Participatory Rounds: Grantmaking, RFPs, and Budgeting

Participatory budgeting is a practice where resources are distributed through a collective process by group members.

This feature is currently in a testing phase on Hylo's staging environment, with expected launch to production by October 31, 2025.

Participatory grantmaking or budgeting is a practice where resources are distributed through a collective process by community members. This practice allows a wider group of stakeholders to have a voice in how funds are allocated or which projects are prioritized.

Funding Rounds on Hylo is a feature set that enables groups to run transparent, inclusive processes where members can:

• Submit project proposals

• Collectively discuss and evaluate submissions

• Vote on resource allocation using currency or token-based systems

• Build deeper relationships through collaborative decision-making

By involving a wider community in resource allocation, groups can ensure greater transparency, fairness, and member satisfaction while attracting new participants who want to be part of meaningful decision-making processes. Participatory budgeting is gaining ground in philanthropy and civic settings because it is a both effective and efficient way for resources to make their way to the most deserving and trusted people and projects.

This feature has been made possible by the 11th Hour Project and the Funding Lab for Open Agroecological Technologies, FLOAT, to whom we on team Hylo are deeply grateful.

Key Features

Funding Round Creation

Group stewards create and manage participatory rounds with customizable parameters including voting methods, submission requirements, and participant eligibility.

Phase-Based Workflow

Rounds progress through structured phases (announcement, submissions, discussion, voting, results), with options for manual or scheduled transitions between phases.

Token-Based Voting

Flexible allocation systems allow for both co-budgeting (with real currency) and priority voting using distributed tokens.

Built-in Discussion

Integrated chat rooms and comment systems facilitate collaboration and idea refinement throughout the process.

Funding Rounds Interface

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For a step by step guide to creating a round, click Next.