 The Bloomberg Philanthropies' 2020 Annual Report is Here "Many people have remarked that they'd like to forget that 2020 ever happened. But the fact is, there's never been a year more important to remember — and learn from," writes Mike in his letter kicking off the Bloomberg Philanthropies 2020 Annual Report, which is out today. Every day, Bloomberg Philanthropies supports efforts to save and improve lives in hundreds of communities around the world. Whether the goal is to strengthen public health, build coalitions to fight climate change, or create inspiring public art that draws attention to pressing issues, our work is grounded in Mike Bloomberg's experience as a mayor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. And that work expanded and took on special urgency in the last year. 2020 looked a lot different than any of us anticipated — it's hard to believe that it's been a year since the first stay-at-home orders were issued — but as we look back on a difficult and busy time, I couldn't be prouder of what our team, with the support of Bloomberg L.P. employees, has accomplished, what we've learned, and where we're headed. As I wrote in the report, "The pandemic tested what we have always believed to be one of our core strengths: our flexibility and ability to move quickly as needs arise. Every one of our teams adapted their work in the span of days. Without walking away from all the vitally important work we had been doing before the virus struck, we expanded our ambitions — and, with them, we extended our partnerships, formed new ones, and doubled down on existing financial commitments… There is still so much uncertainty that lies ahead, but I have never been more certain of the urgency of our mission — saving and improving lives — and of our team's commitment to fulfilling it." In this first edition of our new Bloomberg Philanthropies Impact Newsletter, we share just a bit of the incredible work that happened in 2020, across 810 cities and 170 countries, backed by $1.6 billion in philanthropic investments. We're reflecting on a year that, in the end, was not defined by the many crises we faced, but by the individuals and organizations who met the moment. We celebrate them and are so proud to support them. We hope you enjoy, and we look forward to sharing more in the weeks ahead.  Patricia E. Harris CEO, Bloomberg Philanthropies
"Despite all that we faced in 2020, I'm more optimistic than ever about our ability to tackle the big challenges we face. To succeed, it's imperative that we apply what we have learned during the pandemic." Check out Mike's letter opening the Annual Report and reflecting on 2020.   
As COVID-19 developed into a global pandemic in 2020, Bloomberg Philanthropies launched many efforts to help save lives, stop the spread, and mitigate its devastating economic and social harm. We worked to strengthen public health systems across Africa and in low- and middle-income countries around the world, provided support for the International Rescue Committee as it faced new challenges from the global outbreak, and gave hundreds of cities globally the information and training to understand, respond to, and manage the different crises they are facing. In the U.S. we created a contact tracing program in New York State and launched an online contract tracing curriculum that is free to the entire world (and has been taken by over one million people), spearheaded a fund which provided nearly 800 New York City nonprofits $110 million in grants and loans, fed 30,000 frontline health care workers over one million meals, invested in COVID-19 treatment research at Johns Hopkins University and NYU Langone Health, and more.
As part of Bloomberg Philanthropies' environmental work, Beyond Carbon is the largest coordinated campaign to fight climate change in U.S. history and builds on the success of the U.S. Beyond Coal campaign. In 2020, we reached a major milestone, helping retire more than 60 percent of all U.S. coal plants in less than a decade. Bloomberg Philanthropies has helped expand the Beyond Coal campaign to Australia, South Korea, Japan, and Europe, where Europe Beyond Coal has helped retire more than 45 percent of all coal plants across the continent.
During his presidential campaign, Mike announced an ambitious plan to accelerate the pace of wealth accumulation for Black individuals and their families, and address decades of underinvestment in Black communities. He named the plan The Greenwood Initiative to honor the neighborhood of Greenwood — once known as "Black Wall Street" and the site of the tragic 1921 Tulsa Race massacre. Bloomberg Philanthropies now continues the plan's objectives. The initiative's first major investment was a historic $100 million gift to America's four Historically Black Medical Schools, which underscored the connection between Black health and wealth. Read more → | Everytown for Gun Safety is the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country. In 2020, launched its most ambitious political program ever, mobilizing a nationwide army of grassroots volunteers to register more than 100,000 new voters and contact millions to help elect President Biden and Vice President Harris, as well as gun sense candidates to Congress and in down-ballot races from statehouses to school boards. Everytown also released research reports, launched public education campaigns, and provided guidance to mayors and governors to address the increased risk of gun violence during the pandemic. Read more → |
Explore the Annual Report
Photo Spotlight  Bloomberg Philanthropies' Arts program recently announced an expansion of its Asphalt Art Initiative. All U.S. cities can apply for grants of up to $25,000 toward projects that use art and design to improve street safety, revitalize public spaces, and engage residents of their communities, like this project in Saginaw, Michigan. Learn more →. |
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Know someone who would be interested in the Impact Newsletter? Forward this email or tell them to subscribe here. | About our work Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 810 cities and 170 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Public Health, Education, Government Innovation, Environment, and the Arts.  Public Health | |  Education | |  Government
Innovation | |  Environment | |  The Arts | | Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg's giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2020, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $1.6 billion. Learn more at Bloomberg.org Click here to stop receiving the Bloomberg Philanthropies Impact Newsletter Click here to unsubscribe from all Bloomberg Philanthropies emails Bloomberg Philanthropies All content © 2021. All rights reserved. | |
