Bloomberg Philanthropies Expands and Rebrands Global Engagement Program
September 9, 2014
Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced the expansion and rebranding of Bloomberg Connects (formerly known as the Digital Engagement Initiative). Bloomberg Connects provides funding for the development of technology to increase access to cultural institutions and enhance visitor experiences. The expansion includes a new $17 million commitment to support the American Museum of Natural History, the Brooklyn Museum, the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Science Museum in London to produce innovative projects like immersive rooms, interactive devices and mobile applications that use cutting edge technology and enable visitors to share content.
Read moreBloomberg Philanthropies Sponsors 31st Sao Paulo Bienal Mobile App
September 3, 2014
Visitors to the 31st Sao Paulo Bienal, the world’s second largest art show, can access all the arts works and projects exhibited in the event via their mobile devices, thanks to an application sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies available today at <a href=”http://app.31bienal.org.br” target=”_blank”>http://app.31bienal.org.br</a>
The Bloomberg Bienal App will provide a comprehensive guide to works on display in Sao Paulo starting September 6th. The digital platform will give visitors the event’s agenda, a comprehensive guide to the most important art pieces, exclusive information on the featured artists, and the text from the curators that appear on the walls with maps and photos. It will also create a special channel of dialogue with the public by integrating with social networks.
Read moreBloomberg Philanthropies Announces Major New Investment In City Halls’ Capacity to Innovate
August 20, 2014
Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced a new $45 million investment to boost the capacity of city halls to use innovation to tackle major challenges and improve urban life. The foundation will direct significant funding and other assistance to help dozens of cities adopt the Innovation Delivery model, an approach to generating and implementing new ideas that has been tested and refined over the past three years in partnership with city leaders in Atlanta, Chicago, Louisville, Memphis, and New Orleans.
Read moreNew Report from Bloomberg Philanthropies and Nesta Highlights 20 Leading Government Innovation Teams around the Globe
June 30, 2014
Bloomberg Philanthropies and Nesta, the UK’s innovation foundation, released a new report which highlights 20 of the world’s top innovation teams in government. The publication, i-teams: The teams and funds making innovation happen in governments around the world, showcases innovation teams established by city, regional, and national governments to develop and deliver new solutions to complex challenges.
Read moreBloomberg Philanthropies & U.S. Department of Commerce Host Inaugural “U.S.-Africa Business Forum”
May 21, 2014
On August 5, 2014, Bloomberg Philanthropies and the U.S. Department of Commerce will co-host the first-ever U.S.-Africa Business Forum, a day focused on trade and investment opportunities on the continent. The U.S.-Africa Business Forum will be part of President Obama’s U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the first summit of its kind, and the largest event that any U.S. president has ever convened with African heads of state or government.
Read moreThe New York Botanical Garden Launches Groundbreakers App, Providing Mobile Access to Garden Programming and Content
May 14, 2014
The New York Botanical Garden has launched a new Groundbreakers mobile application, available for free download to iOS-enabled smart phones and tablets on Apple’s iTunes. The Groundbreakers app is the latest addition to a mobile media program, sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies, which aims to develop apps that provide access to cultural and science programming and educational content in a highly customized mobile experience. More information is available on the Botanical Garden’s Web site at www.nybg.org/app/.
Read moreTwenty-one European Cities Advance in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Mayors Challenge Competition to Create Innovative Solutions to Urban Challenges
April 24, 2014
Bloomberg Philanthropies today revealed the 21 European cities that have emerged as final contenders in its 2013-2014 Mayors Challenge, a competition to inspire cities to generate innovative ideas that solve major challenges and improve city life, and that ultimately can spread to other cities. One grand prize winner will receive €5 million for the most creative and transferable idea. Four additional cities will be awarded €1 million, and all will be announced in the fall. The finalists’ proposed solutions address some of Europe’s most critical issue areas: youth unemployment, aging populations, civic engagement, economic development, environment and energy concerns, public health and safety, and making government more efficient.
Read moreBloomberg Philanthropies Makes $5 Million Impact Investment in Little Sun, Creators of Solar-Powered Lamps Delivering Light to Off-Grid Populations in Africa
April 23, 2014
Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced a $5 million impact investment in Little Sun, creators of portable, solar-powered lamps designed by co-founders: artist Olafur Eliasson and engineer Frederik Ottesen. The company works with local entrepreneurs to sell its lamps to households where electricity is scarce or unavailable, at prices that are affordable to families currently using costly and toxic kerosene for their lighting. Little Sun operates as a social business, created specifically to address a social problem rather than to maximize profits.
Read moreMarjorie B. Tiven Named to Advisory Board of the United Nations Democracy Fund
March 28, 2014
Marjorie B. Tiven, Director of Global Cities, Inc. a program of Bloomberg Philanthropies, was named to the Advisory Board of the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.
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Bloomberg Philanthropies Launches $50 Million Reproductive Health Program
March 27, 2014
Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced the launch of a multi-faceted $50 million reproductive health program to prevent maternal deaths and help more women freely and safely make decisions about when to have children. At the 2012 London Summit on Family Planning, Michael R. Bloomberg committed $50 million to Family Planning 2020 (FP2020), a global collaboration of governments, non-profit organizations, donors and researchers, to ensure that women in the world’s poorest countries have access to family planning information, contraceptives, and services by 2020. Funding from this $50 million commitment will be allocated to the three core components of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ reproductive health program which includes new advocacy efforts, as well as an expansion of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ existing program in Tanzania.
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