If you’re working on participatory democracy: designing a process, convincing a mayor, training facilitators, publishing research that nobody in your country reads yet – you know what the hardest part is. It’s not the method. It’s the isolation. The sense that you’re solving problems others have already solved, somewhere, without any way to reach them, compare approaches, or learn from their experience.

People Powered is built for exactly that problem. We’re a global network of 300 organizations and individuals — practitioners, civil society organizations, civil servants, researchers, and advocates — working on participatory democracy across 50+ countries. Will you be the 301st member?

Members join a global movement to give more power to everyday people by making participation a more commonplace and sustained part of decision-making. They get practical infrastructure that makes the work easier: peer connections, structured training programs, funding pathways, shared resources, and decision-making power over the network itself.

Who can be a member

If you’ve been practicing, researching, implementing, or otherwise working with participatory democracy for at least a year, you’re eligible. There are many ways of doing participatory democracy — if your work involves giving people a meaningful role in making the decisions that affect their lives, together with their governments, you're part of this field.

You can apply as an individual or as an organization. If you work in government or another political institution, we encourage you to apply individually. Our community already includes civil servants, electoral officials, city planners, and senior government advisors alongside CSOs, think tanks, and grassroots organizations.

Learn more about membership

Apply to become a member

What membership gives you

1. A global peer network

This community spans 50+ countries. Members connect through convenings, workshops, regional groups, and informal exchanges. Members often use the network as a sounding board for process design, a space to troubleshoot challenges, or a way to find collaborators working in similar contexts.

Last month, we brought 200 advocates and organizations together in Nairobi for our biggest convening yet — five days of workshops on climate democracy, inclusive participation, democracy narratives, and AI-powered tools, capped by a day of strategic planning for the network’s future. See what happened.

This past year, 65 new members from 34 countries joined the community — from grassroots organizations using arts-based accountability in Uganda, to electoral institutions across Latin America, to think tanks in Finland and Guatemala.Whether you need a sounding board for a process design, a partner for a joint funding proposal, or someone who’s navigated the same political terrain, chances are they’re already in this network.

2. Programs that build your practice

Members get priority access to our competitive flagship capacity-building programs. Developed with the expertise of People Powered members using our curated resources. The Climate Democracy Accelerator has supported 90+ participatory climate programs across 33+ countries — and a new cohort is launching soon. Rising Stars pairs members with experienced practitioners for tailored mentorship. And the Democratic Innovations Accelerator supports teams designing and improving participatory processes across sectors. Each program runs over several months. Importantly, they are built around actually launching or improving a participatory process — not just learning about one.

3. Funding and collaboration

We help members identify funding opportunities and collaborate on joint proposals. Since 2020, we've directed nearly $3 million to members through joint fundraising. We also share opportunities for contract work and connect members with technical assistance requests — members are prioritized for all People Powered contracting, including paid agreements for mentorship, facilitation, speaking, and content production — over $650,000 has been directly allocated to members so far.

4. Decision-making power

Members don’t just receive — they participate in our governance, and they help shape the network itself. Members serve on committees and decide how to allocate pooled funds through PP Decides, our participatory budgeting process. So far, members have allocated $705,000 through this process to projects that benefit the global participatory democracy community.

This year, we have begun our next strategic planning cycle. You could influence the direction of People Powered and the field of democracy over the next few years.

5. Visibility for your work

We profile members’ work through newsletters, our website, social media, and international partner channels. We help members secure international speaking and media opportunities, often leading to new partnerships, funding opportunities, and increased visibility within the field. And we publish in-depth case studies — see examples from India, Mexico, and the US — that put your work in front of a global audience.

Whether you work inside government, organize from the outside, or research what makes participation effective — there's a place for you. Applications are now open. Become a member, or share this with someone who you think will benefit!