The Participatory Budgeting Project (PBP) was just selected to receive the first Brown Democracy Medal from Penn State University!The medal celebrates the best practical innovation that is advancing democracy in the United States and around the globe.

“We are deeply honored to receive the Brown Democracy Medal, in recognition of our work to give thousands of people real power over real money,” said Josh Lerner, Executive Director of PBP. “In just a few years, we have shown how a small non-profit organization can bring together hundreds of partners to build a new model for local democracy.”

According to John Gastil, director of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy, “The Participatory Budgeting Project exemplifies the essential features the award committee was looking for in its inaugural recipient. Political and economic inequality is part of the American national discussion, and participatory budgeting helps empower marginalized groups that do not normally take part in a process that is so critical for democratic life.”