NYC Civic Engagement Commission Launches Fifth Cycle of Citywide Participatory Budgeting, Inviting New Yorkers to Propose How to Spend $4 Million of the City Budget

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 15, 2026
CONTACT:  publicaffairs@civicengagement.nyc.gov  

NEW YORK – The Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) yesterday announced the launch of the fifth cycle of The People's Money, New York City's citywide participatory budgeting process that gives New Yorkers a direct role in deciding how to spend $4 million of the City budget. From October 14 through November 18, 2026, residents can submit ideas for community projects online at participate.nyc.gov or in person at Idea Generation Workshops taking place across the city.

“The beginning of this Idea Generation phase marks the launch of our 5th Cycle of The People's Money, which is to date the only institutionalized citywide co-governance process that begins and ends with New Yorkers’ voices,” said Director of The People’s Money Hillary Carelli-Donnell. “This initiative increases transparency about government spending and builds bridges between communities and their government through a resident driven planning and resource allocation process. We're excited for another year of working with an amazing group of grass-roots community-based partners to bring this process to New Yorkers.”

“The People’s Money Idea Generation phase brings out thousands of New Yorkers to gather with neighbors, learn about the city budget, talk about local challenges, and put forward concrete solutions. They discuss the problems that hit hard including affordability and lack of access to necessities and services. Here, they decide how to move the needle, through solutions that are impactful and doable. Here, the people take charge of telling government how to spend city funding, for programs and services that they name as priorities,” said CEC Chair and Executive Director Dr. Sarah Sayeed. “In Idea Generation, residents are the problem-solving experts, and we trust their knowledge and experience. This process is rooted in community, and strengthens our city’s democracy. We look forward to seeing you at a workshop in your borough!”

“Five years since launching, The People’s Money continues to combine civic power and financial access to make our neighbors’ vision for their community a reality,” said Chief Service Officer at NYC Service Laura Rog. “NYC Service is proud to partner with the Civic Engagement Commission to build pathways to engagement, and we are thrilled to continue supporting generations of civic leaders throughout the five boroughs.”

“For five years, the New York City Civic Engagement Commission has worked closely with nonprofit partners to lead workshops and gather feedback from communities across the city,”  said Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Nonprofit Services (MONS) Annie Minguez. “As Executive Director of MONS, I know firsthand the vital role community-based organizations play in ensuring that the needs of communities impacted by systemic racism inform our city’s budget priorities. I am proud to support the Commission’s efforts to strengthen these partnerships and to give nonprofits and New Yorkers a voice in proposing solutions that center the needs of their neighborhoods.”

Each cycle of The People’s Money takes place in four phases and takes two years to complete. Idea Generation, Borough Assemblies, and Voting take place in the first year, followed by Project Implementation the following year.

• Phase 1: Idea Generation
  • October 14, 2026 to November 18, 2026: New Yorkers submit ideas online or in person for projects that address community needs.
• Phase 2: Borough Assemblies
  • January 23, 2027 to February 21, 2027: Randomly selected residents participate in Borough Assemblies to review submitted ideas and evaluate them against equity criteria to determine which ideas advance to each borough’s ballot.
• Phase 3: Voting
  • May 7, 2027 to June 20, 2027: All New Yorkers ages 11 and up, regardless of immigration status, can vote online or in person at voting sites across the city to select the ideas they want to become real projects.
• Phase 4: Project Implementation
  • December 2027 to December 2028: The ideas receiving the most votes are funded through the New York City Expense Budget and implemented by community-based organizations across the five boroughs.

This cycle, 74 community-based partner organizations will host Idea Generation Workshops throughout the city, creating opportunities for New Yorkers to participate in person and connect with organizations they know and trust. These partners will engage residents through their existing community networks and coalition partners, helping New Yorkers learn about the process, discuss community needs, and develop ideas together.

“At TCIONY/TAG, we’ve built spaces and businesses where young people and families can feel connected, supported, and heard. Through those relationships, we hear firsthand what our neighbors need and the ideas they have to strengthen our community. To us, civic engagement means making sure those conversations lead to opportunities for people to help shape the decisions that affect their lives,” said Program Director at The Community Initiative of NY (TCIONY) Teaching A Generation (TAG) Janet Cohen. “We’re excited to partner with the Civic Engagement Commission through The People’s Money and help the people we serve take an active role in deciding how resources are invested in their neighborhoods.”

Outreach efforts will focus on engaging New Yorkers who have historically been underrepresented in democratic processes, including targeted partnerships with organizations in 33 priority neighborhoods identified by the Taskforce for Racial Inclusion and Equity. 32 of this year’s 74 partner organizations are TRIE Partners working in these neighborhoods, while 42 are People’s Money Partners engaging residents through their community networks. Together, these organizations will also help reach the CEC’s priority populations, including New Yorkers with limited English proficiency, youth, veterans, people with disabilities, immigrants, NYCHA residents, older adults, the faith-based community, the LGBTQIA+ community, and justice-impacted residents.

“Harlem has never lacked ideas. What they've lacked is the space and support to make them real. Idea Generation workshops give our community exactly that, and when you invest in people's ideas, you invest in the whole neighborhood,” said Founder and Executive Director of New Harlem Renaissance, Inc. Dr. Omar Thompson.
“Most people have never been shown how the city budget actually works. In these workshops, participants learn where the money goes, how decisions get made, and how their voice fits into that process. Once they understand it, they come in with confidence and purpose, and their ideas become real proposals for their community,” said Program Coordinator at New Harlem Renaissance, Inc. Serita Wright.

During the fourth cycle of The People’s Money last year, 89% of Idea Generation Workshop participants that filled out a post-event survey found the facilitation of the Workshops to be very or extremely effective and 85% of respondents found the education on City budget allocation and participatory budgeting very or extremely effective. Thousands of residents across the city participated in Idea Generation and ultimately submitted over 2,000 ideas in fall 2025. During the vote in spring 2026, 134,418 New Yorkers cast ballots to select the winning ideas for the fourth cycle. The CEC is now beginning the Project Implementation phase for Cycle 4 — it is currently accepting applications for community-based organizations to implement the projects selected by New Yorkers through a Request for Information.

More information about The People’s Money process and the fourth cycle is available in the CEC’s 2026 Annual Report.

Updates on Idea Generation and the rest of The People’s Money cycle will be shared on participate.nyc.gov and on social media @nyccec.