City of Cambridge Announces Increased Investment and Launch of 10th Participatory Budgeting Process
Participatory Budgeting (PB) is a democratic process that empowers community members to help decide how to spend part of a public budget. The City will allocate a record-high $2 million for this year’s process, which doubles the previous budget of $1 million. The PB outreach team will be collecting ideas from the Cambridge community through direct outreach in public spaces and at public events Sept. 11-Oct. 9, 2023.
Community Benefits Funding
The Community Benefits Advisory Committee acts on the Guiding Principles for Community Benefits Funding, adopted by the Cambridge City Council, and makes recommendations to the City Manager for the approval of grant awards with nonprofit organizations to deliver services.
Boosting Business Blocks Grant
The Boosting Business Blocks Grant offers Cambridge businesses, business associations, and groups of neighborhood businesses the opportunity to secure one-time grant funding for well-designed projects that bring together neighborhood business interests around shared goals of improved design, promotion, and business resilience in a commercial area.
Incentive Zoning Ordinance
The Incentive Zoning Ordinance requires contributions to the housing fund from developers of certain projects.
Small Business Programs
The Economic Development staff offers a variety business development Programs to Cambridge small businesses.
Longitudinal Study by Science Club for Girls and Cambridge STEAM Initiative
Science Club for Girls (SCFG) and the Cambridge STEAM Initiative are excited to share data from the Longitudinal Study of SCFG alums. The study collected feedback from 70 alums who participated in the SCFG's programming — which serves girls and gender-expansive youth in Kindergarten through 12th grade — to evaluate how alums’ experiences influenced their career paths, motivation to pursue STEM fields, and leadership development.