In addition to our work on public health, education, the environment, the arts, and government innovation, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Founder’s Projects are unique efforts we support that fall outside of our core program areas.
Rebuilding at the World Trade Center Site
Bloomberg Philanthropies supports and works closely with a series of important institutions where Mike serves as chair of the board, such as the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) in Lower Manhattan, and Serpentine in London’s historic Kensington Gardens.
The Perelman Performing Arts Center glows from within during the evenings, alongside the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan.
Promoting Women’s Economic Development
At the Women’s Opportunity Center in Rwanda, which we supported in partnership with Women for Women International, women received classroom training across key vocational tracks.
Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Women’s Economic Development program partners with governments, nonprofits, and the private sector to create opportunities that lead women to economic independence in Sub-Saharan Africa and around the world.
Since 2007, the program has provided women with training and education across key tracks like agriculture, hospitality, textiles, and more. To date, our investments have enrolled more than 872,000 women in programs, benefitting over 3.4 million of their children and family members. Major independent evaluations over the lifetime of the program have continued to confirm its effectiveness.
Reducing U.S. Wealth Disparities
Driven by Mike’s commitment to increasing opportunities for all, our Greenwood Initiative is a philanthropic effort that seeks to create wealth-building opportunities for those in the bottom half of the wealth distribution in the United States.
Through the Greenwood Initiative, we have given significant financial support to the country’s historically Black medical schools, funded students from a broad range of academic backgrounds to earn PhDs in STEM at Johns Hopkins, provided clearer, more accessible data to decision-makers working to address wealth disparities, and helped cities provide residents with financial planning support.
In August 2024, Mike joined the National Medical Association’s annual conference to announce our $600 million commitment to bolster the endowments of the four historically Black medical schools, alongside the schools’ leaders.
SPOTLIGHT
Historically Black Medical Schools
A key part of the Greenwood Initiative is our support for the nation’s four historically Black medical schools: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science; Howard University College of Medicine; Meharry Medical College; and Morehouse School of Medicine.
In August 2024, we announced a $600 million commitment to bolster the endowments of all four schools. We also gave an additional $5 million to help create a new medical school at Xavier University of Louisiana. These commitments built on our $100 million gift in 2020 to reduce the burden of debt for nearly 1,000 future doctors, which drove increases in both graduation rates and the number of graduates pursuing residencies in medically underserved areas.
Supporting Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins students enjoyed a sunny day on Homewood Campus in Baltimore.
Beginning in 1964 with a $5 donation, Mike has been a longtime supporter of his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University. We continue to support endowed professorships, research, capital projects, and a wide range of scholarships.
In July 2024, we made a major new $1 billion commitment to support financial aid for graduate students across the university. The gift supports future doctors by making Johns Hopkins’ medical school tuition-free for all students from families earning less than $300,000 per year while also covering living expenses for students from families earning less than $175,000. It has also benefited other graduate students across the university, including those in the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the School of Nursing.
Partnering Across Baltimore
Beyond the Johns Hopkins campus, Bloomberg Philanthropies partners on a wide range of initiatives that aim to make Baltimore an even better place to live, learn, and work. In 2024, we supported more than 150 community-based organizations, schools, cultural institutions, and other nonprofits addressing key priorities across the city.
Many of our initiatives also support work in Baltimore, such as our Public Art Challenge, the Bloomberg Arts Internship, and our innovation teams program.
Mapping Our Impact In Baltimore
In 2024, we worked with over 150 nonprofits, schools, and cultural institutions across Baltimore.
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses
In addition to serving 660 small business owners since 2017, the program launched new services in 2024 to help them hire local talent and improve HR functions.
HeartSmiles and Urban Alliance
A year-round fellowship program provided nearly 70 youth with earn-while-you-learn programming and internships in 2024.
City Hall
The innovation team we support is focused on addressing public safety and vacant housing.
Johns Hopkins Hospital and University of Maryland Medical Center
A new pilot program will pair in-classroom instruction with on-the-job training to prepare 100 high school students for high-demand jobs in the healthcare industry.
Broadway East and CARE Neighborhoods
Two community-led projects removed 22,000 pounds of trash from the neighborhood in 2024, while other local nonprofits upgraded 2,600 homes and planted 1,200 trees across the city.
Advancing the Arts in London
In 2024, the annual Serpentine Pavilion was designed by Minsuk Cho as a series of five islands around a circular void. Credit: Iwan Baan/Courtesy of Serpentine
London is one of the world’s great cultural capitals, and Bloomberg Philanthropies is a longtime supporter of programs and partners across the city, including many of its celebrated cultural institutions. We helped to create an award-winning cultural institution, London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE, which is home to an ancient temple and a remarkable collection of Roman artifacts discovered during the construction of Bloomberg L.P.’s European headquarters in the city.
In 2025, we donated the site’s entire collection of 14,000 Roman artifacts to London Museum, the largest single deposit of archaeological material the museum has ever received. A selection of 600 artifacts will remain on display at London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE.