Participatory Budgeting
Community Voting
Participatory Budgeting
What is Participatory Budgeting:
Participatory Budgeting (PB) has been applied to thousands of budgets in the U.S. and around the globe, including city, county, state, and federal budgets; discretionary funds of elected officials; and school, school district, and university budgets and non-profits organizations. As a democratic process that gives community members direct control over how public funds are spent, Beth-El Center has adopted PB as part of its commitment to self-governance, with nearly 60% of guests participating in 2026.
Key Steps:
Designing the Process
Brainstorming Ideas
Developing Proposals
Funding Winning Projects
Evaluating the Process
2026 Proposals
The Winning Proposal:
Expand Emergency Shelter Overflow
Output:
$10,000 to Increase BEC Staffing Capacity
& Increase Emergency Shelter Beds
Proposal 1: Wi-Fi Enhancements
Proposal 2: Expand Overflow
Proposal 3: Getting Work and Keeping Work
Proposal 4: Increase Storage
Proposal 5: Expand Transportation
Proposal 6: Dignity Laundry
Ongoing Participatory Budgeting Programming:
Participatory Meal Planning
Public Art - Classes & the Development of a Public Art Installation Location