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Press Releases
Press Releases
The Civic Engagement Commission Invites New Yorkers to submit ideas for how to spend $3.5M of the city budget
NEW YORK - NEW YORK – It's the third year of The People's Money, New York City's citywide participatory budgeting process, where New Yorkers can submit ideas for projects to address community needs.
NYC Civic Engagement Commission Announces Results of The People's Money Citywide Participating Budgeting Vote
NEW YORK - New York City Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) Chair and Executive Director Dr. Sarah Sayeed today announced the vote results of The People’s Money, New York City’s annual citywide participatory budgeting process. From May 1 through June 16, close to 140,000 New Yorkers voted to select 20 community projects to be funded with $3.5 million in mayoral expense funding. The winning projects address a variety of community priorities, such as youth job training and college preparedness, mental wellness, food access services for older adults and people with disabilities, art programming, and employment readiness for immigrants. The projects will be implemented by community organizations to be selected through a competitive process.
City Hosts Event Celebrating Participatory Democracy And Immigrant Contributions To NYC Civic Life
NEW YORK — The NYC Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) Chair and Executive Director Dr. Sarah Sayeed and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) Commissioner Manuel Castro hosted an event celebrating Immigrant Heritage Month and encouraging people to vote in The People’s Money participatory budgeting process. The People’s Money is an opportunity for all New York City residents 11 and older, regardless of their immigration status, to have a say in how a portion of the city budget is spent. The voting period for the People’s Money process runs from May 1 through June 12.
New York City Civic Engagement Commission Announces Voting Phase of “The People’s Money” Citywide Participatory Budgeting Process
NEW YORK — New York City Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) Chair and Executive Director Dr. Sarah Sayeed today announced the launch of its annual “The People’s Money” voting phase. “The People’s Money” is New York City’s annual citywide participatory budgeting process. Starting today and through June 12th, all New York City residents ages 11 and older, regardless of immigration status, will be able to vote on how to spend $3.5M of mayoral expense funding to address community needs.
Read more about how all New Yorkers 11 and older can vote on how to spend $3.5M of the city budget
Civic Engagement Commission Announces Voter Language Assistance Services for the Presidential Primary
New York – New York City Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) Chair and Executive Director Dr. Sarah Sayeed announced today that the CEC will provide language assistance for citizens with Limited English Proficient (LEP) in 11 languages at 110 poll sites across New York City on select days of the April Presidential Primary. On Election Day, the CEC will provide voter interpretation services at 80 poll sites, while an additional 30 poll sites will receive services on the last two days of the Early Voting period, March 29th and 30th.
Read more about the article Civic Engagement Commission Announces Voter Language Assistance Services for the Presidential Primary
Civic Engagement Commission Announces Implementing Partners for 46 Projects Funded for a Total of $5M in the First Cycle of "The People's Money" Participatory Budgeting Process
New York – New York City Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) announced today a key milestone of "The People's Money," New York City's first-ever citywide participatory budgeting process: 44 community-based organizations will implement 46 expense (non-capital) projects for a total of $5 million from the city budget for Cycle 1 (2022-2023).
Civic Engagement Commission Launches Second Cycle of "The People's Money" Citywide Participatory Budgeting Process
New York City Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) Chair and Executive Director Dr. Sarah Sayeed today announced the launch of a new cycle of "The People's Money" – New York City's citywide participatory budgeting process.
DemocracyNYC, HeadCount, Tony's Chocolonely's Celebrate National Voter Registration Day
Civic Engagement partners host voter registration event in Washington Square Park on Tuesday, September 19th.
Mayor Adams, Civic Engagement Commission Announce Results of "The People's Money," Citywide Participatory Budgeting Vote
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) Chair and Executive Director Dr. Sarah Sayeed today announced the results of "The People's Money" – New York City's first-ever citywide participatory budgeting vote.
