Jerusalem And Tel Aviv Receive Bloomberg Philanthropy Grants

December 17, 2014 | The Israeli cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are the first cities outside of the United States to be awarded with grants from Bloomberg Philanthropy, Michael Bloomberg’s charitable giving fund. They will receive grants as part of the Expanded Innovation Teams Program, a program that funds municipalities to improve residents’ access to data and open innovation to solve urban problems. Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, will be awarded with a $850,000 grant while Tel Aviv will be awarded with a $650,000 grant. Jerusalem is set to focus its grant money on minimizing poverty in the city as well as economic development, while Tel Aviv’s grant will focus on illegal immigration and the cost of living. The cities will be asked to hire innovation teams that will help address these challenges over a three-year period. The two Israeli cities join 12 other US counterparts in the program, set to launch in Spring 2015.