The Better Budget Alliance (BBA) is a left-of-center economic-policy advocacy group that promotes “participatory budgeting” practices for the city of Boston in order to redistribute “public money into Black and Brown neighborhoods” within the city. ^{1 2}

BBA has previously advocated the critical race theory-influenced concept of equity, claiming to support a budgeting process that advances “racial and economic equity.” BBA has also advocated that the city’s budget should “divest” from policing. ^{1 3}

Background

The Better Budget Alliance (BBA) is a left-of-center organization that advocates so-called “participatory budgeting” policies for the city of Boston, whereby a portion of a given budget is determined by a community proposal. ¹

BBA has also advocated the critical race theory-influenced concept of equity, claiming that the community board in charge of determining the participatory budgeting policies would also be responsible for “how justice and equity are woven into the fabric of the participatory budgeting process.” In addition, the BBA’s proposed board would be made up of “working-class BIPOC residents, as well as other individuals who have been most directly impacted by oppressive systems in our city.”  ¹

BBA has also claimed that such as process would allow greater participation for “undocumented, incarcerated, and younger residents” within the city. ⁴

Activities

In 2024, the Better Budget Alliance’s (BBA) campaigns contributed $2 million in public funds towards participatory budgeting practices within the city of Boston. ⁵

BBA also runs a campaign called People’s Budget, which advocates for the community to submit proposals and demands to ensure the city budget “invests in the health, safety, wellness and economic stability of BIPOC, working class communities and divests from harm, policing and extraction.” ³

BBA claims the participatory budgeting process should consist of seven steps: identify issue areas, gather community needs, hold needs assemblies, gather solutions, prioritize solutions, develop proposals, and hold assemblies to review and vote on proposals. BBA further claims its goal is to help redistribute “public money into Black and Brown neighborhoods.” ^{2 1}

Coalition Members

The steering committee of the Better Budget Alliance includes the Center for Economic Democracy, Madison Park Development Corporation, Right to the City Boston, Heal The Hood, Youth Justice and Power Union, and MassBudget. ⁶

Other participants in the BBA include Families for Justice as Healing, the Boston Ujima Project, Asian American Resource Workshop, the New England Community Project, the Boston Teachers Union, UFCW Local 1445, the Fenway Community Development Corporation, the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, the Fields Corner Crossroads Collaborative, the Chinese Progressive Association, the Allston Brighton Health Collaborative, City Life/Vida Urbana, Resource Generation, MassVOTE, Mass Voter Table, the MA Solidarity Economy Network, Neighbors United for a Better East Boston, JP Progressives, the LivableStreets Alliance, Maverick Landing Community Service, Pilot Action Group, Union Capital Boston, Mutual Aid Eastie, the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, the Boston Climate Action Network, Reclaim Roxbury, I Have a Future Boston, True Alliance, and St. Stephen’s Youth Programs. ⁶

1. “Our Vision.” Better Budget Alliance, January 23, 2023. https://betterbudgetalliance.org/our-vision/.
2. “About Participatory Budgeting.” Better Budget Alliance, January 19, 2023. https://betterbudgetalliance.org/about-pb/.
3.  “People’s Budget.” Better Budget Alliance, March 31, 2025. https://betterbudgetalliance.org/peoples-budget/.
4. “Check out the New Better Budget Alliance Website!” Better Budget Alliance, March 31, 2025. https://betterbudgetalliance.org/.
5. Loh, Penn. “Building the Solidarity Economy: A Decade’s Assessment – Non Profit News: Nonprofit Quarterly.” Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly, October 30, 2024. https://nonprofitquarterly.org/building-the-solidarity-economy-a-decades-assessment/.
6. “About Us.” Better Budget Alliance, March 31, 2025. https://betterbudgetalliance.org/about-us/.