Blog
The State of PB During COVID-19
Last week, we had the opportunity to connect virtually with partners, participatory practitioners, and communities leading PB across Canada and the U.S. To date, we have heard from nearly 40 PB practitioners and one thing remains clear: PB matters in this challenging moment. We discussed the impact COVID-19 has had on PB processes across North…
Read MoreParticipatory Budgeting Transforms Schools, Students, and Communities
Real leadership opportunities transform students by giving them the chance to use their voices in meaningful ways. Participatory Budgeting (PB) in schools has proven to be precisely that kind of opportunity for students across the United States. PB is a process that empowers community members by engaging them to decide how to spend part of…
Read MoreSigning off and 5 next steps
Hi friends, This definitely isn’t how I’d planned it. When I announced last year that I’d step down as Co-Executive Director of the Participatory Budgeting Project by April 2020, I wasn’t expecting to align this transition with the biggest global pandemic in a century. But here we are and March 31 will be my last day at PBP,…
Read MoreResilience in the face of uncertainty: PBP’s Coronavirus Response
Resilience in the face of uncertainty We know that your inboxes, social media, and text message threads are inundated with COVID-19 news and updates. We are writing today to let you know we are thinking of you and how we support one another in this moment of uncertainty. PBP stands in deep solidarity with all…
Read MoreWe’re Hiring: Program Associate
Overview The Participatory Budgeting Project (PBP) is seeking a Program Associate to join our award-winning organization. This position will help us directly support thousands of people to participate in real democracy, through participatory budgeting (PB) — a process that has been called “revolutionary civics in action”. You are perfect for this role if you bring…
Read MorePB in Action in Durham, North Carolina
In May 2018, North Carolina launched PB Durham where the Durham City Council allocated $2.4 million out of the $500 million budget for residents 13 years or older to decide upon for use in one-time projects. The Durham City council appointed a 15-member steering committee for PB in the city and hired a team including…
Read MorePBP Awarded for PB Work on Transportation Equity in California
The Participatory Budgeting Project (PBP) has empowered more than 300,000 people by implementing participatory budgeting (PB) to directly decide how to spend almost $240 million in public funds in 17 cities, across a number of different issues affecting local communities. One of these issues is transportation infrastructure. Conventional transportation planning leaves too many communities without…
Read MoreParticipatory Budgeting: An Idea You Should Steal
On December 10th, PBP’s Co-Executive Director, Shari Davis was invited to join a number of problem solvers from across the country to speak at the The Philadelphia Citizen’s 2nd annual Ideas We Should Steal Festival. This festival is an annual full-day convening that brings together the most innovative urban thinkers and global thought leaders together…
Read MoreCelebrating this year’s biggest wins: revitalizing democracy in 2020
Happy Holidays from all of us at PBP! After a busy 2019 launching exciting new projects like Democracy Beyond Elections and PBCan, and working with incredible communities like students in Merced and educators in NYC, we took some time in November, during our staff retreat, to look at the big picture. We want to extend a big thank you…
Read MoreLeadership Change at PBP
Dear PBP supporters, I’m writing to share big news for me and PBP. In April 2020, I’ll step down as Co-Executive Director at PBP and transition out of the organization. My fellow Co-ED Shari Davis will remain as Executive Director. Fifteen years ago, I flew to Brazil to convene a discussion on participatory budgeting (PB)…
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