The Bloomberg Philanthropies "Innovation Delivery" grants application deadline is Oct. 6, 2014. The foundation expects to select 10 to 15 cities, with the grant winners announced by year's end.
Photo: Jasper Juinen, Mayors' Challenge 2014 Ideas Camp, Berlin, June 12-13.

Michael Bloomberg held three consecutive terms as mayor of New York City, a clear indication the majority of voters like the job he was doing. According to Forbes, Bloomberg's assets of $34 billion make him the 11th richest person in the U.S., and the 16th wealthiest person on the planet.

Bloomberg isn't one to hoard his riches, having pledged to give away the majority of his wealth to charitable causes he believes in. He has already donated more than $1 billion to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University. In 2013, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $452 million to five focus areas: public health; environment; government innovation; arts; and education.

In the area of government innovation, the foundation is now inviting over 80 American cities to apply for "Innovation Delivery" grants. Eligible cities must have at least 100,000 residents and mayors with at least two years left in office. Grantees will be selected in the fall, and receive from $250,000 to $1 million annually over three years. Newly formed Innovation Delivery city teams will hit the ground running no later than spring 2015.

The Innovation Delivery model has already been tested and refined over the past three years in partnership with city leaders in Atlanta, Chicago, Louisville, Memphis, and New Orleans.

James Anderson, who heads the government innovation programs at the foundation, commented that cities and mayors can't leave innovation to chance, and need to come up with better ideas and reduce the risks of failure.

In addition to direct investments in cities, Bloomberg Philanthropies will fund technical assistance, research and evaluation and partnerships with organizations to further spread the Innovation Delivery approach. The Innovation Delivery Playbook, which details the approach and some experiences of the original cities with which Bloomberg Philanthropies partnered, is available at: www.bloomberg.org.