The Washington Post: Michael Bloomberg may be Big Tobacco’s biggest enemy
December 5, 2016
Kelly Henning, who leads public health efforts for Bloomberg Philanthropies, said in an interview that the new donation will help expand its previous work, such as getting countries to monitor tobacco use, introduce strong tobacco-control laws, and create mass media campaigns to educate the public about the dangers of tobacco use. The program includes 110 countries, among them China, India, Indonesia and Bangladesh.
Read moreForbes: 10 Years Later: Bloomberg’s Big Bet on Tobacco Reduction
November 30, 2016
It comes out to less than a dollar a person: Since 2006, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ investment of more than $600 million to reduce tobacco use has helped protect nearly 1.7 billion people from smoking’s health hazards, primarily in low- and middle-income countries. The bet—while risky—offered a strong opportunity for philanthropy to play a role. Despite data indicating tobacco’s danger to public health as well as evidence about high-impact policies, “no one had really taken the evidence base on to implement it,” says Dr. Kelly Henning, Program Lead for Bloomberg’s Public Health program.
Read moreFast Company: These Mayors Are Being Rewarded For Making Their Cities Stronger and More Self-Reliant
November 30, 2016
The City of São Paulo, Brazil will receive $5 million for winning the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Latin American and Caribbean Mayors Challenge, a competition in which city leaders propose ambitious solutions to combat some systemic urban problem within the region.
Read moreShanghai Daily: A model for the world in road safety, by Kelly Larson and Rebecca Bavinger
November 22, 2016
Shanghai has proven its commitment to reducing road traffic fatalities and injuries by addressing road safety issues and implementing solutions that have proven effective. In 2015, Shanghai was selected as one of 10 cities to be a part of an elite global network to reduce road traffic fatalities and injuries. The network is part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety, a five-year program working to reduce fatalities and injuries around the world.
Read moreThe Washington Post: Can an art project (finally) save a neighborhood?
October 31, 2016
“Money will only go so far to fixing individual buildings,” says Kate Levin, the former New York City cultural affairs commissioner who oversees Bloomberg’s arts program. “This is potentially of much greater use because it’s creating a high level of conversation and focusing interest on something.”
Read morePhilanthropy News Digest: Bloomberg Awards $10 Million for Women Coffee Farmers in Africa
September 23, 2016
Bloomberg Philanthropies has announced a $10 million grant to the Relationship Coffee Institute to expand its women’s economic development program in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Announced during the U.S.-Africa Business Forum, the grant will enable an additional twenty thousand women to benefit from and participate in Africa’s economic growth through training programs and access to the region’s coffee market.
Read moreFast Company: Enormous Art Projects Are Transforming The Future Of Cities
September 13, 2016
In June 2015, the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge awarded four cities up to $1 million over two years to create new ways to highlight and solve civic problems. The winners are Los Angeles, Gary, Indiana, Spartanburg, South Carolina, and a tri-borough team of Albany, Schenectady, and Troy, New York
Read moreInside Philanthropy: Be Like Mike: Bloomberg’s Road Safety Giving Is Saving Lives. Where Are Other Funders?
September 13, 2016
Road safety isn’t sexy, but it’s a pretty big deal, and it’s interesting to see the different moving parts of Bloomberg’s approach to the problem, which was reflected by the participants in the Bangkok meeting. Working with governments and other stakeholders is key, and the initiative aims to pull various levers, including policy, law, and marketing. The foundation reports that since 2007, as a result of its work, “nearly 2 billion people have been covered by strengthened road safety laws, 65 million people have been exposed to hard-hitting media campaigns promoting road safety, close to 30,000 professionals have been trained on road safety tactics and governments have committed $225 million towards infrastructure improvements that will make roads safer.”
Read moreThe Boston Globe: Harvard, Bloomberg unite for $32 million initiative for mayors
August 26, 2016
The initiative will be a collaboration between Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School’s Executive Education program, with input from Bloomberg’s consortium of philanthropic efforts.
According to a joint press release and interviews with officials, the new City Leadership Initiative seeks to serve up to 300 mayors and 400 mayoral aides in the next four years. The “curriculum” will consist of training and research programs, mentorship, and best-practice sharing among participants, though specifics are yet to be determined.
Read moreDevex: Partnering with governments is the only route to better data
August 15, 2016
In an effort to improve services and decision-making, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ founder Mike Bloomberg focused on data, especially to make public health improvements during his 12 years as mayor of New York City. At the foundation, we apply the same philosophy on data use to global public health. The Data for Health initiative, led by the public health team at Bloomberg Philanthropies, for example, aims to support interested governments in creating data systems changes that will be lasting, affordable and impactful.
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