Our founder Mike Bloomberg and CEO Patti Harris introduce the 2021 Annual Report, highlighting our work over the last year in the arts, education, the environment, government innovation, public health and through the Greenwood Initiative.
The 2021 Annual Report can be found here: https://www.bloomberg.org/annualreport/
Mike Bloomberg: Today’s crisis always obscures tomorrow’s catastrophe. The more time, energy, and resources we devote to clear and present dangers, the more likely we are to allow emergencies in the making to go unchecked. In 2021, we were determined to avoid that trap.
Patti Harris: Bloomberg Philanthropies continued to work with our amazing partners to tackle urgent challenges like COVID-19 and climate change. We supported hundreds of arts organizations, advanced innovation in cities, and launched scholarships to increase diversity in STEM fields. But at the same time, we stepped back and looked further ahead.
Mike Bloomberg: That long-term planning process led us to launch a variety of major initiatives. We expanded existing programs like our global work to end coal and created new efforts like university centers at Johns Hopkins and Harvard to support cities and their leaders. Our biggest new investment is focused on expanding assets to high quality U.S. charter schools. Over the next five years, we’ll help turbocharge the charter school movement with a $750 million effort to create 150,000 new classroom seats in 20 metro areas.
Patti Harris: In this initiative and so many others, from expanding our work to reduce overdose deaths, to helping arts organizations develop digital strategies, to partnering with historically Black medical schools on COVID vaccination efforts, the partnerships we’ve built drive the work we do every single day. In the year ahead, we will remain committed to collaborating with our partners and taking on new and ongoing issues.
Mike Bloomberg: We will continue looking further down the road, taking on challenges that can’t wait and helping people who need it most.