What People Powered does

People Powered is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in the United States and Ireland, operating as a global hub for participatory democracy. The organization functions as a union for governments, civil society organizations, researchers, and advocates working to advance citizen participation in democratic decision-making, with active program presence across 30+ countries spanning North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

The organization delivers its mission through a portfolio of non-software services rather than a unified technology product. Core offerings include a Resource Center (guides, toolkits, case studies, and research papers on participatory budgeting, citizens' assemblies, legislative theater, and deliberative processes), Mentorship Programs, Training Programs, and Accelerator Programs (notably the Climate Democracy Accelerator with up to $25,000 in grant funding and the Mainstreaming Participation Accelerator). Additional programs include the Democracy Stories Lab (a 2026-launched visual storytelling awards program offering up to $1,000 in grants), the Participation Playbook, and Digital Participation Resources. The underlying technology is a knowledge and resource hub built on a website (peoplepowered.org) that distributes digital content globally and serves as a self-service entry point to membership, programs, and convenings.

People Powered's business model is donation-based and nonprofit-structured; revenue is not publicly disclosed, and donations are tax-deductible for US donors. Members influence how donations are allocated to address their priority needs. Go-to-market is community-led: acquisition occurs through ecosystem convening, content distribution, and social media presence across LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky, supplemented by partnerships with high-profile convening bodies including the Council of Europe (World Forum for Democracy), the CONSUL DEMOCRACY Foundation (ConsulCon), DemocracyNext (joint research), and the DYPALL Network. Customer segments are vertical: governments at all levels, civil society organizations and advocates (primary), and researchers and academics.

Name

People Powered

Legal name

People Powered

Website

https://peoplepowered.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

People Powered is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit global hub for participatory democracy, serving governments, civil society organizations, researchers, and advocates through a resource library, mentorship, training, and accelerator programs funded by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Engagement and Participatory Democracy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Governance, Democracy & Rule of Law (BPAGABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders (BPAGAKAO), Government & Public Sector Conferences (MPAGAGAH), Remote/Hybrid Leadership & Distributed Team Management (EDABAAAN), Nonprofit, Social Services & Community Development Congresses (THAHAJAO)

Keywords

• Participatory democracy
• Civic engagement
• Democratic governance
• Citizen participation
• Community organizing

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: People Powered is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated in the United States and Ireland. The organization raises funds through donations, which are tax-deductible in the United States. Members decide how donations are allocated to address their greatest needs and priorities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

People Powered operates a global resource hub and membership organization for participatory democracy. It curates and distributes a library of guides, case studies, and research; delivers mentorship, training, and accelerator programs (including the Climate Democracy Accelerator); runs the Democracy Stories Lab narrative initiative; and convenes a global network of governments, civil society organizations, researchers, and advocates. The organization is funded through tax-deductible donations and operates without charging for its services.

