Press Release

Civic Engagement Commission celebrates a year of participation, community leadership, and trust-building in democracy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 31, 2025

CONTACT:  publicaffairs@civicengagement.nyc.gov 

NEW YORK — As the Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) concludes its sixth year, we are proud to announce our accomplishments, as included in our 2025 Annual Report. Across all programs, the CEC engaged over 150,000 people to meaningfully participate in New York City civic life. This year, the Commission successfully launched its fourth cycle of The People’s Money, one of the largest citywide participatory budgeting processes in the world. We also continued to advance language access for voters through our Voter Language Assistance program, supported community boards with training to build their civic leadership skills, and partnered with trusted community institutions to meet New Yorkers where they are — sustaining our investment in building trust in local democracy and engaging New Yorkers across all five boroughs in shaping the future of their neighborhoods. 

Over the past year, the CEC funded more than 80 organizations, and collaborated with libraries, schools, older adult centers, and more, to bring civic engagement opportunities directly into neighborhoods throughout New York City. With our partners, we engaged 9,586 New Yorkers through 502 Idea Generation Workshops, creating accessible spaces for residents to learn about the city budget and share ideas for The People’s Money.

Interest in civic leadership also surged. Applications to serve on Borough Assemblies — civic bodies made up of residents from each borough that review and refine the proposals from Idea Generation — increased by 200 percent, growing from 500 applications in the previous cycle to 1,500 applications in the 2025 fiscal year. This growth reflects a rising desire among New Yorkers to engage in participatory budgeting and take an active role in local decision-making through The People’s Money.

Voting for The People’s Money process also saw a significant amount of engagement, with over 131,000 New Yorkers casting ballots citywide. To ensure broad and equitable participation, the CEC and its partners hosted more than 180 public voting events and placed over 120 ballot boxes across the five boroughs. Among these CEC’s partners were all three of New York City’s public library systems — the New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library. Through ballot boxes and table-top QR codes, residents were able to vote at over 100 library branches citywide, further integrating civic participation into trusted public spaces. Of the ballots cast, 112,946 were in-person paper ballots and 18,581 were digital, underscoring the importance of meeting New Yorkers where they’re at by offering multiple modes of participation.  

Resident participation in The People’s Money also led to city investments in neighborhoods and community programs. The 20 projects implemented in the last year reached 7,069 people, with 2,364 individuals directly receiving resources and more than 900 receiving one-on-one support or case management. These projects generated 542 community events and workshops, strengthening local networks and addressing community-identified needs.

The Commission also continued to reduce barriers to participation through its Voter Language Assistance Program. During the November general election, 2,237 voters requested and received interpreter support to cast their votes. By providing interpretation services in 12 languages at poll sites across the city, the program helped ensure that limited English proficient New Yorkers could fully exercise their right to vote.

Capacity-building also remained a core focus of the Commission’s work. During the 2025 fiscal year, the CEC hosted 26 trainings for community board members, supporting local leaders with the tools, resources, and knowledge needed to effectively serve their communities and strengthen neighborhood governance. Additionally, the CEC provided capacity-building workshops for its Project Implementation Partners to strengthen their ability to assess and communicate the impact of their projects. These workshops also led to the development of the “What’s in Your Borough?” video series launched this summer, which showcases the real solutions and neighborhood impact of the People’s Money projects in each borough.

As the year comes to a close, the Civic Engagement Commission remains committed to expanding access to democracy, deepening community partnerships, and supporting and uplifting New Yorkers as active participants in civic life. The achievements of 2025 reflect the collective efforts of community partners, civic leaders, and residents who continue to show that democracy thrives when it is inclusive, participatory, and rooted in community trust.

“The hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who are participating in our programs are changing the story of civic engagement in our city,” said CEC Chair and Executive Director Dr. Sarah Sayeed. “The voters who overcome their language barriers by using interpreters during elections, the community board members who attend our trainings, residents who vote in The People’s Money, and non-profit partners who convene iIdea generation sessions, civics and voter education workshops, each of them is declaring their commitment to building their civic impact and the democratic fabric of New York City. We thank them for their initiative, resilience, and the choices they made to build a city that champions accessibility, civic capacity, collective well-being, and community care.”