What is PB? 

Participatory Budgeting, or PB as it is commonly called, is about expanding the way we do democracy at the local level. It is a community engagement process that encourages citizens to participate in decision-making on how local officials allocate a portion of public funds. 

Citizens participate by submitting proposals for projects they believe will benefit their communities, and then voting for the projects to receive funding. But PB is not only about giving “power to the people.”

If done well, PB can help build trust, improve understanding of local governance, increase civic participation, and strengthen ties within the community.

PB happens in a 3-phase process: