NYC Civic Engagement Commission

When you ask the Gen Z comms team to write your script...

Ben's the only diva in the office who could pull this off 😎

#diva #civicengagement #nyc

We're proud to share that our very own Huma Khan was honored at Elmhurst Community Partnership's (ECP) Annual Women's Empowerment Dinner — an evening celebrating women in the community with the ECP Influential Women Awards. The room was filled with powerful, inspiring individuals whose achievements are shaping our city every day. From heartfelt award presentations to an evening full of music, entertainment, delicious food, and dancing, it was a beautiful celebration of leadership, unity, and empowerment.

No need to wait for The People’s Money to get involved in participatory budgeting! If your City Council Member is participating, you can vote in PBNYC through this Sunday, April 19! ⬇️

#TBT to last cycle’s People’s Money Vote! From community ideas to real decisions, New Yorkers showed up to shape how we spent $4 million of the city budget — and made their voices count. It all starts again May 6! Visit the link in our bio or participate.nyc.gov to see the proposals on the ballot!

Happy #ImmigrantHeritageWeek! This week, the Civic Engagement Commission celebrates how immigrant New Yorkers strengthen our city 🗽 From entrepreneurs and small business owners creating local jobs, to nurses and doctors keeping NYC healthy, to teachers and guidance counselors helping educate NYC’s next generation of leaders, immigrant communities are essential to the life and future of New York City. We're proud to recognize and uplift their contributions today and every day.

As we gear up for the Vote phase of #ThePeoplesMoney this spring, we're taking a look at some of the incredible projects that New Yorkers have already brought to life. This episode of last year's "What's in Your Borough?" series features the "Job Training for Young Adults and Adults in Trade Work" project, implemented by Change Food for Good — just one example of what's possible when communities come together to shape real impact. In the coming weeks, we'll be sharing more projects from past cycles as we count down to the vote opening in less than a month on May 6! 🗳️ 🎥 Watch the full episodes highlighting each project on our YouTube channel @nyccec at the link in our bio, and stay tuned for this year's "What's in Your Borough?" series coming this summer!

POV: your friends voted on $1M in neighborhood improvements and you didn't 😭 don't be that person. vote now: rnd.council.nyc.gov/PB_Voting/

In recognition of Earth Day, we're honored to highlight Peggy Shepard, co-founder and executive director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, for this month's Civic Leader Spotlight! Shepard has worked to advance environmental justice in New York City for decades through community organizing, advocacy, and participatory research — centering the voices of those most impacted by environmental harms. Her work reflects the power of engaging residents directly in decisions that affect their health and neighborhoods, which helps build more equitable, responsive, and participatory systems across the city and beyond. Learn more about Peggy and WE ACT for Environmental Justice in our April newsletter — sign up at the link in our bio! 🔗

New Yorkers know their communities best — and when residents have a real say, our city is stronger for it. From NYC to cities around the world, deliberative models like citizens' assemblies are creating more meaningful ways for people to shape the decisions that affect their lives. Join us on April 27 at 6 p.m. EST for a conversation with Peter MacLeod of MASS LBP and Yale University Professor Hélène Landemore on what these models look like in practice — and what they could mean for NYC and beyond — hosted by Columbia World Projects at Columbia University, the NYC Civic Engagement Commission, New America, and FIDE - North America. 📍 The Forum at Columbia University, 601 West 125th St., New York. 📚 Complimentary copies of Democracy's Second Act and Politics Without Politicians available on a first-come, first-served basis! 🔗 RSVP at the link in our bio!

What does it take to turn a community idea into a real project? After New Yorkers help shape which projects move forward through #ThePeoplesMoney, community-based organizations implement them throughout the five boroughs with support and capacity-building workshops from the CEC. Workshops are happening now, helping our partners turn ideas into reality as last cycle's winning projects come to life!

We're proud to share that our Chair and Executive Director, Dr. Sarah Sayeed, was honored for her years of public service and leadership as the CEC Commissioner at a Women's Day commemoration event last month, which celebrated 12 women for their lasting impact and legacy in Williamsburg's Lindsay Park community. Joined by local leaders and elected officials including State Senator Julia Salazar, Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, and City Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez, the event highlighted the power of community-driven change and civic engagement.

🚨 Calling NYC Community-Based Orgs & Public Institutions! 🚨 We are looking for partners to help educate Limited English Proficient (LEP) voters on key voting rights. Apply by April 12, 2026, 11:59 PM at on.nyc.gov/vlarfi ✅Must be a registered 501(c)(3) or public institution ✅ Host in-language info sessions in eligible communities Let’s work together to empower NYC voters!

BIG NEWS 📢 The Civic Engagement Commission is thrilled to announce the ideas selected for #ThePeoplesMoney ballots this cycle! Thousands of New Yorkers submitted ideas for community projects this fall, and randomly selected residents from each borough reviewed, refined, and ultimately chose which proposals would advance to the citywide vote this spring. Now, these projects are one step closer to becoming reality — the winning ideas will be funded through the New York City budget and implemented by community-based organizations across the city. Voting opens May 6! Explore each proposal and read their descriptions at the link in our bio 🔗

🚨 Calling NYC Community-Based Orgs & Public Institutions! 🚨 We are looking for partners to help educate Limited English Proficient (LEP) voters on key voting rights. Apply by April 12, 2026, 11:59 PM at on.nyc.gov/vlarfi ✅ Must be a registered 501(c)(3) or public institution ✅ Host in-language info sessions in eligible communities Let’s work together to empower NYC voters!

What does it mean to be part of a Borough Assembly? Hear from one Bronx Assembly Member as they reflect on their experience and role in #ThePeoplesMoney process.

This past Sunday, CEC staff attended an Interfaith Community Iftar hosted by @apnaservices, where community members from diverse faith backgrounds gathered to break fast together during Ramadan. The evening created space for reflection, learning, and thoughtful conversations, and we were inspired to see such a diverse group come together in the spirit of mutual respect and community connection.

In honor of Women's History Month, we're proud to highlight Somia El-Rowmeim — a Yemeni-American organizer, educator, and fierce advocate for women’s empowerment and civic engagement across New York City — for this month’s Civic Leader Spotlight. Somia is the founder and CEO of the Women’s Empowerment Coalition of NYC (WECNYC), a nonprofit dedicated to advocating for and building solidarity among women. WECNYC is also one of our Project Implementation Partners, bringing the Young Parent Support and Classes People’s Money project to life in Brooklyn this year. From organizing civic engagement opportunities to advocating against the Muslim ban, defending domestic violence survivors, and more, Somia has demonstrated what steadfast, community-rooted leadership looks like in practice. Learn more about Somia and WECNYC in our March newsletter — sign up at the link in our bio! 🔗

Thank you to everyone who braved the rain on Thursday evening to help us launch Pathways to a Successful College Career, our new college prep program for bilingual families in partnership with @NYCCEC as part of The People’s Money - Citywide Participatory Budgeting.