The Documenters Network: Civic Infrastructure for Connected Communities

Stronger Democracy Award
Awardee
City Bureau

The Documenters Network is a national, people-powered network that trains and pays those most impacted by public policy to document government meetings and build a community around democratic participation.

Last Updated: January 2023
Competition Participation
Stronger Democracy Award logo square version
Stronger Democracy Award
Subject
Democracy
Current Work Location(s):
  • Illinois, United States
  • Michigan, United States
  • Minnesota, United States
  • Ohio, United States
  • California, United States
  • District of Columbia, United States
  • Georgia, United States
  • Missouri, United States
  • Pennsylvania, United States
Priority Population(s):
  • Economically disadvantaged people
  • Victims and oppressed people
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
  • 10. Reduced inequalities
  • 16. Peace, justice and strong institutions

Executive Summary

Public meetings are workshops for democracy, where members of a community can witness, learn about, and act on the systems that impact their lives. But as local journalism collapses, many local government meetings happen with no oversight or input from the public—a systemic failure of our civic information system, and a critical missed opportunity for genuine democracy.

City Bureau’s Documenters Network has supported organizations in four cities to organize, train, and pay more than 1,200 people who attend and annotate government meetings. Documenters are a diverse and intergenerational group sharing trustworthy information in their communities and building new infrastructure for democratic participation from the ground up.

The growth of the Documenters Network will have transformative impacts on American democracy. Tens of thousands of Documenters connected and enabled with training and technology will create a more equitable foundation for local media, more accountable policymaking, and a groundswell of participation in local government.

Organization Details
Lead Organization

City Bureau

website: http://www.citybureau.org
Organization Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Organization ID
81-1054499
Number of Full-time Employees
10 to 25
Annual Operating Budget
$1.0 to 5 Million
Type
Non-profit

Charity, fund, non-governmental organization, religious institution, school, or other entity

Organizations may provide budget and employee data based on this proposal or the organization as a whole. For more information on this proposal or organization, please email us.

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