Participatory Budgeting for Businesses: It Justworks
Last April, Isaac Oates was leaving his local library when a stranger asked him to vote. At first he politely declined, but when the volunteer said it was about the budget and would just take a minute, Isaac took a ballot, and learned about participatory budgeting (PB). Six months later, Oates was leading a PB […]
Welcome back-to-school-PB!
Today’s lesson: How to learn democracy by doing democracy As schools reconvene from summer break, more and more are empowering students to directly decide how to spend a portion of their school budget through participatory budgeting (PB). One of the best ways to teach democracy is by doing real democracy; PB in schools does exactly […]
PBP News: Tools, Trainings, Tactics to rebuild democracy
Get these updates in your inbox: Sign up for our newsletter Summer is a time for getting out of your house and spending time in your neighborhood; participatory budgeting (PB) helps connect your community to make your spaces BETTER. You’re an expert in where you live, and you know what it takes to improve the public […]
Why HUD budgets are vital to rebuilding trust in government
What do youth apprenticeship programs, safe routes to schools, and mobile showers for the homeless community have in common? They all make communities more resilient, more equitable, and more sustainable. They are all eligible to be funded by Community Development Block Grants (CDGB). And they are just some of the many projects directly decided by […]
PB Intro Training – Long Beach, CA – November 19
Are you working to improve your community? Are you looking for new strategies to bring more community voice to the decision-making table? Have you considered Participatory Budgeting? Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process where community members get to directly decide how to spend public dollars. Through PB, community members brainstorm ideas for community improvement projects, develop […]
PB in Hinton, AB: Small Town, Big Ideas
With a population just under 10,000, participatory budgeting has made its way in the town of Hinton, Alberta. Its recent cycle engaged residents to manage $100,000 of the public budget to fund town infrastructure and programs that benefit the community. The office of Mayor Mackin from the Town of Hinton shares lessons learned from adapting […]
One Big Art Project
Residents of Collinwood, OH gathered to show their combined love for the arts and democracy at the “Democracy on the Move Parade”. Floats, costumes and music were the center of attention at the parade that celebrated the Ballot Box Project kickoff. “Ohio’s first PB experience…” was funded by ArtPlace America with a grant of $120,000 […]
Making PB more Inclusive: Lessons from Long Beach
University student at California State University in Long Beach, Jessica Bracho has participated as a budget facilitator for PB Long Beach. Studying Sociology, she worked closely with PB researcher Professor Gary Hytrek who sparked her interest in community development. Jessica shares the valuable lessons learned in making PB inclusive and a great experience for all […]
Beyond Capital Projects: PB funds Basketball & Soccer Program
PB funded an After School Soccer and Basketball program in Vallejo following an amazing collaboration among the Vallejo City Unified District (VCUSD), the City of Vallejo and the Greater Vallejo Recreation District (GVRD). The After-School Sports Program was a PB proposal implemented by the VCUSD where $50,000 was allocated to provide soccer and basketball programs […]
Shaping Democracy through Teamwork
Passionate about amplifying the voice of Greensboro residents, Maddie Reed and Fanta Dorley from Greensboro, NC helped engage many people from all walks of life to improve their community. PB Greensboro launched as the first PB process in the south last year, August 2015, and has since become an engaging outlet for people to have […]
