San Rafael residents can now submit proposals for improving their city and vote on their neighbors' ideas through a new online platform the city launched in partnership with Change.org.
The program, called Ideas for Change, runs through Aug. 30 at ideasforchange.org/san-rafael. After the submission window closes, Change.org will identify the most popular topics and convene a group of residents from across the city for virtual dialogues aimed at turning those ideas into actionable proposals for city leaders.
"I often hear from residents who have a good idea but aren't sure where it's supposed to go," Mayor Kate Colin said in the city's announcement Tuesday. "Civic Dialogues creates an online space where the community can share ideas, build on each other, and really dig into the issues that matter most."
The portal opened Monday, Aug. 3 and was already collecting submissions by Tuesday, with at least one idea posted: "Allow for more outdoor seating and a later noise ordinance Thursday to Saturday."
The city is calling the initiative a pilot.
Duncan Lockard, general manager of Ideas for Change at Change.org, said the platform lets residents support and build on each other's proposals, with the goal of building consensus around practical policy solutions that can be brought to city leadership.
Ties to the city's strategic plan
The program fits into San Rafael's 2025–2028 Strategic Plan, which set a goal of building an inclusive engagement program that reaches more residents and makes it easier for them to weigh in on city priorities.
It also follows the March 2026 Collective Plans in Action report focused on the Canal neighborhood, which has the highest population density in the Bay Area outside downtown San Francisco. That report reviewed 436 initiatives from 20 plans completed between 2009 and 2024, tracking which had been finished and which remained in progress against priorities Canal residents had identified over the years. Seven partner organizations, including Canal Alliance and Marin Community Foundation, collaborated on the analysis.
The Canal District is home to the largest Latino community in Marin County, with Latinos representing 88% of the neighborhood's residents. The Ideas for Change program extends a community-driven engagement model citywide.
How to participate
Residents can visit ideasforchange.org/san-rafael to submit an idea or vote on existing proposals. The deadline is Aug. 30. The city has not announced a specific date for the post-deadline resident dialogues, saying only they will happen "shortly afterward."
