The People’s Money and Participatory Budgeting (PB) (NY) Grant

The People’s Money is a participatory budgeting initiative in NYC that empowers community organizations to implement projects funded by public votes. The NYC Civic Engagement Commission invites 501(c)(3) organizations to apply for funding to enhance local community engagement. With a focus on historically underserved groups, this initiative promotes equitable access to resources, encouraging innovative solutions to local challenges and community needs.

NOTE: The Vote phase for The People's Money 2025 has ended and we are now counting ballots to find out which projects New Yorkers want to see in their borough.
The NYC Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) is looking for partners to implement 20 expense projects that received the most votes in Cycle 2 of The People's Money, NYC’s citywide Participatory Budgeting (PB) process.
The People's Money is an equity-based process that surfaces community needs, promotes democratic engagement, increases community empowerment, and creates a more representative allocation of public funds to address local priorities. Phase 4: Project Implementation empowers organizations to develop and execute community-driven projects that foster civic engagement, address local challenges, and improve quality of life for New Yorkers. See a full list of the winning projects and implementation geographies (note: all projects must be implemented in TRIE neighborhoods designated by the CEC). While there are requirements including where the projects must be implemented and working with local communities on the development of the projects, we are looking to local organizations to build upon the description that was on the PB ballot and creatively envision a project.
The CEC is committed to strengthening the capacity of local community-building efforts to increase resident participation in The People’s Money. This funding opportunity is open to applicants who are registered 501(c)(3) community-based organizations (CBOs).
Applications may be submitted by a single organization or by a coalition of organizations.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants must:Be able to attend an in-person onboarding training.
Have the ability to send at least 1 designated staff person who works on the impact assessment of the project to all 10 in-person M&E workshops.
Be a registered 501-C3 non-profit organization and/or MWBE operating in NYC.
Have a proven track record of successful project implementation.
Demonstrate strong ties to the community and a deep understanding of local needs in the neighborhoods where the project will be implemented.
Be capable of managing the project within the proposed budget and timeline.

Ineligibility

The People’s Money initiative cannot fund any of the following:

• Capital projects
• Endowment funds
• Equipment or furniture purchases (when the cost accounts for the majority of the award funding)
• Fundraising events
• Land purchases
• Payments of debts