jersey with knowledge, tools, and connections in order to advocate for PB in their communities.
The program will bring together a learning cohort this fall for a 5-week training series on PB to lay the groundwork for success in growing participatory budgeting across the state. We recently closed applications for the learning cohort and are looking forward to gathering with folks soon. Find out more about the program and how you can support.
Los Angeles PB Updates
L.A. REPAIR Vote Results
We are thrilled to announce that the L.A. REPAIR Participatory Budgeting pilot program has successfully closed. The project received overwhelming community participation and engagement and was led by communities of color.
Residents from the nine L.A. REPAIR Zones voiced their priorities and decisions on how $8.5 million dollars in city funding should be allocated to address their communities’ urgent needs. The city council recently authorized implementation of the winning projects. Check out the presentation to the council to recap the process and see the list of winning projects by zone.
PB Launch in LA’s 2nd District
We are also pleased to announce the launch of our first participatory budget pilot program in the 2nd District of Los Angeles. A total of $1 million dollars will be allocated to the Florence-Firestone and Ladera Heights communities. Stay tuned for more updates and ways to get involved in this important project that focuses on the principles of equity, justice, and poverty alleviation.
PB on the Radio
Our Advocacy Manager Anita Dos Santos joined Monday Morning QB on WPFW 89.3 FM, based in Washington, DC, earlier this summer to share how participatory budgeting works and how we can shift democracy into community hands.
PB Budget Delegate Focus Group
Calling all veteran PB budget delegates! The Technical Assistance team at PBP is in the middle of creating new training programs that can help spread PB expertise & boost the capacity of community members, leaders, local groups, and government employees everywhere to run impactful participatory budgeting.
If you are a current or former PB budget delegate, we would love to hear about your experiences and insights on training in PB! Please fill out this form to express your interest in joining a focus group that will test and provide feedback on these new programs.
We are excited to learn from you and build on your wisdom and experience.
New Staff Spotlight
We are excited to welcome Gina Hakim as our 2024-2025 Participation Lab Research Fellow! Gina will be contributing to ongoing research initiatives surrounding historic and emerging participatory budgeting and participatory democracy as well as pursuing independent research focused on Los Angeles.
She is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Irvine. Her dissertation analyzes how Mexican migrants’ experiences in Los Angeles alter and inform environmental practices in their home community in Michoacán. In addition, Gina is a dedicated educator with many years of teaching experience.
Partner Highlights
The NYC Civic Engagement Commission used participatory budgeting to allocate $3.5 million of city funds during the second cycle of their PB process, The People’s Money. Check out the 20 winning projects, which community members voted on in 2024 to improve their communities in NYC.
(Photo credit: Better Budget Alliance)
Our partners at Better Budget Alliance have played a key advocacy role in the establishment of the Boston Office of Participatory Budgeting and implementation of PB in the city named Ideas in Action.
Check out the ideas for submitted during the Idea Collection period, which ended on August 15th
