Undergraduate Association releases inaugural participatory budgeting results
$25,000 will be allocated to five proposals: an equal amount will be set aside for proposals in the spring
On Nov. 25, the MIT Undergraduate Association (UA) released the winning proposals of its inaugural participatory budgeting process. The proposals were selected through a ranked choice vote open to all undergraduates. In alphabetical order, the winners were: Free Menstrual Products, Free Stamps for All, Project G.O.A.T., aka Goat Petting Zoo, Undergraduate Swings, and Waffle Wednesdays.
The participatory budgeting vote marks the first time in which the undergraduate community has had direct input in how the UA allocates its assets for spending. UA President Enoch Ellis ’26 emphasized the novelty of organizing such a vote. “A lot of this process we had to make as we went,” Ellis wrote in a statement to The Tech.
The screening for the proposals was no exception. The UA Council initially created a detailed rubric to evaluate every project on qualities including “relevance to [MIT’s] community, alignment with Institute values, and innovation.” However, the council eventually rejected plans that were outright illegal, not administratively workable, or fundable by other club financing mechanisms that the UA already has in place.
In his statement to The Tech, Ellis stated few proposals fell into the first two categories. He also emphasized “copious resources,” for clubs, including the Large Event Fund, Financial Board, and Association of Student Activities. “PB [participatory budgeting] does not affect other sources of extracurricular funding that student groups get,” he wrote.
Following screening, the UA released all remaining plans and descriptions to the general student body. After winning the most ranked-choice votes from the student body and gaining the Council’s approval, five projects were granted a cumulative $25,000. Per the UA, funds come from unspent portions of “previous years' budgets.” Four other initiatives, ranging from a bouncy house to dorm-wide newspaper stands and media subscriptions, were also on the ballot but did not gain enough ranked-choice votes for funding.
Some winning proposals were grounded in necessities, such as the Free Menstrual Products and Stamps For All proposals, while others were more light-hearted. In an email to The Tech, Jensen Coonradt ’28 described their proposal, Project GOAT, as an “initiative to bring friendly goats to campus for monthly visits to improve mental health and well-being.” Coonradt hopes that “whimsical elements like a goat-friendly slide and tiny MIT-themed shirts” will “create moments of happiness, strengthen connections across campus, and promote a balanced, supportive campus culture.”
The Council plans to work with the larger UA, volunteers, and those who initially proposed projects on their implementation. Updates will be available on their website. Ellis hopes this process will be visible, sharing, “We want feedback. We want help—if it looks like there’s not many people working on this, that’s because that’s the case.” As a proposer, Coonradt feels that the UA has been supportive and clear. They have arranged for a goat vendor, car rentals, and music from MIT’s CelloWorld(); club.
Ellis noted that more people will work on the participatory budgeting plans next semester. This help is likely more than welcome: according to their website, the UA plans to run another full round of PB this spring, with another $25,000 up for grabs. This new round may see some repeat proposals. Ellis encouraged students unhappy with the results to “engage… directly—whether by sharing your concerns or advocating for the proposals you support in the spring.” More broadly, he emphasized, “Democracy thrives when everyone participates!”
Although none of the projects have yet come to fruition, they are already creating some talk on campus. Coonradt concluded his email, “I’ve found it hilarious and heartwarming that some students have started calling me "The GOAT" because of this project—it’s a fun reminder of how much excitement it’s already generating.”