As a member of ICMA, you may already be working in a community that is among the most innovative and forward-thinking cities in the world. Today, we want to make you aware of an exciting opportunity: Bloomberg Philanthropies has recently launched it’s 2017 Mayors Challenge to support innovative cities such as yours as you continue to improve life for your city’s residents. Here’s how it works:

• All cities in the US and Puerto Rico with more than 30,000 residents are encouraged to apply – while it’s called the “Mayors Challenge” those with a city manager and council form of government are eligible.
• Cities who RSVP will have an opportunity to submit an idea for improving their city and compete for grants and technical assistance to implement a solution.
• 35 cities will receive up to $100,000 to test their ideas, and then a grand prize winner will receive $5 million for implementation, and 4 runners-up will each receive $1 million.
• For more details including frequently asked questions, please click here.

The deadline to reserve your spot in the competition is August 18, 2017. Signing up is easy – you can RSVP here by simply sharing your contact information. You do not need to have an idea at this time. After RSVP’ing, Bloomberg Philanthropies will provide you with additional information on the competition and next steps.

We encourage you to consider participating in this program so you can receive additional support for all the good work you do for your residents.