Our Mission
The Center for Budget Equity works to make sure public dollars reach the communities they were intended to serve. Through research, training, and community capacity building, we equip residents and frontline organizations across North Texas to read public budgets, identify gaps in service, and engage in the decisions that determine where public resources actually reach.
Established 2025
Joshua, Texas
Serving Tarrant · Johnson · Dallas Counties
501(c)(3) Public Charity
Public Spending
Participation Gap
Counties Served
$11.4B
Total annual public spending across North Texas county and municipal budgets — much of it intended for the underserved communities we work with.
3%
Estimated share of working-age residents who participate in any formal public budget process in DFW, by published city engagement reports
3
Tarrant, Johnson, and Dallas counties — our current footprint, with relationships expanding across the eleven-county NTCF region.
01 — Our Approach
Three integrated strategies, grounded in the communities we serve.
Research & Analysis
Community Capacity
Coalition & Policy
Accessible analyses of how public budget decisions affect different communities, with attention to disparities in funding, service delivery, and policy impact.
Training, fellowships, and technical assistance that equip residents and frontline organizations to read public budgets and engage meaningfully in fiscal decisions.
Convening residents, neighborhood organizations, and aligned advocates to advance shared budget priorities through formal policy channels.
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When the budget process is opaque to the people most affected, dollars don't reach the neighborhoods that need them, eligible families don't access the help they qualify for, and structural gaps persist year after year.
CBE Founding Statement · 2025