 At the beginning of 2021, everyone was hopeful that the year would bring a "return to normal." But as the most urgent challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic began to slowly recede, it was all too clear that we needed to aspire to something better. That was especially apparent in areas where Covid-19 had increased the severity of existing issues — leading to a surge in overdose deaths, causing disastrous learning loss for students who were falling behind well before the pandemic, revealing the tragic consequences of a health care system that is rife with racial inequity, and much more. Those realities informed the approach we took in 2021. As Mike writes in his opening letter to our Annual Report: 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.
As 2021 began, I was determined to avoid that trap, and so even as our foundation continued to expand our work helping countries and communities respond to and rebound from the pandemic, we also did something else: We stepped back and looked ahead — not to the next variant that might emerge, but to the next decade, and the next generation.   
Over the course of 2021, Bloomberg Philanthropies supported ambitious projects in the Arts, Education, the Environment, Government Innovation, Public Health, and the Greenwood Initiative, which aims to accelerate the pace of Black wealth accumulation, as well as special Founder's Projects and Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. This work spanned 941 cities and 173 countries to save and improve lives. 
Our Annual Report 2021 details the progress we made, shares thoughts from Mike and CEO Patti Harris, and highlights stories of the impact our people and partners made possible. Download the report → Read Mike's Annual Letter on Philanthropy → Read Patti's CEO letter →
"The partnerships we've built drive the work we do every day, on every challenge," writes CEO Patti Harris in her Annual Report letter.
In the Stories of Impact from our Annual Report, we hear from some of those partners, and learn about collaborations that are improving millions of lives. Check out the examples below, or explore all the Stories of Impact →
A visualization of our work around the world.
A note about the artwork... The artwork in this email, which also serves as the cover of the Annual Report and appears throughout the Annual Report website, comes from Waterworks by Glasgow-based artist Gabriella Marcella. 
The work was installed in Glasgow, Scotland, during the UN's COP26 climate conference, as part of our Asphalt Art Initiative. Learn more, and see photos from the installation on our Asphalt Art page.
Know someone who would be interested in the Impact Newsletter? Forward this email or tell them to subscribe at Bloomberg.org. | About our work Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 941 cities and 173 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg's giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy. This work spans the Arts, Education, the Environment, Government Innovation and Public Health. It also includes Founder's Projects that reflect Mike's commitment to preventing gun violence, promoting women's economic development, and accelerating the pace of Black wealth accumulation in the United States; and Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2021, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $1.66 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 Click here to read our privacy policy. Bloomberg Philanthropies All content ©2022 Bloomberg IP Holdings LLC. All rights reserved. | | |
