Partnership for the Public Good is a community-based think tank that builds a more just, sustainable, and culturally vibrant Buffalo Niagara through action-oriented research, policy development, and citizen engagement.

A New Home For Action

Since 2007, our work has been dedicated to effecting lasting, positive change in our community. Created with the help of educators, students, volunteers, interns, and independent researchers, our rich body of reports, policy briefs, and fact sheets can now be found in the Buffalo Commons.

Latest News View All

September 10, 2024

Buffalo Common Council Summary: Week of September 2, 2024

by PPG Staff Each week, PPG summarizes important takeaways from Buffalo Common Council meetings. We also include information from council meetings related to our Community Agenda items. If you want to learn more about how the council meetings work and how you can get involved, check out our …

August 21, 2024

270 People Unite on the High Road to Economic Justice and Real Democracy

Over the course of three days in late June 2024, PPG and Cornell in Buffalo hosted Uniting on the High Road, a national conference bringing more than 270 people to the Burchfield Penney Art Center in Buffalo. The participants and speakers were advocates, organizers, and leaders working in local and …

August 19, 2024

Buffalo News Editorial Board: "Buffalo's rental registry needs more work"

Buffalo News Editorial Board | August 19, 2024 Buffalo’s rental registry needs improvement – as soon as possible. The registry’s purpose is to enhance housing quality through tracking and revenue generation. Instead, it is struggling due to persistent issues with delinquent …

August 11, 2024

Buffalo News: "'There are no consequences': Nearly half of Buffalo's small rental properties delinquent on registration fees, hinting at bigger issues"

Justin O'Connor | August 11, 2024 When Buffalo created a rental registry in the mid-2000s to track the ownership of small rental properties, officials hoped the landlord licensing program would help improve the quality of the city’s housing stock by providing information about …

Upcoming Events View All

Walt Whitman's Open Road: An Introduction to Whitman and "Song of Myself"September 19, 2024, 1-2 pm

Sam Magavern, Calamus Project

Professor Karen Karbiener will offer an interactive introduction to Walt Whitman and his great poem, “Song of Myself.”

Whitman, Alabama: Screening and Discussion with Director Jennifer Chang CrandallSeptember 19, 2024, 7-9 pm

Sam Magavern, Calamus Project

Filmmaker Jennifer Chang Crandall describes Whitman, Alabama as an experiment in using documentary and poetry to reveal the threads that tie us together – as people, as states, and as a nation.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) Advocacy LabSeptember 24, 2024, 12:30-2 pm

Andrea Ó Súilleabháin, Regine Ndanga

While 501(c)(3)s cannot directly support or oppose candidates for public office, there are many advocacy and voter education activities these organizations and their staff may do. Join PPG as we share the laws and rules regarding electoral activities and describe examples of what you can do. 

Erie County Budget 101October 22, 2024, 12:30-2 pm

Colleen Kristich, Caitlin Crowell

Erie County’s operating budget is over $2 billion. What is the annual process to determine the budget, and how can you influence it?