March 03, 2026

Dear Student,

Student Life is thrilled to introduce the Participatory Budgeting process to Tufts University, and we want you to be the first to hear about it!

Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process used in many cities that enables community members to directly decide how to allocate a portion of the tax revenue paid by residents and businesses. At Tufts, this year's participatory budgeting pilot program will use this model to have students decide how to allocate $60,000 of the university's budget toward the projects and improvements you choose.

Participatory Budgeting begins with your ideas and ends with your decision. The start of the process is idea generation by you—there are no pre-defined projects to choose from; you set the agenda from the beginning. Then, there will be a vote in April where you will decide which ideas should be funded.

As we kick the project off, you are invited to submit ideas and proposals for how you believe the money should be allocated. We will begin this process at Brainstorming Session 1! It will be March 5 at 7–8:30 p.m. at Eaton Hall Room 260. Brainstorming Session 2 will be March 11 at 4–5:30 p.m. at Eaton Hall Room 260. We hope to see you there with all your great ideas!

Are you interested in Participatory Budgeting, policy, civics, finance, or anything in between? Become a Trustee on FundTheFuture Tufts by filling out this form. We are excited to welcome you to a student-driven, collaborative environment!

We cannot wait to embark on this process with you and are looking forward to hearing your proposals during our inaugural Participatory Budgeting cycle.

Dean of Students Office