Programs & Initiatives
From research to training to coalition. Our work moves across three integrated tracks.
01
Active
Community Budget Workshops
Four-session evening workshops that walk North Texas residents through the local budget cycle, the language of public finance, and the practical steps to engage in budget hearings and public processes.
Workshops are delivered in English and Spanish, hosted at neighborhood partner sites, and include child care and transportation support to ensure participation is genuinely possible for working residents. Curriculum is grounded in the actual budget documents and timelines of the city or county where the cohort lives — not abstract theory.
| Format | Four 90-minute evening sessions per cohort |
| Audience | Working residents, community organizers, faith and neighborhood leaders |
| Languages | English and Spanish, with translated materials |
| Status | Designing 2026 pilot cohorts in two North Texas neighborhoods |
02
In Development
Plain-Language Budget Guides
Short, accessible written guides that translate the most-searched categories of public spending into language residents and small business owners can actually use to act.
Each guide covers one budget category: workforce training dollars, housing assistance, transit subsidies, small business support, public health funding, child care subsidies. Plain English, mobile-first formatting, full Spanish parity, and direct links to the application processes residents need.
| Target | 20 published guides by end of 2027 |
| Languages | English and Spanish, accessible format compliant |
| Distribution | Online, print at neighborhood partner sites, community workshops |
| Status | Curriculum in development; first guides planned for Q3 2026 |
Community Budget Fellowship
A paid 12-month fellowship that trains and supports North Texas residents to lead local advocacy on the budget priorities their communities surface.
Twenty fellows recruited from underrepresented neighborhoods across Tarrant, Johnson, and Dallas counties commit to a 12-month engagement, complete 30 hours of foundational training, and lead their own community advocacy projects with one-on-one coaching from CBE staff. Each fellow receives a stipend in recognition of their time and expertise. The cohort co-authors a community budget equity agenda at the end of the fellowship.
| Cohort | 20 paid fellows across 5 neighborhoods |
| Duration | 12 months of engagement; 18-month full project arc |
| Stipend | $2,000 per fellow, recognizing community time as real labor |
| Status | Program design complete; pending funding for first cohort |