Product overview

People Powered is a nonprofit organization serving as a global hub for participatory democracy, offering a portfolio of services rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include a Resource Center (comprehensive library of guides, toolkits, reports, and case studies), Mentorship Programs, Training Programs, and Accelerator Programs (including Climate Democracy Accelerator and Mainstreaming Participation Accelerator). Additional services include the Democracy Stories Lab (visual storytelling awards program), Participation Playbook, Digital Participation Resources, and Research Data. The organization also hosts Convenings and Events and maintains a Community Network of member organizations. These services work together to support organizations, governments, and practitioners in planning, implementing, and improving participatory democracy programs globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Resource Center A comprehensive content library of guides, toolkits, reports, case studies, and research papers on participatory democracy topics including participatory budgeting, citizens' assemblies, legislative theater, and youth engagement, for governments and civil society organizations.
• Mentorship Programs One-on-one guidance and support connecting governments and organizations with experienced practitioners to help launch and improve participatory democracy programs.
• Training Programs Educational programs and workshops designed to build capacity for implementing participatory democracy processes and citizen engagement initiatives.
• Accelerator Programs Structured support programs including the Climate Democracy Accelerator and Mainstreaming Participation Accelerator that help scale participatory democracy initiatives, offering funding up to $25,000 in climate democracy grants.
• Democracy Stories Lab An open call program for creators worldwide to share visual stories about the future of democracy, offering up to $1,000 in awards for compelling narratives about voice, power, and collective decision-making.
• Participation Playbook A comprehensive guide and collection of participatory tools designed to help communities and decision-makers work collaboratively to design services, shift power, and rebuild trust in local democracy.
• Digital Participation Resources Tools and guidelines for combining physical and digital elements (phygital) to enhance youth and citizen engagement in democratic processes.
• Research Data Access to research findings, data analysis, and academic studies on participatory democracy practices and outcomes globally.
• Community Network (Membership) A global union connecting organizations, government practitioners, researchers, and advocates supporting participatory democracy to grow collective power and impact.
• Convenings and Events Organized gatherings and events including the Global Democracy Coalition Forum, ConsulCon, and partnerships with organizations like the International Observatory on Participatory Democracy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 1,000 households engaged in Indonesia climate policy development
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DemocracyNextcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on research and publications including 'Scaling democratic innovations: Features of effective catalyst organizations & future frontiers' and 'Five dimensions of scaling democratic deliberation: With and beyond AI'. Joint research on deliberative democracy scaling strategies.
• DYPALL NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on youth engagement mechanisms guidelines, including 'Qualitative guidelines for mechanisms of youth engagement' publication developed in cooperation with Tree company, Levuur, City of Sint-Niklaas, and Danes Je Nov Dan.
• Vilnius City MunicipalityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the 2025 Vilnius Citizens' Assembly on sustainable mobility. People Powered hosts the case study report on their platform.
• CONSUL DEMOCRACY FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of ConsulCon annual conference on digital democracy, open-source civic technology and democratic empowerment.
• Council of EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for World Forum for Democracy 2026. People Powered promotes the forum and its Democracy Innovation Award to their network.
• Bertelsmann StiftungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource contributor providing citizen dialogue templates and travel expense claim forms for European citizens' dialogue programs.
• Federation for Innovation in Democracy (FIDE) North AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSource partner for research publications on 'Voice insecurity' and 'Including the underrepresented' focused on democratic renewal and inclusive deliberation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DemocracyNext: DemocracyNext is a direct collaborator and peer organization focused on scaling democratic innovations and deliberative processes. Both organizations co-published research on scaling democratic deliberation and operate in the same niche of democratic innovation capacity-building for governments.
• newDemocracy Foundation: Australia-based independent research and development organization for deliberative democracy, focused on citizens' assemblies and democratic innovation. Directly comparable to People Powered in mission, scale, and target audience (governments and civil society seeking participatory mechanisms).
• MASS LBP: Canadian public engagement consultancy specializing in deliberative processes, citizens' assemblies, and participatory budgeting. Closely comparable in service offering (mentorship, training, process design) and target customers (governments and civic organizations).
• DYPALL Network: European network focused on youth participation and local democracy. Direct peer in participatory democracy capacity-building and co-partner with People Powered on youth engagement guidelines; operates across Europe with comparable community-building model.
• International Observatory on Participatory Democracy (IOPD): Global observatory tracking participatory democracy practices at the municipal level. Highly comparable in mission, global scope, and resource-curation approach; People Powered even partners with IOPD on convenings.
• Participatory Budgeting Project: US-based nonprofit advancing participatory budgeting through training, resources, and advocacy. Direct peer in the participatory democracy resource-and-training model, with similar target audience of US municipalities and community organizations.
• Healthy Democracy: US nonprofit that designs and runs citizens' initiative reviews and deliberative processes at the state and local level. Comparable in providing hands-on participatory democracy programs and training for government and civic partners.
• Deliberative Democracy Consortium: US-based consortium of organizations and scholars advancing deliberative democracy research and practice. Comparable as a hub/coalition model connecting practitioners and researchers — closely aligned with People Powered's "global union" positioning.
• Sortition Foundation: UK-based nonprofit promoting citizens' assemblies and sortition-based deliberation. Comparable in mission, nonprofit funding model, and focus on citizens' assemblies as a core participatory method.

Broad incumbents

• Bertelsmann Stiftung: Large German foundation with a substantial democracy and participation program including citizen dialogue research, transnational participation work, and resource contribution. Operates in the same thematic space but with vastly greater scale and budget than People Powered.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfb.me/PeoplePoweredHub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peoplepowered
• Instagraminstagram.com/peoplepowered_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about People Powered