What is the Participatory Budgeting process?

Citywide Participatory Budgeting (PB) is a multi-step process wherein residents of New York City come together in the autumn to propose projects that they would like to see implemented in their community. Borough Action Committees (BACs) convene in the winter to narrow down these project ideas into a final list, which is voted on by the community residents in the spring. The projects that receive the most votes are implemented in the following year, and community organizations are then chosen to implement the winning projects through a competitive proposal process.

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How is CIANA involved?

The final list of projects compiled by the BACs from the previous year’s cycle in 2022 was voted on by community members in the spring of 2023. The projects on the ballot that won the most votes were shared publicly in the autumn. Organizations were invited to propose to implement them, and in November 2023, CIANA submitted a proposal to implement one of the winning projects. CIANA was selected in December 2023 to implement Digital Safety Workshops for Families in Corona, Queens. 

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How can I get involved?

In the Autumn of 2023, CIANA hosted three idea generation sessions where clients and volunteers were invited to discuss community concerns in Astoria, and to brainstorm ideas to help address them. The three projects were submitted as part of other generated ideas citywide. The BACS will narrow down all the proposed ideas into one final ballot to be voted on from May 1 through June 12, 2024. Anyone aged 11 and up who lives in NYC can vote, regardless of immigration status. Winning projects will be implemented in 2025.