With 2021 almost here, we’re looking ahead to new ways that we can solve global challenges together. We accomplished and learned a lot this year, and we’re excited to continue building global resources, power, and support for participatory democracy next year!

Over the past two months, our members, boards, and staff defined our goals and spending for 2021, through a participatory planning process. We’re thrilled to share the results of their final vote below. Please let us know if you’d like to collaborate on these plans. Or help support them by making an end of year donation.

GOALS

1. Make new and diverse participatory democracy resources more accessible.

Produce two new reports or guides on key challenges of participatory democracy, such as digital participation platforms and national participation laws.
Synthesize complex information on participatory democracy impacts and best practices into more accessible formats, by producing eight new info sheets on People Powered University course topics.
Connect practitioners with more useful resources in diverse languages, by compiling and sharing an additional 100 resources in our online resource center, the majority in languages other than English.

2. Build the power of participatory governance reformers through focused training and peer support.

Offer eight new online courses and seminars through People Powered University, on topics such as climate assemblies, inclusion, and impact evaluation.
Enable more people to launch and improve participatory democracy programs, by providing mentorship to 80 government and community leaders through the Rising Stars mentorship program.
Share innovative practices and research findings through eight peer learning workshops led by member organizations and board members.

3. Expand support for participatory democracy.

Expand international support by partnering on two campaigns or initiatives with other international organizations working on issues prioritized by members and boards.
Expand national support by providing guidance and support for governance reform workshops, reports, and coalition building, starting with a pilot in Kenya.

In addition to these programmatic goals, we’ll be hard at work behind the scenes building People Powered’s communications, fundraising, and operations systems, so that we can better support our members and partners around the world!

SPENDING PROJECTS

Our members, boards, and staff developed and prioritized specific spending projects to advance our goals. Below are the five top priority projects, totaling $90,000, that we commit to funding. See the full vote results below. If we raise additional funds, we will implement additional priority projects.

Produce an interactive online guide on digital participation platforms, to help governments and organizations more effectively engage people online. ($25,000)
Monthly peer learning workshops led by member organizations & board members, to share innovative practices and research findings. ($25,000)
More People Powered University online courses on priority issues. ($15,000)
Expand mentorship program beyond PB, providing stipends for mentors in other participatory practices, such as citizen assemblies, participatory planning, and legislative theatre. ($10,000)
Organize 4 research seminars and accompanying blog posts to disseminate and promote research findings. ($15,000)

We can’t wait to get started on these plans, which wouldn’t be possible without our dozens of member organizations, board members, and staff around the world, and financial support from the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Ford Foundation. Will you join them, to fund more of the projects prioritized by our global community?

Donate to help grow our work

We look forward to working with you in 2021!

People Powered staff and boards

VOTE RESULTS

   
    Project
    Votes 
  
    RESOURCES: Produce an interactive online guide on digital participation platforms, to help governments and organizations more effectively engage people online. ($25,000)
    25
  
    CAPACITY-BUILDING: Monthly peer learning workshops led by member organizations and board members, to share innovative practices and research findings. ($25,000)
    24
  
    CAPACITY-BUILDING: More People Powered University online courses on priority issues. ($15,000)
    21
  
    CAPACITY-BUILDING: Expand mentorship program beyond PB, providing stipends for mentors in other participatory practices, such as citizen assemblies, participatory planning, and legislative theatre. ($10,000)
    20
  
    COMMUNICATIONS: Organize 4 research seminars and accompanying blog posts to disseminate and promote research findings. ($15,000)
    19
  
    RESOURCES: Produce an initial version of a PB Playbook, an interactive online guide to help implementers make informed choices about process design. ($25,000)
    17
  
    ADVOCACY: Build partnerships with other global networks and organizations working on participatory democracy. ($15,000)
    16
  
    ADVOCACY: Build partnerships with regional networks and organizations working on participatory democracy. ($15,000)
    15
  
    CAPACITY-BUILDING: Expand mentorship program in underrepresented regions, funding member organizations or partners to do additional outreach and mentoring in regions such as Asia and Latin America. ($10,000)
    14
  
    RESOURCES: Compile additional existing resources from underrepresented regions and languages (besides English, Spanish, and Portuguese). ($5,000)
    13
  
    COMMUNICATIONS: Produce a short video introducing and making the case for participatory democracy, targeted at politicians and government officials. ($25,000)
    13
  
    RESOURCES: Produce a report on National PB Laws, to guide policymakers to make better laws for supporting PB in their own countries. ($25,000)
    12
  
    CAPACITY-BUILDING: Professional trainings for member organizations and boards on key needs, such as advocacy, fundraising, data. ($15,000)
    11
  
    ADVOCACY: Build partnerships with social movement organizations in the Global South who are not working on participatory democracy but are interested in using it to address priority issues, such as climate change and sustainable development goals. ($15,000)
    11
  
    MANAGEMENT & GOVERNANCE: Document, deepen, and promote People Powered’s participatory planning & decision-making processes. ($10,000)
    10
  
    MANAGEMENT & GOVERNANCE: Use a digital participation platform to better support ongoing participation of members and boards in decision-making. ($15,000)
    9
  
    RESOURCES: Compile additional existing resources on priority issues. ($5,000)
    7
  
    COMMUNICATIONS: Launch focused marketing & communication in non-English languages. ($10,000)
    6
  
    COMMUNICATIONS: Publish 3 external articles for broader audiences to raise the profile of our work together. ($10,000)
    5

News

Our Plans for 2021