DemocracyNYC To Launch $2 Million Voter Education Campaign
New York City Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) Chair and Executive Director Dr. Sarah Sayeed and Chief Democracy Officer Kathleen Daniel today announced a $2 million grassroots "Get Out the Vote" campaign...
Read the DemocracyNYC To Launch $2 Million Voter Education Campaign
Civic Engagement Commission Launches Voting Phase of First-Ever Citywide Participatory Budgeting Process
All New Yorkers 11 and older can now vote on how to spend $5 million of "The People's Money".
New York City Kicks Off Fifth Annual Civics Week
NYC Public Schools (NYCPS), the Mayor's Public Engagement Unit (PEU), the Civic Engagement Commission, and DemocracyNYC today kicked off the fifth annual Civics Week, a celebration of youth voice and civic empowerment, at New Dorp High School in Staten Island.
Read the New York City Kicks Off Fifth Annual Civics Week
Mayor Adams Establishes First-Ever Office of Engagement, Streamlines CIty's Civic Engagement Efforts
New York City Mayor Eric Adams today took efforts to streamline the city's civic engagement efforts by establishing the city's first-ever Office of Engagement and appointing Betsy MacLean as its chief engagement officer.
Mayor Adams, Civic Engagement Commission Announce Launch Of First-Ever Citywide Participatory Budgeting Process
"The People's Money" Empowers New Yorkers to Decide How to Spend $5 million
Read the First-Ever Participatory Budgeting Process
The NYC Civic Engagement Commission (CEC), Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity (TRIE), and Young Men's Initiative (YMI) Release Citywide Participatory Budgeting Vote Results
Over 29,000 New Yorkers Decided on Winning Proposals.
Read the Participatory Budgeting Vote Results press release
The NYC Civic Engagement Commission, Department of Cultural Affairs, The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City and Public Artist in Residence Yazmany Arboleda Roll Out "The People's Festival"
NYC's Civic Engagement Commission - with its first Public Artist in Residence Yazmany Arboleda - is excited to launch The People's Festival, a five borough tour of art, performances, resources, and community engagement from August 20 through September 5.
Read the People's Festival Press Release
The NYC Civic Engagement Commission, Department of Cultural Affairs, and Public Artist in Residence Yazmany Arboleda Roll Out "The People's Bus"
NYC's Civic Engagement Commission - with its first Public Artist in Residence Yazmany Arboleda - is taking democracy to the streets by transforming a retired City bus into a community center on wheels to engage people in NYC's civic life through beauty and joy. This summer, The People's Bus will bring education, arts, and participatory activities into NYC neighborhoods across the five boroughs, beginning with a voter education campaign this weekend.
A new PSA explains how The People's Bus supports the Civic Engagement Commission's mission. (The PSA, photographs, and other creative assets can be found here). All New Yorkers are invited to get involved.
Read the People's Bus press release
Youth Participatory Budgeting (PB) Project: "It's Our Money"
The NYC Civic Engagement Commission, in partnership with the Coro New York Leadership Center's PB Youth Fellowship, today launched "It's our Money," a participatory budgeting project aiming to engage and empower NYC Youth in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, and guide them to decide how to spend $100,000 on projects designed to meet their communities' needs and interests.
Read the PB Youth Project press release
RFI for Neighborhood Coordinators
The Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE) is seeking requests for information (RFI) from community-based organizations or M/WBE certified owned businesses with a commitment to reducing equity gaps for communities of color, helping strengthen neighborhood coalitions, and promoting stronger recovery from COVID-19 by serving as TRIE Neighborhood Coordinators (TNCs). A RFI is accepted on a rolling basis.
Please note: this CBO Invitation letter has been updated as of March 17, 2021 to highlight the coalition's responsibility to share information and connect local residents to City services including mental and behavior health resources in support of COVID-19 recovery. The invitation letter has been updated on June 21, 2021, to highlight additional funds of $40,000 per neighborhood that will be made available to each coalition for a participatory budgeting process to determine program delivery.