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King County Washington home

Participatory budgeting in Unincorporated King County

Participatory budgeting is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. It gives people real power to make real decisions over real money. Since its launch in 2021, King County’s Participatory Budgeting program has invested more than $20 million in projects and programs chosen directly by residents—returning power to the community.

Double Dutch Divas
Members of the Double Dutch Divas celebrate after the Skyway community voted to fund their project in King County's first round of Participatory Budgeting.

2026 Grantmaking process

In 2026, the Participatory Budgeting program puts residents in Skyway/West Hill and White Center/North Highline in charge of deciding how $2.7 million in county funding will be invested directly in the urban unincorporated areas of Skyway/West Hill and White Center/North Highline.

The investments will be made via a community-led grantmaking process designed by a Community Advisory Board of local leaders and residents. This will ensure that funding priorities, proposal guidelines, and decision-making reflect the voices and needs of the community.

The total funding available is:

  • Skyway/West Hill: $1.6 million
  • White Center/North Highline: $1.1 million

Throughout July, the Community Advisory Board has been building the foundation for an equitable and transparent grant-making process. They have…

  • Grounded their work in the core values and principles of participatory budgeting and participatory governance.
  • Developed a clear governance structure and decision-making approach.
  • Formed committees to design key components of the grantmaking process, including the Request for Proposals (RFP), proposal review process, community outreach strategies, and funding recommendations.
  • Begun crafting the tools, policies, and engagement plans that will guide this year’s participatory grantmaking process.

The Community Advisory Board is expected to complete the design phase this summer. The Request for Proposals is expected to open near the end of August 2026, giving eligible organizations and community groups the chance to apply for funding shaped directly by local priorities. Free technical assistance also will be offered.

How it works

  1. Community Advisory Board

    People who live, work, go to school, or worship in—or have strong ties to—the urban unincorporated areas of Skyway and White Center/North Highline co-create the Participatory Grantmaking process.

  2. Community outreach

    Residents are invited to participate through local events, partnerships, outreach campaigns, and community information sessions.

  3. Proposal development

    Community organizations submit proposals that address local needs and priorities with community-driven solutions.

  4. Community review and engagement

    A diverse panel of community members reviews and rates proposals based on impact, feasibility, equity, and community benefit. Community information sessions gather additional community insight, input, and feedback to help inform proposal prioritization.

  5. Proposal prioritization

    Community review panel members incorporate community feedback and proposal ratings to help identify funding recommendations and priority projects.

  6. Award and implementation

    Selected projects are awarded funding and supported through implementation and ongoing program oversight.

Who can participate

Community members, nonprofit organizations, and local groups in King County's unincorporated areas are eligible to propose projects and participate in the voting process. No prior grant experience is required.

Preliminary timeline

  • Community Advisory Board applications open

    Spring 2026

  • Request for proposals open

    August 2026

  • Community review

    Fall 2026

  • Award announcements

    Winter 2026

How to be involved

Submit a proposal. In late summer or early fall, we will open a Request for Proposals. This will be open to community projects, nonprofit organizations, and grassroots group. We will provide free technical assistance for those interested in submitting a proposal.

Become a proposal rater. We will also be recruiting for people to rate proposals and identify the strongest ideas. Raters will be reimbursed for their time.

Learn more and share information with your community. Participatory budgeting works best when more people are involved! We hope you can attend upcoming community meetings and share information about this unique opportunity with your family, friends, neighbors about networks.

About participatory budgeting

Participatory budgeting is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. Since its launch in 2021, King County’s Participatory Budgeting program has invested more than $20 million in projects and programs chosen directly by residents—shifting power closer to the people most impacted.

The purpose of the program is to...

  • Invest public dollars in community-identified priorities and identify funding opportunities through a community led process
  • Center racial equity and community voices
  • Build trust through transparent decision-making
  • Strengthen civic participation in historically underinvested communities

In 2026, the programs will be a Participatory Grantmaking process, developed and implemented by the community. Investments will be made in the urban unincorporated areas of Skyway/West Hill and North Highline/White Center.

Participatory budgeting stories

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