Bloomberg 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.
Read moreBloomberg Philanthropies Commits $10 Million to Save Children from Drowning
February 27, 2014
Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced a new $10 million commitment to prevent drowning deaths in children aged 1 to 4. The Bloomberg Philanthropies Drowning Prevention Project will initially focus on Bangladesh, where drowning is the leading cause of death among children. Every year in Bangladesh, 12,000 children drown, the equivalent of 32 deaths every day.
Read moreThe Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund and Bloomberg Philanthropies Award Technical Assistance Grants to Seven More Cities Replicating the Financial Empowerment Center Model
February 21, 2014
The Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE) Fund and Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced a significant expansion of their national Financial Empowerment Center programs to seven cities. Financial Empowerment Centers help citizens make financially sound decisions and counsel citizens struggling with debt. Cleveland, OH; Hartford, CT; Hawai’i County, HI; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; San Francisco, CA; and Seattle, WA will be awarded in-kind technical assistance grants, valued at $600,000, which will support the cities’ efforts to provide free public financial counseling to citizens.
Read more155 European Cities Submit New and Creative Ideas to Solve Pressing Urban Challenges through Bloomberg Philanthropies’ 2013-2014 Mayors Challenge
February 19, 2014
Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced that 155 cities across Europe have submitted ideas in the 2013-2014 Mayors Challenge, a competition that seeks to inspire European cities to generate innovative ideas that solve major challenges and improve city life – and that ultimately can spread to other cities. 70% of cities have generated ideas to address major social or economic challenges, including unemployment, energy efficiency, obesity, and aging. The remaining 30% of cities’ initiatives focus on improving the overall effectiveness and efficiency of government. Modeled on a successful inaugural competition in the United States, the Mayors Challenge will award €5 million for the grand prize winner and €1 million for four additional cities that come up with the most creative and transferable ideas.
Read moreMichael R. Bloomberg Appointed United Nations Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change
January 31, 2014
Michael R. Bloomberg, 108th Mayor of New York City, founder of Bloomberg LP and philanthropist, has been appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to serve as Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change. In this role, Michael R. Bloomberg will assist the Secretary-General in his efforts to mobilize action among cities as part of a strategy to combat climate change. As Special Envoy, Michael R. Bloomberg will work with other mayors both to increase their climate change-related commitments and to encourage national governments to do the same. He will also help bring solutions to the 2014 Climate Summit that will be held in New York, September 2014.
The appointment of a mayor as Special Envoy – a title generally reserved for former heads of state or government – reflects the growing influence and importance of cities in fighting climate change.
Read moreCities Of Service Appoints Myung J. Lee As Executive Director To Lead Major Expansion
January 30, 2014
After an extensive national search, Myung J. Lee has been selected to serve as the new Executive Director of Cities of Service – an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The organization will spin out of Bloomberg Philanthropies, which incubated the organization since 2010.
This spin out is driven by cities’ success with the organization’s model over the last four years and the subsequent increase in demand for its services from mayors and cities across the United States and the globe. To support this spin out and program expansion, Bloomberg Philanthropies is providing Cities of Service with a $4.6 million grant to help cover operational expenses for the next three years.
Read moreBloomberg Philanthropies Launches The Vibrant Oceans Initiative, A $53 Million Commitment To Reverse Declining Fish Supply
January 29, 2014
Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced the launch of the Vibrant Oceans initiative, a commitment of $53 million over five years to promote reforms to boost fish populations in Brazil, the Philippines and Chile. Currently, over-fishing and destruction of important marine areas are threatening the global supply of fish. Reforming fishing practices in these countries will revitalize 7% of the world’s fisheries and will potentially serve as a model for future global reform efforts by providing insights into the best ways to protect the world’s fish supply.
Read moreCities of Service Awards $1 Million to 23 U.S. Cities to Implement Volunteer Initiatives That Address Pressing City Needs – Funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies
December 10, 2013
After receiving a record-number of applications, <a title=”http://www.citiesofservice.org/” href=”http://www.citiesofservice.org/”>Cities of Service</a> today announced that $1 million were awarded to 23 U.S. cities in the second round of funding from the Cities of Service Impact Volunteering Fund. Mayors will use the funds to implement “impact volunteering” strategies that tackle pressing local challenges. Grants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 will support efforts in Allentown, PA; Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Birmingham, AL; Buffalo, NY; Campton Hills, IL; Charleston, SC; Fall River, MA; Flint, MI; Hartford, CT; Hayward, CA; Kalamazoo, MI; Kansas City, KS; Louisville, KY; Mesa, AZ; Milwaukee, WI; Nashville, TN; Orlando, FL; Philadelphia, PA; Richmond, CA; San Jose, CA; Utica, NY; and Washington, DC.
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