Blog
The time is now – we must divest from police, and invest in communities
Honestly – we are all feeling tired and heavy. Today, we honor and mourn the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, Sean Reed and other countless Black lives we have lost to racist police violence and murder. We say their names, raise our voices to condemn state sanctioned murder, and we…
Read MoreDreaming through uncertainty: democracy doesn’t pause and neither do you
This past month, contending with COVID-19 and the ensuing shelter in place orders, has stretched and tested us all in many ways. We have felt the limitations of technology, questioned how we can prioritize equity in a virtual world, and moved to support our partners across the country as they come together to adapt. Democracy…
Read MoreOvercoming Barriers to Volunteer Participation
Real money, real power. This is more than a catchphrase, it is a requirement of participatory budgeting (PB). Of course, PB requires one more key ingredient: real people participating and leading the way. Participants from the cycle 7 PBNYC vote. PB is driven largely by volunteers who take on the responsibility, commitment, and power of…
Read MoreThe State of PB During COVID-19
Photo Credit: Alison Boulier 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…
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 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…
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