Participatory Budgeting Project
The Participatory Budgeting Project (PBP) is a nonprofit organisation founded in 2009 that has been the primary driver of participatory budgeting (PB) adoption in the United States and Canada. It works with governments, schools, housing authorities, and other institutions to design and run PB processes — where community members directly propose and vote on how to spend a portion of the public budget.
Since its founding, PBP has helped engage over 740,000 people in participatory budgeting processes and facilitated the allocation of more than $400 million in public funds. Its work spans city councils (New York City, Chicago, Boston), school districts, university student governments, and public housing authorities.
PBP's model emphasises equity and inclusion: PB processes are designed to engage residents who are typically excluded from public decision-making, including youth, immigrants, people with low incomes, and communities of colour. Participatory budgeting in New York City, for example, lets any resident aged 11 and over vote — regardless of citizenship status.
Beyond direct implementation, PBP publishes toolkits, research, and case studies, and advocates for PB as a standard feature of public governance.
Links
- Website: participatorybudgeting.org
- Toolkit: participatorybudgeting.org/pb-toolkit