Building Our City Budget

  • Made By CUP With:
  • Community Partners
  • Tags:
  • Democracy,
  • Education,
  • Money

A guide that explains how New Yorkers can advocate for change for their communities through New York City's annual budget process.

Participants at a workshop discuss different strategies to push City Council to fund the things they want to see in schools.

The budget decides how much money goes to different public services and resources that New Yorkers need like schools, trash pick-ups, and libraries. The budget should align with community needs but often, the budget prioritizes the interests of the Mayor and other elected officials.

Communities can come together to build power and pressure decisionmakers to fund the things our city needs. But first, people need to understand the different parts of the budget, who makes decisions about it, and when the best times to get involved is.

That’s why Teachers Unite teamed up with CUP and designer Noah Jodice to create Building Our City Budget. The guide breaks down the steps of the budget process, the different drafts the Mayor shares on the budget, and which individuals hold the most decision-making power throughout the process. Building Our City Budget folds open to a poster that shows when people can take action and which points are critical to getting your voice heard.

Building Our City Budget launched at a workshop for Teachers Unite members, students, and parents. The workshops, led by students and teachers, will train school community members on how the budget process works and plan how to take collective action during budget season. Teachers Unite will also distribute the guide through their coalition partners and grassroots network of school community members across the city fighting to end the school-to-prison pipeline.

The project team receiving feedback from community members on a page of an early design draft.
The project team reviews a draft and leaves feedback at a meeting.

Check out the Project

The cover and poster spread of Building Our City Budget

Download a Free Copy

Click here to download

Project Collaborators

Community Partner

Teachers Unite

Charlotte Pope

Designer

Noah Jodice


Special Thanks

Tayeba Akter, Hillary Ashraf, Madeline Borrelli, Quadira Coles, Jennifer Finn, Nicole Hamilton, Rasheedah Harris, Connie Lin, Shaktii Mann, Ileana Mendez-Peñate, Crystal Reyes, Omari Soulfinger, Tajh Sutton, Bella Week, Julie Wu, and Chauncy Young

Product Details

8″ × 11″ color pamphlet; unfolds to 22″ × 32″ poster

Funding Support

Support for this project was provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

General support for CUP’s programs is provided in part by the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, Lily Auchincloss Foundation, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.