NYC Wants Your Ideas: Help Decide Where City Money Goes
NYC’s The People’s Money opens its 2026 idea submission period. Learn how to propose community projects before the November 18 deadline.
New Yorkers have a new opportunity to put their neighborhood priorities forward—and help shape how part of the city’s budget is spent.
NYC’s The People’s Money 2026 cycle opened its idea submission period on October 14. Residents can propose community projects through November 18, either online or at an Idea Generation Workshop.
The opening marks the beginning of a longer process that will move from suggestions to project development and a public vote.
What Is The People’s Money?
The People’s Money is New York City’s citywide participatory budgeting initiative, administered by the Civic Engagement Commission.
It gives residents a role in deciding how a portion of public funding can support their communities. The process welcomes participation from New Yorkers, including young people and immigrants.
The current stage focuses on gathering ideas. Submitting a suggestion does not mean it has been selected or funded; it introduces that proposal into a process with additional steps.
For residents, the immediate opportunity is to describe a community need and suggest a practical response.
How to Submit a Community Project Idea
New Yorkers can contribute through the city’s Participate NYC platform at participate.nyc.gov or attend an Idea Generation Workshop.
Online participants should review the submission instructions. The platform uses NYC.ID accounts for participation.
Before submitting, it can help to think through three questions: What problem would the project address? Who would benefit? What would the proposed activity actually do?
A clear explanation gives other participants something specific to consider. For example, describing the people a service would reach and the support it would provide is more useful than simply asking for a neighborhood to receive greater attention.
Any proposal should also be checked against the program’s rules.
What Happens After the November 18 Deadline?
The published schedule sets out several stages.
Following the autumn idea collection period, borough assemblies are planned for winter 2027, with a public vote in spring 2027. Project implementation is scheduled for fall 2027 through fall 2028.
Those dates show why this is a longer-term participation opportunity. The opening of submissions is the first step toward projects that may eventually receive support.
Residents who contribute an idea can continue following the process as proposals develop and the ballot takes shape.
Why Neighborhood Knowledge Matters
People who use local services regularly often notice needs that are difficult to capture in a broad description of city life.
A parent may recognize a gap in activities available to families. A young person may have a different perspective on opportunities in their neighborhood. Someone helping an older relative navigate services may identify another challenge.
These perspectives can make proposals more concrete. The strongest starting point is an experience that can be explained clearly and connected to a wider community need.
Participation also creates an opportunity to hear how other residents understand the same problem.
The First Deadline Is November 18
New Yorkers interested in contributing have until November 18, 2026, to submit ideas during this stage.
The next step is straightforward: review the official guidance, identify a community priority and explain a possible project in practical terms.
A suggestion is not a funding guarantee. It is an opportunity to put a neighborhood’s needs into a process designed to give residents a voice in public spending.
