Dear Neighbor,

Do you have a couple of hours a month to give to your community?

If so, the New York City Council, the Participatory Budgeting Project, and Community Voices Heard are looking for volunteers with outreach and/or facilitation skills to support Participatory Budgeting in New York City (PBNYC).  This is an excellent opportunity for individuals interested in honing their facilitation and outreach skills, learning more about city government, gaining experience, engaging diverse community members, and contributing to real grassroots democracy.  Click here to watch a short video about participatory budgeting!

PBNYC is a democratic process in which community members in 23 New York City Council districts will directly decide how to allocate over $25 million toward locally-developed projects, proposals, and initiatives in the next budgetary cycle.  The process works as follows:

1.      September and October 2014: Public assemblies in which community members generate initial project ideas.

2.      November 2014 to March 2015: Volunteer budget delegates work in committees (education, parks, public safety, etc.) to develop these initial ideas into full project proposals, including meeting with representatives of city agencies to determine project feasibility.

3.      March 2015: Delegates present these proposals back to the community in Project Expos.

4.      March-April 2015: District residents vote to determine the winners.

Participating Council Members in 2014-15 are:

Andrew Cohen (District 11, Bronx)

Julissa Ferreras (District 21, Queens)

David Greenfield (District 44, Brooklyn)

Corey Johnson (District 3, Manhattan)

Ben Kallos (District 5, Manhattan)

Karen Koslowitz (District 29, Queens)

Brad Lander (District 39, Brooklyn)

Steve Levin (District 33, Brooklyn)

Mark Levine (District 7, Manhattan)

Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito (District 8, Manhattan/Bronx)

Carlos Menchaca (District 38, Brooklyn)

Daneek Miller (District 27, Queens)

Antonio Reynoso (District 34, Brooklyn/Queens)

Donovan Richards (District 31, Queens)

Ydanis Rodriguez (District 10, Manhattan)

Helen Rosenthal (District 6, Manhattan)

Ritchie Torres (District 15, Bronx)

Mark Treyger (District 47, Brooklyn)

Eric Ulrich (District 32, Queens)

Paul Vallone (District 19, Queens)

Jimmy Van Bramer (District 26, Queens)

Mark Weprin (District 23, Queens)

Jumaane Williams (District 45, Brooklyn)

For more information, visit PBNYC on the City Council website.

While there are many ways to be involved in PB, we are currently recruiting people to serve as facilitators of assembly discussions and budget delegate committees and as outreach volunteers in the community.

Roles and Responsibilities

Outreach Organizers:

Outreach organizers will assist with community outreach efforts, especially to engage marginalized and underrepresented communities in PB.  They will work closely with Council Member offices, Community Voices Heard, and local community leaders to increase community awareness and engagement in PB.

Activities include:

·         Canvassing

·         Flyering

·         Phone banking

Assembly Facilitators:

Assembly facilitators will facilitate small group discussions at PBNYC assemblies, to help participants brainstorm project ideas.  They will help create inclusive spaces in which all community members can participate fully.  Assemblies are typically held on weekday evenings, but some targeted assemblies may take place during the day or on weekends.

Activities include:

·         Participate in a facilitator training.

·         Facilitate one small group discussion during 1-2 public assemblies per week, for a period of 4-6 weeks from late September through October.

·         Ensure notes are taken on the project ideas brainstormed during the group.

Delegate Committee Facilitators:

Each Delegate Committee Facilitator will facilitate regular meetings of one budget delegate committee, helping delegates assess and develop projects in a timely fashion.  They will help create inclusive spaces in which all community members can participate fully.  Budget delegate meetings typically take place on weekday evenings.

Activities include:

·         Participate in a facilitator training.

·         Work with one budget delegate committee in a participating district.

·         Participate in occasional facilitator conference calls and meetings, as determined in each district.

·         Facilitate 1-2 delegate meetings per month and ensure that all delegates are able to participate, serving as a neutral force on the committee.

·         Serve as a point of contact for Council Member staff.

·         Coordinate communication within the delegate committee and between the committee and Council Member staff, including note taking and distribution of notes.

·         Connect delegates with info and resources.  Facilitators are not expected to do research on behalf of the committee.

·         Support delegates in researching, assessing and developing proposals

Time Commitment

Outreach Volunteers: Late September - October, 2014 2-4 hours per week during evenings, mornings, and weekends. March - April, 2015 2-4 hours per week during evenings, mornings and weekends.

Assembly Facilitator: Late September-October, 2014, 3-5 hours per week, during the evening.

Delegate Committee Facilitator: Late October 2014-March, 2015, 4-8 hours per week, during the evening.

Desired Qualifications

Flexible schedule (available some weekday evenings and weekends);

Experience with outreach or facilitation;

Willingness to travel to different neighborhoods; and

Interest in community engagement.

How to Apply

If you are interested in joining the PB team, please complete this online form by September 5, 2014.  Should you have any questions about the form or PBNYC in general, please don't hesitate to email pbnyc@council.nyc.gov.

Also, please note that we may not be able to accommodate all district preferences.

We hope you will join us in making participatory budgeting in New York City a huge success!  Please forward widely!

Sincerely,

Office of Correspondence Services

NYC Council

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