Participatory budgeting facilitation guide for neighbors

Participatory budgeting lets residents directly decide how to spend a portion of public funds. A clear process keeps the meeting accessible and outcomes transparent. This guide walks through recruiting participants, collecting proposals, voting, and reporting so tabulated budgets reflect the community’s priorities without becoming heated.

Launch with listening

Begin by asking: who wants to participate and what issues matter? Host listening sessions (use literacy circle prompts) to gather themes—parks, transit, safety, small business support. Document the top priorities and use them to frame proposal categories.

Organize the mechanics

Structure the PB cycle:

1. Idea generation: Invite residents to submit ideas through workshops, online forms, or suggestion boxes.
2. Proposal development: Prioritize ideas, research costs, and craft short project summaries with estimated budgets and timelines.
3. Voting: Provide accessible ballots (physical, online) and translation options if needed.
4. Implementation oversight: Publish a tracker showing which proposals advanced and how funds are allocated.

Use clear criteria for eligibility (cost limit, public benefit) and designate volunteers to help research budgets. Document everything in a shared Notion board or command center dashboard so participants see the pipeline.

Educate participants

Before voting, ensure everyone understands:

• How much money is available.
• What a feasible project looks like.
• How voting works (ranked choice, simple majority).

Offer short explainers (links to participatory budgeting resources or this site’s simple tool templates). Keep the tone inclusive and avoid jargon.

Maintain transparency

Publish updates:

• Meeting notes and budgets.
• Vote tallies and rationale for selected projects.
• Implementation status with photos or progress stories.

When participants see the impact, trust grows and more people join next year. Use the community finance loop and community-owned toolkit articles for inspiration on transparent reporting.

Close with reflection

After the first cycle, host a reflection session:

• What surprised us?
• How did the process feel?
• How can we refine the timeline or communication?

Document the lessons in your community literacy or journaling templates to ensure the next cycle runs smoother.

Closing note

Participatory budgeting grows civic power when the facilitation stays organized, transparent, and human. Use listening sessions, clear mechanics, accessible education, and open reporting to keep the process inclusive. When you pair the budget cycle with shared rituals and dashboards, the community shapes its own spending with confidence.